An acclaimed Swedish-Danish crime drama that spawned seven international remakes is now available to stream on Amazon Prime Video in the UK. The show, originally known as Broen/Bron, follows a joint investigation between Swedish police detective Saga Norén and her Danish counterpart Martin Rohde after a corpse is discovered on the bridge connecting Malmö and Copenhagen.
The body is later revealed to comprise two halves of two different women—one a Swedish politician, the other a Danish prostitute. What unfolds is a dark, intricate investigation drawing in local authorities, the media and an elusive killer who claims to be carrying out crimes to highlight social issues, all while the two lead detectives navigate their own intertwining personal lives.
Critical acclaim for the leads
Both main characters feature prominently in glowing online reviews of The Bridge. Sofia Helin and Kim Bodnia are singled out as standouts by one IMDb reviewer, who wrote: "Acting is first rate, especially that of the two leads, Kim Bodnia, who plays Martin Rohde and the utterly brilliant Sofia Helin, who plays the clever but quirky Saga Noren." They added: "Her performance is exceptional and you can't help but love her character."
Other fans praised Helin's "excellent" depiction of a character with autism spectrum disorder, with one stating: "Helin's interpretation of a police officer with Autism spectrum disorder, Asperger type, was just excellent. Without a doubt, one of the best performances I've ever seen, made by a non-autistic actress/actor."
Comparisons with The Killing
While varied, online reviews about The Bridge largely share one common point: viewers note parallels between the 2011 series and The Killing (originally titled Forbrydelsen). Both Scandinavian crime dramas are considered benchmarks of the genre and have been remade into English-language adaptations, but the resemblances extend beyond that. Both also feature a dark colour palette and atmosphere, incorporate substantial political and social issues into the murder mystery storyline, and progress at a slow-burning pace rather than frantic killer-chase plots.
One fan wrote about The Bridge: "This one is a corker. It's right up there with 'The Killing' - and that's saying a lot."
UK broadcast and remakes
The programme's run in the UK proved highly successful. Following its original broadcast on SVT1 and DR1 in 2011, it was promptly aired on BBC Four, with three additional seasons following, having transferred to BBC Two by the final one.
Adaptations of the show include The Tunnel (a British and French version set in the tunnel between the two nations), another The Bridge (spanning El Paso, USA, and Juárez, Mexico, starring Diane Kruger), Most (set across Russia and Estonia), Malaysia and Singapore's The Bridge, Der Pass (set between Germany and Austria), and I Gefyra (spanning Greece and Turkey).
All four seasons of The Bridge are currently available to stream on Prime Video.
