It was with Scandinavian crime dramas The Killing and The Bridge that the term coined to describe them was first used – Nordic Noir.

The appetite for these types of shows has long since waned, but hoping to revive it in cinematic form is Caroline Ingvarsson’s directorial debut.

Working as a TV journalist on Swedish TV is Maria (Mirja Turestedt). She is about to take a sabbatical with her academic husband Magnus (Thomas W. Gabrielsson) when he is accused of a crime.

He declares his innocence in the matter, so Maria tries to bury the whole thing before they go away.

She wants to go to England, but he insists they go further afield, to Marrakesh. But his behaviour at the home of a friend of his in Poland, starts to make her feel differently about her husband, which leads her to not only leave him, but also the country.

But when her husband is declared missing, what exactly happened to him before she fled the scene?

Ingvarsson’s debut follows the traits of the Nordic Noirs that preceded it, in being a quietly intense experience, initially at least. Unfortunately it soon loses its way, rambling incoherently as it does, where Maria ends up in the north of England.

The director attempts to lean into the rural scenery, as would be the case with classic Nordic Noir, in an attempt to up the atmosphere, but it appears to be at the expense of a compelling story.

It then becomes apparent that all intensity is lost, with nothing left other than a rather dull and quiet film.

The main issue is that Maria proves herself to be a strong and independent woman, who you would think would have no problem either leaving him or getting a divorce. But certainly the latter is something that is never explored and is swiftly taken off the table, replaced with her driving around and taking long walks with her dog in the English countryside, making the film feel very un-Nordic and disappointingly non-noir.

Ingvarsson is keen to hint at something menacing afoot with her use of flashbacks, but as they lack any sense of tension, the only real threat is from Maria ordering a pie from a local pub.

Shows like The Killing and The Bridge were gripping TV, and perhaps Nordic Noir deserves a comeback, but unfortunately this isn’t it.