This well-oiled Danish thriller is another delve into the files of Department Q, a literary franchise launched on the big screen in 2013’s The Keeper of Lost Causes. The follow-up was a hit in its homeland, and it’s easy to see why: The Absent One is the sort of page-turning mystery we’re used to from Scandinavia, with a carefully structured plot that littered with clues and revelations to keep us enthralled. The story focuses on an unlikely detective duo (the irritable Nikolaj Lie Kaas and the amiable Fares Fares) as they uncover a cold case about a double murder and a witness who might be in danger. An awful number of cliches are being ticked off here (the Fincher-esque lighting, the dogged and socially inept cop), but it’s a diverting potboiler for crime drama completists.
Irritable Nikolaj Lie Kaas, and amiable Fares Fares in The Absent One.
