User Reviews

If this had been done in four or even six episodes, it would have been twice as good. As it was, a reasonably good mystery just dragged and dragged over eight slow motion episodes. The cast was mainly good, though the script had the main character behaving in an overly unlikely and unprofessional way a little too often. So, not bad...but could have been a lot better.

Not sure why this isn't rated higher. I loved it. A slow burn that pays off at the end. Dark and atmospheric. Interesting and highly flawed characters. Beautiful location.

Really enjoyed this crime thriller, set on the south coast of Iceland. Yes the landscape is as stunning and haunting as you'd expect, but I really enjoyed the story, characters and acting too.

It's slow building at first, but then builds to a crescendo in the last couple of episodes.

Do not understand the few low ratings on here, must be the Marvel generation... who need a stupid fight in spandex every two minutes to keep them happy! Anyone with a brain, who likes an intelligent, character driven story will love this series I'm sure.

The only slightly weird thing is that I've stood on top of the exact mountain where key events in this series. Always thought of it as a stunning location - which it is - but now I'll always think of this series too. Which despite being great, will be rather odd :)

Complex and initially a bit slow to take off it certainly packs a punch by the end. All similar dramas share a little bit of artistic licence and this is no exception. Like many contemporary productions in this area no one would want it to be based on fact. Written by the actor plating Anita I have to feel she has crafted a great role for herself. Some of the make up for injuries is very realistic and might put off some viewers. One review suggests gratuitous sex or nudity. This not a valid criticism. In context this is obviously an adult drama and no normal adult would find anything here remotely problematic. Well worth viewing.

This is a quality Icelandic mystery series that I think most fans of "Nordic Noir" will enjoy. This series has many of the characteristics of Nordic Noir mysteries: set in a dark, chilly landscape, flawed or troubled protagonists and criticism of the community where the mystery is set and/or featuring social issues. In this series, there are layers of mystery - the "main" mystery about the death of the German tourist (was it an accident? Was it a murder?), the mystery of the investigating detective's history, and the mystery of one or more characters I don't want to mention specifically for fear of ruining it for you! Basically, the mystery of the characters unfolds at the same pace as the mystery of the death of the German tourist is revealed. The layers of mystery held my attention during every minute of the series. As for the series being too dark or grim, it's supposed to be dark!! - dark landscape, cold climate, dark story, dark underbelly of society (in this series: family structures )- these are all important characteristics of a good "Noir" mystery. I think some viewers who are perhaps not Nordic Noir fans may have found the story grim because underlying the main story-line is the social issue of dysfunctional families and the lasting impact on the child. One theme is the impact on the child, not just from the maladaptive family dynamics, but also from the failure to act on the part of those aware of what is going on in the family & in a position to intervene. The child / family issue is handled with subtlety. Without revealing anything, suffice it to say there is nothing graphic or vulgar in the images or content about child vulnerability within the home - the content is suggestive rather than graphic. The bottom-lines is I found the series held my attention throughout the 10 episodes. The landscapes are so striking & beautiful, the characters are generally likeable and the story moved quickly. I didn't notice any glaring issues with the production in terms of editing that another viewer mentioned. I found this to be an intense, fascinating and entertaining series, with talented actors & high production quality. I recommend for Nordic Noir fans who are looking for a quality mystery / thriller, with the added bonus that it is set in breathtaking Iceland! I'm hoping there is a season 2 coming!! With English sub-titles. 9/10.

"Black Sands," filmed in the starkly beautiful, rugged Icelandic area with the famed beaches of the title, has all the trappings of traditional Nordic Noir: exotic location, deeply flawed detective, and a murky conspiratorial plot. But what makes this different is less emphasis on casework (though that emphasis is there), and more stress on character development. This makes "Black Sands" seem slow, as some reviews have pointed out, by comparison with similar series. But the viewer gets rewarded with a deeper understanding of motivations. The one drawback is that the lead character is so deeply unsympathetic it is hard to root for her.

Nothing new here. There were many cliched subplots that appear regularly in similar "murder mystery's" Apart from the Icelandic setting, this wasn't holding my attention during episode 1, but then it picked up and I was enjoying it.

Episode 4 was a letdown. Starting with a pretty graphic sex scene it was followed by more of the same and a gratuitous revisit to the naked woman in the morgue, and with an increasing amount of offensive language it rather lost its way.

More tawdry and perverse episodes followed.

The final episode was the best, as regards drama, but there were a number of loose ends and things that were not explained.

I difficult to like a show when you don't like any of the characters but that's exactly what happened to me when I watched Black Sands. The lead character is so dumb I have to wonder how she became a detective. I don't think she could even cut it as a beat cop. She also had a habit of throwing herself at men who seemingly had no interest in her at all. Her mother was pretty much a monster and the chief of police was lazy and not very intelligent. The one person with a little bit of a brain was the doctor but he was a bit weird at times. At times I felt like I was watching a parody of a noir-type drama. At least the scenery was beautiful.

Twice as long as it needed to be with a lead character who makes you wonder how she made it to detective give how she disobeys orders and acts like a spoilt child. Other characters were paper thin overall a waste of time and does not show the Icelandic police in a great light. Hopefully it's a one season wonder that never sees the light of day again. The end was so predictable as to be laughable with more crime scenes contaminated by the lead character throughout the series. At the very least they could have given us a few more drone shots of the fabulous Icelandic countryside which would have made this a little more acceptable.

Not so sophisticated as we normally watch - Could have been completed in 4 episodes! The story line is too long. Too many f words in the early episodes (and chewing gum). It was an unnecessary distraction and irritating

It could have been so much better. I had to persuade my husband to keep watching - the last few episodes were good but the earlier ones were frustrating and too long. I'm would have been a great series if it had been compacted into less episodes.

Please Don't treat the viewers as if they are stupid - we are more sophisticated these days

Good plot though but the main protagonist was irritating.

I did enjoy the darkness and black humour. Also the family tragedy was touching - and too true for some. But too many episodes made it boring, 4-5 would have been max. The murderer was obvious quite soon and the motive for all the killings escaped me, trauma yes.......and hate for women? Bad policework made me laugh.

Main character was teen in her love life and behaviour, and not a convincing police. I usually love Nordic noir - being scandinavian myself - Wallander, Beck, Millenium trilogy, Bridge..... but this was a dissappoitment. Trapped - icelandic series - was much much better, recommend it.