# Black Sands (2021)

> A troubled Icelandic police officer returns to her hometown, where confronting her abusive mother collides with the hunt for a serial killer after a body is found.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/110216

## Facts

- Seasons: 2
- Episodes: 16
- Episode runtime: 53 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, drama, mystery
- Created by: Ragnar Jónsson, Aldís Amah Hamilton, Andri Óttarsson, Baldvin Z
- Network: Stöð 2
- Cast: Aldís Amah Hamilton, Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir, Thor Tulinius, Ævar Þór Benediktsson, Aron Már Ólafsson, Kolbeinn Arnbjörnsson, Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir, Aðalbjörg Emma Hafsteinsdóttir
- TMDB rating: 6.5/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt13058110/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: measured
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: bleak, tense, brooding, claustrophobic, dread-filled

## Synopsis

Black Sands (2021-2024) is an Icelandic crime drama series created by Ragnar Jónsson, Aldís Amah Hamilton, Andri Óttarsson and Baldvin Z, produced by Glassriver for Stöð 2 and rooted in the Nordic noir tradition. Aldís Amah Hamilton stars as Aníta Elínardóttir, a troubled police officer forced to return to her hometown, where she must confront her abusive mother, played by Steinunn Ólína Þorsteinsdóttir as Elín. Her return turns into a manhunt when a body is discovered and she is pulled into the search for a dangerous serial killer. The supporting cast includes Lára Jóhanna Jónsdóttir as Fríða Melsteð and Ævar Þór Benediktsson as Gústi. The engine of the series is a tangle of personal history and criminal pursuit, with each episode weaving investigative steps through strained family ties in a close community where everyone knows too much. Spanning two seasons across sixteen episodes, the show is a serialized, continuing story rather than a case-of-the-week format. Its tone is bleak and tense, with stark Icelandic landscapes amplifying a sense of isolation and dread. Fans of Trapped, The Killing and Broadchurch will find resonance in its brooding atmosphere and layered investigation.

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