100 Code (2015) User Reviews

Another solid brick in the wall of Scandinavian "crime noir"

[BeneCumb · 8/10 · 3 March 2016]

Last decade has seen dozens of really magnificent and novel creations in the field of crime thrillers, without a single case per episode, but a recurrent case/topic with multiple twists and turns. 100 Code is another fine example of them, well, not up to Bron/Broen or Millennium, but still a thrilling series to follow. The inclusion of an American, wideness of the case and the parallel or subsequent use of both English and Swedish (most Swedes are very good at English) move the events beyond "provincial" mood and environment characteristic to Scandinavian crime from time to time. Nevertheless, the viewers obtain a decent overview of Swedish habits, concepts and nature, plus how all this is perceived by a foreign official.

As for performances, I am surprised that some viewers have found them poor; I find them realistic, as catching offenders is neither constant chases in fancy cars and clothing nor issuing witty remarks at each other, it is a hard and crushing job at the expense of family and friends. In my opinion, all the cast is doing well, yet Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Eklund and Dominic Monaghan as Tommy Conley spend more time on screen.

All in all, a good series, and the very ending was pleasantly tricky. If you like intensive series where crimes are dealt with in a team, then the one in question is definitely for you as well.

A Nordic Noir with a New York angle

[t-dooley-69-386916 · 8/10 · 4 May 2016]

It was only a matter of time before the Americans got in on the Nordic Noir scene properly instead of remakes and this is the perfect vehicle for so doing. It stars the rather good Dominic Monaghan as Tommy Conley a New York cop with a case he has tracked to Stockholm – that of a serial killer, so he believes. Once there he is teamed up with disgruntled cop Mikael Englund played by the brilliant Michael Nyqvist. It is not a marriage made in heaven but fate will draw them into a bond of sorts.

Then the bodies start turning up and things go from interesting to downright intriguing in a very short period of time. It soon appears to everyone that there is more to this than any of them had envisaged. Add to this the lives of the main players with everyone having a flawed character and the baggage of the past hanging round their necks and influencing their decisions now and you get a rather addictive programme.

This I feel is an excellent series and I dare say we will get season 2 anytime soon which is fine by me. It is in English and Swedish for the most part and the translations are all rather good too. If you like your box sets to be compulsive, convincing and inventive then this is something you should check out.

An intriguing serial killer mystery

[perkypops · 8/10 · 12 April 2016]

The downsides are Dominic Monaghan, a serious miscast and way out of his depth, and the slipping between subtitled Swedish and un-subtitled English which, at times, is barely audible. The upside is a seriously involving mystery about serial killings set against some wonderful Swedish backdrops. It may not be the best detective story you'll ever see but it beats the pants off of most TV fodder these days. And, aside from Mr Monaghan, the acting is excellent across the board with plenty of sub-plot action for those who like such things.

Worth a viewing of at least the first two episodes to let it suck you in, which it will do in spades full.

The 100 Code season 1

[leo_diva · 10/10 · 23 November 2015]

The first half hour of the first episode was just a succession of clichés and I was about to turn it off then something happened and it started to get better. By the end of the second episode I was beginning to enjoy it and by the end of the third I was waiting for the next episode or should I say I am waiting for the forth because here in France it all started last night.

I love seeing Stockholm and the countryside a nice change!! So I do recommend this series for anyone who enjoys horrible people killing in horrific ways.

As a jogger it makes you think when you get ready to go out in the morning!

Yes there are flaws but it is a really good series so far

[helena-90454 · 9/10 · 3 March 2016]

I really like this series. I think the writing is very good, the plot so far has been excellent and the acting is good. Yes there are flaws, like I said, and that really centres around the accent of Dominic Monaghan as Tommy Conley. It really is a very bad American accent. I am not sure why he couldn't have just been British - would it have really made a difference and it would have been so less painful. I have to say, however, that the acting and plot has been so good that I have not been hung up on his accent as much as I thought I would have been when I watched the first episode.

The murders are original and you feel for the actors. This is not a who-done-it series (although they keep you guessing as to who the mastermind LH is). You know who's done it straight away but the plot is interesting, fast paced and does keep you guessing.

I like Michael Nyqvist as Mikael Eklund. His acting is excellent as always. The other characters are good, although the daughter clearly needs the sense knocking into her.

I enjoy the mix of English and Swedish and the drab setting of Sweden (not that Sweden is drab, but they portray it that way) makes it more believable.

This is not a shocking series but is generally a very good watch and I recommend it to everyone, especially those that like the Bridge / the Tunnel, Wallander and the like.

betrayed at the end

[stephen-16185 · 7/10 · 7 April 2022]

Cliff hanger at the end, no second season. Crimes not resolved. I hate this sort of thing. Other than that a riveting thriller. The acting was great, the character development interesting, the daughter's behavior predictable.

The hundred code season 1

[camilla-62273 · 8/10 · 26 May 2015]

What a refreshing plot on the serial killer theme! Great actors and a fantastic setting in beautiful Stockholm. It is absolutely recommendable to spend some leisure time with this show!! Now just hoping for a second season ❤️👯🔫📺

It ends with a hang liner introducing the major player LH in a city far from Sweden ( the city contains buildings like Crystler building and Empire hint hint).

The layers of killers is a new and interesting theme. The mix between sexual and non- sexual drives of the different killers, a sufficient insight into the private lives of the involved police officers and the suspense level is excellent.

2nd best

[kgabcsistah · 9/10 · 27 January 2016]

I was not going to write a review but seeing some bad ones I have to add mine. This series is only second best to Broen, which is forever top1, especially the 3rd series. The atmosphere, the faded, dark colors and Ms Helin are just The Best.

Here, the Swedish actors are - again - very good, unlike the American guy who tells his lines like he was reading them. But that's nothing new, most of the time American "B" actors sound better, dubbed by a real actor of the language the film is dubbed in. Anyway, the series start relatively slow, but it picks up amazingly around ep5 and concludes.... wow. The script, how the tension is built up, how you start worrying for some characters although you may not like them make it a must watch.

Classic Nordic Noir

[digigod-738-671527 · 9/10 · 6 June 2018]

Just binge watched the entire series because it IS that addictive.

Dominic Monaghan does a pretty good impersonation of a haunted Irish/New York cop who buddies with Sweden's Michael Nyqvist in a very compelling, if somewhat typical, Nordic serial killer hunt.

I'm a sucker for the genre, I read every thing I can get my hands on and this series is far from disappointing. Surprisingly, to me at least, I have never heard of the author who's novels this series is based on.

The gimmick of pulling a NYPD detective into the mix gives the producers the leeway to have a lot of the dialogue in English making the series far more accessible to the linguistically challenged among us viewers.

It has all the tropes we fans of the genre love. Plenty of action, developed character arcs and good old detection.

Highly recommended.

The Nordic Noir bandwagon

[neil-procter · 3/10 · 27 January 2016]

Yet another attempt at matching the heights of The Bridge and The Killing, with that greyed effect film and Swedish countryside. But, these days writers seem to think that the way to succeed is to come up with more and more outrageous plots. This one involves a serial killer (or killers) who buries his victims alive and then digs them up again. Because serial killers are deranged by definition we're supposed to buy this as plausible but it just seems convoluted and absurd to me. I've wondered for a long time why America hires British actors to play Americans. I wondered if it was because they don't think their own actors are any good? But in 100 Code, a British actor (Monaghan) uses the cliché New York American accent and sounds just like someone doing a poor New York accent. It grates every time he speaks and makes it hard to watch the show. I'm a fan of Nyqvist, but so far his character seems underdeveloped and emotionless. When will America start making good dramas for real adult viewers again?

Twisting and dark thriller

[buckshotfan4400 · 10/10 · 31 January 2016]

Hooked from the first episode; the plot is twisting and dark. NyQist character Eckland is interesting, as is Conley (Monaghan), you want to both discover the secrets in the their lives, who is the mysterious woman in Conley visions/dream. Having not read the original book (which is different from the series), I want to see what are these secrets. (I am only three episodes in). After the initial two suspects we discover that there is a 'murder club' online, which multiple suspects belong to. As Eckland and Conley continue to investigate the more intriguing the plot gets, I am waiting for the 4th episode which will lead them further into the online group.

Not sure what the bad reviewers were watching

[s-law-651-747606 · 8/10 · 29 August 2020]

Loved this series, well acted, clever storyline an edge of your seat drama that had so much further to go.

Excellent

[hmus · 10/10 · 15 December 2015]

"The 100 Code" is extremely addictive to watch - Michael Nyqvist and Dominic Monaghan plays two much different types of police investigators and they are both well playing and convincing.

The plot is getting better and better for each episode and filled with surprising outcomes.

"The 100 Code" rates in top five, between "Beck" and "Maria Wern" and is refreshing news in excellent Swedish crime TV-series.

More of this please !

This is strongly recommendable.

I look forward to the (hopefully) coming seasons of "The 100 Code".

excellent serial

[sriksp · 10/10 · 11 September 2017]

loving this very much. at the end of episode 4, there is a piano piece

being played in the background. can anyone let me know the name of the piece. that was simply elegant. will greatly appreciate. it has really remarkable photography and the brillliant performances from all of the actors.hope some one will let me know the name of the piano piece. kapu prabhakara

binge worthy serial killer thing happening in europe .

[surfisfun · 8/10 · 21 August 2018]

Do not read too much reviews before seeing this series. overlook the bad ratings and haters. a mix of American /Scandinavian style that work well . watch 2 episodes to see if you like. only one season, maybe it make it the more special and make the last episode much more profound. RIP dear Michael Nyqvist. what a charismatic actor he was.

Nordic Ham & Cheesy Approach With Caution

[vaioroxio · 2/10 · 29 January 2016]

Like most of the Users reviewing The 100 code, I too have not much to offer in kindness as a review.

Dominic Monaghan is pure awful - his accent & character - but is that down to the writers trying casting him as a male equivalent of Saga?

Then there's the plot - totally transparent & narratives that so obviously borrow from other type programs like Hannibal (the murderer calling it in to the resident psycho Hellstrom), The Bridge & The Killing. Not to mention the idiot sidekick dicks story arc - possibly to prove that not all Swedes have a stick up their arse 24/7 - more cheese?

Michael Nyqvist totally carries this show & as another reviewer pointed out whenever Monaghan opens his mouth - its dreadful - you really do wanna switch off!! As for Conley (Clownly) character's Paddywhackery - ugh, " Ma Da was from Gawlwaay - Jaysus - a fisherman" - never has any actor been so bad @ being Oirish since Tom " Is It You Shannon? " Cruise in Far & Away or as we call it in Ireland - Feck Off & Don't Come Back!!

So I give 2 star rating - for Michael Nyqvist & the beautiful Swedish landscape.....

Approach @ your own peril!!!

Fun, different, and keeps your interest

[aawells-202-188009 · 8/10 · 22 July 2018]

The "American character" is the main reason I tried this show. Dominic Monaghan is always delightful. If you don't know, he is a Brit. And he is doing a decent job with the NY accent and attitude. His portrayal of a "tough New York cop" is the humor of the show, which is needed in a show like this or it can be terribly dismal. If you have met any guys from New York, this is their general outlook- they are tough because they are from New York, no matter how small they are. I love it. They even bring up the Red Sox vs. Yankees rivalry, which is such a big part of being from Boston (my neck of the woods). The other attitudes about their sports, opinion of guns, so forth, are authentic inside jokes. So I think the nuances of the American character are just lost on an European audience, but a complete delight to us, especially if you realize that the tough New York cop is a hobbit!! So from the sounds of the review from the European viewpoint, it works for both. Watch it!

Awesome!

[debsl-00147 · 10/10 · 26 May 2021]

One of the ABSOLUTE BEST thriller/suspense shows I've seen in years! Highly recommend!!! Would give 20 stars if I could.

Bad accents, poor writing, waste of time

[maxreview · 2/10 · 5 October 2022]

The US accent that Brit actor Dominic Monaghan has managed to work out for this role is terrible. Why choose a British actor if the story needs a North American? They lose all naturality. They lose energy and truthfulness.

And why couldn't the cop be British, anyway?

Also, when Swedish actors must speak English, much get in the way of their acting. They think about the accent too much. Also because they are so pre-occupied by lowering the voice to be believable. Nyqvist (RIP) is not very good in close up scenes. He works everything too much, even if he tries to be even more low key than fellow Swede Stellan Skarsgaard.

I hopé we get rid of the ridiculous idea that all film actors need to speak with a whisper to be credible.

The killer is slick and non-interesting. This is a complete waste of time.

The wrtiting is terrible. Superficial dialogue and things that are unnecessary. Why does the Swedish cop need to be so antagonisttic to the NY cop from the first minute. This is not realistic. Why does the US cop insist on driving the Swedes's car? Realistic?

Forget about it.

So bad it's actually painful to watch. Not even amusingly bad.

[schnauz-36146 · 1/10 · 24 September 2015]

The trailers, the story and the cast caught my attention at first. Halfway through the first episode my expectations were however down to zero. I forced myself through another couple of episodes, trying to persuade myself that it just had to get better. It didn't. It just got even worse.

It's just so full of clichés, it's so predictable and there's nothing new. No thinking outside the box and the characters totally lack… well, character! They're exactly the same stereotypes we've seen over and over again in numerous low-budget TV-shows and movies. The last, and biggest, nail in the coffin is however the absolutely terrible acting.

Do not waste your time on 100 Code.

[johansondj · 2/10 · 5 April 2015]

This Easter I watched the first three episodes of the 100 Code on HBO Nordic. HBO usually delivers high-quality. Over the years I have enjoyed excellent series, such as The Wire and the recently released (in Scandinavia) first season of True Detective.

100 Code is probably my biggest disappointment so far and totally wasted time. Being shot in Stockholm it is supposedly going to capture a Swedish context, which it largely fails to. In my assessment (as Swedish by birth and ethnicity), the 100 Code brings out the biggest clichés about Sweden in order to sell it to an American or international audience.

The actors are poor including the "small guy" American detective. Michael Nyqvist is the only exception, in trying to raise this series to a higher level. In vain though, as the other actors are so poor by any standards.

A pity for Swedish film industry that has done, and can do so much better.

As one plus (raising my vote to 2) is that it qualifies under the Swedish label of a "kalkonfilm", i.e. a production that is so cheesy it can even be amusing.

Come on!

[emepe · 2/10 · 26 July 2023]

This is a very bad tv show. I can't imagine why Michael Nyqvist took this job. Just money? I don't know. His acting is still good, but the whole thing is so mediocre...

You can kill some time with this if you don't have anything else to watch. That's why I marked it as a 2 out of 10. Though I had to make an effort to watch it to the end.

Very bad scripts, below average production, nice acting, silly and unnecessary US-Sweden link (unnecessary for the non USA market), so many episodes, all the expected cliches but in a so random way, especially the daughter character.

I just can't find anything to excuse this.

Watch it at your own risk. I took mine and lost.

PS: Acting is not bad. I guess it's not easy to give a good performance in such a mediocre show. Are we really expecting a second season? Please, don't do another season. Please...

SLOOOOOOOOW

[Jima-36-585491 · 5/10 · 13 June 2018]

Why do producers insist on taking a four episode concept and extending it to 13 episodes?

the 100 clichés

[fer-jansen · 4/10 · 29 August 2020]

4 burned out cops at least, two three dead partners infidelity a dozen physcophats stil haven't figured out obout the owl and the spiders to be honest and of course the bombshell daughter who gets involved in the crimesand all that in scandinavia in the land with the special light and the beautiful people where if they are honest the only real serial killer ever lived there killed more then 100 in a few hours but for the rest nothing much happens there apart from many imagenairy crimes, it is not ecxatly 100 clichés but it gets very very close

Very close to one star

[carlsabatzki-655-12166 · 3/10 · 23 August 2018]

Apart from the horrifyingly absurd plot, the show generates a constant hope and desire for Dominic Monaghan to either end his own life or be murdered to spare the viewer his appalling teenage attire and appearance, his very flat acting and the outrageously inauthentic New York accent. Were it not for Nyqvist, this would have been a successful one-star show.