Noel Clarke’s ‘Hood Trilogy (Kidulthood, Adulthood, and Brotherhood)
A trilogy of British films that enjoyed a ridiculous amount of cult success in Blighty for their vivid portraits of inner-city gang culture in the country’s capital, all three installments of Noel Clarke’s ‘Hood Trilogy are evoked in Snabba Cash. The latter’s character of Tim, in particular, a portrait of off-the-rails youth desperate to fit in and being forced to pay the price for his ambition, is not dissimilar from Kidulthood’s “Trife”, and Salim and Clarke’s own Sam have many parallels as well.
Where to watch: All three films are available to stream for free on Amazon Prime Video. Kidulthood is also on Netflix and Adulthood on Sky Go/Now TV.
Top Boy
Another portrait of British gang culture, Top Boy, which was recently saved and revitalized by Netflix after a successful but discontinued run on national TV, primarily concerns the exploits of two anti-heroes, Sully and Dushane, and the people – often kids or at least young adults – who are drawn into their web of criminality as each attempt to make it to the top or make it out. This is a more grounded portrayal than in the ‘Hood trilogy, and Snabba Cash has a similar tone.
Where to watch: All three seasons of Top Boy are on Netflix, and a fourth is slated for later this year.
Young Wallander
This Netflix series is a reboot of the classic crime show Wallander, itself based on the works of Henning Mankell. It isn’t a prequel so much as a reimagining, since it’s set in the present day, and the plot is kick-started by a hate crime against an immigrant perpetrated in contemporary Sweden. The country’s current social politics continue to be relevant all throughout the first season, which makes this an obvious recommendation for fans of Snabba Cash.
Where to watch: Netflix.
Undercover
Not set in Sweden, and not specifically about youth culture and gang violence, Netflix’s Undercover is nonetheless about the clashing of worlds as two agents, Bob Lemmens (Tom Waes) and Kim de Rooij (Anna Drijver), pose as a couple in order to infiltrate the operations of a drug kingpin. It’s a show about complex morality, and we were high on both seasons.
Where to watch: Both seasons of Undercover are available on Netflix.
Deadwind
An excellent, underrated Nordic noir, Deadwind is a crime show first but a scathing critique of contemporary Finnish politics, business, and society second – that alone gives it enough in common with Snabba Cash to be worthy of a recommendation, though it’s worth watching on its own terms. The second season, particularly, touches on many of the same themes as Snabba Cash, as single mother heroine Karppi investigates a chilling double murder linking two Estonian sailors to the crooked development of an undersea tunnel between Helsinki and Tallinn.
Where to watch: Both seasons of Deadwind are available on Netflix.
Are there are any more movies and TV shows like Snabba Cash that you’d recommend? Let us know.
