When a Copenhagen policeman is sent out to the sticks as punishment, he finds an insular town that runs on its own rules, where secrets are kept that way and newcomers stay strangers.

As the new Marshall, Hansen (Jakob Cedergren) gets tangled up with Ingelise (Lene Maria Christensen), a beautiful housewife who’s married to Jorgen, the town bully (Kim Bodnia). When an accident puts Hansen deep in the coverup of a murder, he struggles with guilt, complicity, and vigilante justice.

Between a little girl who wanders the streets with an empty baby carriage, a bog on the outskirts of town that holds its own secrets, and people who mysteriously go missing, Terribly Happy flirts with No Country for Old Men territory, with a stark Scandinavian edge. There’s an undercurrent of menace throughout, particularly in long shots of empty streets and barren landscape, and in a powerful scene of a drinking contest between Hansen and Jorgen.

The casting and acting are strong, particularly the three central roles, with Hansen’s failed heroics, Ingelise’s vulnerability, and Jorgen’s rage played against each other nicely. The cinematography serves up striking images and the score adds to the dread, making for a slick, well-produced movie.

But despite a great look and good performances, it doesn’t break any new ground. The portrait of a small, isolated town that tolerates abuse and hides its sins is based on a true story, but doesn’t bring much different to the genre. And hinging Hansen’s guilty conscience on a fluke accident makes the central engine of the plot feel contrived.

Extras include commentary from the director and producer, a 20-minute behind-the-scenes featurette, and two clips of TV interviews with the director and the author of the source novel.

Terribly Happy’s languid pace and brooding tension make it a film noir in the classic mold. And even though it doesn’t particularly innovate, fans of the Coens and Hitchcock will find a lot to like: lust, revenge, and enough twists to keep you guessing.

Terribly Happy is available now from Oscilloscope Laboratories.