This movie is made of great acting, charachters and story. Even though most of the film is talking it is fast paced and never loses it's steam. What I loved the most is that it's unpretentious and unpathetic. A bit morbid story is filled with subtle humor and quirky, loveable charachters. I would definetely recommend it to anyone who loves a good crime story. Since I'm from Croatia I was not too familiar with Icelandic cinema but after watching this movie I will definetly look a bit more into it.

An intelligent, engaging, multi-layered storyline that blends strained family relations, unsolved murders, and infuses some Icelandic customs keeping the viewer captivated from beginning to end. Despite the lack of shock value, the film maintains a consistent sense of suspense throughout. "Jar City" is chilly and cerebral, but also morbidly and powerfully alive.In 1974, a young Icelandic girl dies at the hands of a murderer, and the crime was never solved. In present day, the aged and exhausted detective Erlendur begins to investigate a link between that notorious unsolved crime, and the unrelated homicide of a local criminal years after the fact. Erlendur has a difficult private life, his wife has passed away, and he has a pregnant daughter Eva Lind (Agusta Eva Erlendsdottir) who is a drug addict and roams the streets.Meanwhile, Örn (Atli Rafn Sigurdarson), an employee at a DNA-mapping lab, struggles with the death of his own daughter, who suffered from a brain tumor. In time, the two men's lives will intersect in a myriad of ways that neither can even begin to foresee -- and the motivation for Holberg's original crime will become resoundingly clear.Director Baltasar Kormákur elegantly churns out a first-rate mystery by dressing it with organic cinematography and a score reminiscent of eerie Gregorian chants. But his best move is a focus on an unlikely secondary character - Iceland itself. He wisely employs this unique, almost otherworldly qualities of its setting--presented as both beautiful and threatening. The cinematography is simply stunning, truly enhancing the ambiance to an ominous storyline and landscape."Jar City" turns out to be intricate, haunting puzzle of motivations. The murder, of an old man named Holberg, opens up a nest of older crimes and brooding secrets. Erlendur finds himself investigating a possible rape from 30 years before and unraveling a tangled history of police corruption and petty brutality. What it all has to do with Holberg is no more clear to the audience than it is to the detective. But Erlendur's combination of bluntness and analytical acumen informs Mr. Kormákur's storytelling technique, making "Jar City" an unusually forceful and thought-provoking thriller. "Jar City" (or Mýrin), is adapted from Icelandic writer Arnaldur Indridason's 2000 best-seller, "Tainted Blood."

OK, I don't usually write these things. All I can say is, if you want a very suspenseful thriller, set in a wonderful, chilling environment, watch this, it will keep you guessing till the end. I wish there were more like this one, where we get a wonderful surprise of a movie. The scenes near the ocean are very reminiscent of N. Ireland, where I have spent much time. The people there and in Iceland live a different life, they are very, very hardy. Livestock sometimes lives in your garage or living room, depending on your preference. But murder still exists, and the rural murders can be most complicating because many of the killers have lived with centuries of inbreeding, which can cause severe, deviant behavior. That is why is this great movie, we see the twisted, unknown, actions of a demented or sane (?) mind. Enjoy! It's a great view.

This is an excellent film; the washed out palette and grisly subject matter mean that it won't be a multiplex crowd pleaser, but it's well worth seeking out: the mystery is cunningly untangled, the themes are powerful and the characters well drawn. The wild Icelandic landscape looks like the surface of Mars - there are even smoking craters - and is used to great effect; often it's contrasted with banal interiors. The characters are a dour bunch - hey, that's Iceland - but the good guys are likable and idiosyncratic. One thing that really appealed to me was the way the film draws upon and updates the classic tropes of the Icelandic saga: a crazy warrior, family secrets, the sins of the fathers visited on the sons, etc. Overall, I would rank this as one of the best contemporary noir films.