Never complain, never explain

Netflix's Icelandic crime thriller Trapped (S01) is powerful because it's cold and low-key. In modern visual storytelling the location can be as unthinking as switching on a green-screen backdrop but the terrain in Trapped is intrinsic to the plot. The snowstorm that locks in the small town forces its protagonists together. Police searching for a parked car have to literally dig it out from under the snow. The actors are lit brightly in the glare yet hidden beneath layers of clothing, their faces numb. The characters move with direction but keep their energy in reserve. There is real joy in storytelling that holds something back. You don't need to say everything. You can just sketch it in.