Love dark and gritty Nordic thrillers as much as we do? Then now's the time to listen very carefully. Channel 4's Walter Presents has snapped up yet another brilliant series in the form of propulsive political thriller Omerta - and it's about to steal the throne from Netflix's Hostage.
Based on the bestselling book, 6/12, by Finnish author Ilkka Remes, the series takes us to Finland’s Independence Day when, suddenly, the country’s Presidential Palace comes under attack by Serbian terrorists. Dignitaries are held hostage, and secret service agent Max Tanner (played by Jasper Pääkkönen) is forced to play negotiator. But with the country’s security hanging in the balance, what he does will have huge and dangerous consequences.
If you thought Hostage was an edge-your seat hostage situation, you may want to prepare yourself for this one! Ahead of Omerta's arrival on Channel 4, here’s everything you need to know about the series, including the plot, cast and how to watch it.
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What is Omerta about?
The four-part political thriller revolves around Finland’s Independence Day, just as a terrorist attack by Serbia rocks the festivities at the Presidential Palace. Security officer Max Tanner (Jasper Pääkkönen) is operating on behalf of the European Union’s special forces, and is tasked with negotiating as high-profile hostages are taken by the Serbian groups headed up by Vasa Jankovic (Sverrir Gudnason).
Trust us, it's edge-of-your seat stuff. As the crisis unfolds, Max quickly realises that the stakes are even higher than he’d thought - the attack is a part of a master plan to destabilise the security of the whole of Europe. Tanner must make impossible choices to expose the attackers and stop the wheels in motion before it's too late.
The series originally aired in 2021 in Finland, before later being released in 2022 in the US as Attack on Finland, and now it’s coming to Channel 4 courtesy of TV buff Walter Iuzzolino. The Italian TV producer has handpicked a selection of the best international dramas as part of the Walter Presents catalogue - and this one is another must-see!
Who’s in the cast of Omerta?
The cast of Omerta includes:
- Jasper Pääkkönen as Max Tanner
- Nanna Blondell as Sylvia Madsen
- Sverrir Gudnason as Vasa Jankovic
- Cathy Belton as Marie LeClair
- Nika Savolainen as Anya
- Pertti Sveholm as Peter Nylund
- Juhan Ulfsak as Leonid Titov
- Zijad Gracic as Jean Morel
- Miodrag Stojanovic as Borislav Jankovic
- Dragomir Mrsic as Zlatko
- Slaven Spanovic as Toma
- Märt Pius as Slobodan
- Priit Pius as Stanko
- Michael Yare as Jonesy
- Andrei Alén as Sinclair
- Robert Enckell as President Koskivuo
- Gaila Järvsalu as Mrs. Koskivuo
- Mirtel Pohla as Raisa
Is the book by Ilkka Remes any good?
Yes - Ilka's novels are bestselling, and the author is considered a national treasure in Finland. “I am delighted to see the challenge of adapting my action-packed narratives to the silver screen finally being met without compromise, and excited about the upcoming 6/12 motion picture,” Remes has said of the series. “If anything, the story comes alive better than ever in reflecting challenging present-day issues, especially those of geopolitics."
How can I watch Omerta?
Omerta is arriving on Channel 4 very soon! The series will be released on Friday 5th September on C4 Streaming. While you wait, you can check out our pick of the best TV dramas to watch now here.
What other Walter Presents dramas can I watch now?
If you’re looking for more brilliant Walter Presents show, there’s plenty to get stuck into into. We’d highly recommend Freezing Embrace, which takes us to a small Finnish town that's plagued by a string of haunting murders. You can watch series 1 and 2 here. We'd also recommend Hellground, about a charming doctor whose arrival in a new village coincides with a spate of deaths. Mysterious indeed! You can watch series 1 here.
