'Quicksand' on Netflix True Story: Show's Real-Life Inspo

Is ‘Quicksand’ On Netflix A True Story?

Unpacking the inspiration behind the new Netflix series

If you’ve just about finished Netflix’s current catalogue of shows (which, same tbh), you’ll likely have devoured the buzzy series Quicksand.

The Swedish drama series is centred on Maja, a seemingly well-adjusted teenager who finds herself on trial for murder following a school shooting in which she was the sole survivor. As the events of the tragic day are revisited, her complicated relationship with her boyfriend, Sebastian, and his wealthy family also becomes clearer.

The show is super compelling and (sadly) quite topical—and we got to wondering about the story behind it.

**Is Quicksand Based On A Book?**

Yes. The Netflix series is based on a novel of the same name by Swedish author and lawyer Malin Persson Giolito (Quicksand‘s Swedish translation is Störst av allt). The book has won several awards, including Best Swedish Crime Novel and Scandinavian Crime Novel of the Year.

**Is Quicksand Based On A True Story?**

No, Quicksand doesn’t appear to be based on a true story. Sweden’s first and only mass shooting took place back in 1961 near Gothenburg, when a 17-year-old boy attacked a group of students at a school dance. In 2015, a 21-year-old man entered a school in Trollhättan and attacked teachers and students with a sword, in a horrific event that was later found to be racially motivated. Three people plus the perpetrator died in that attack.

While school shootings in the U.S. are common, they’re relatively rare in Sweden, and even Europe as a whole. As Malin Persson Giolito said in a 2017 interview: “No, the situation in Europe is not comparable to the U.S. There is violence in schools all over the world, obviously, but we have been more spared of that extreme form. Why, I couldn’t tell you. In Sweden, there has never been a ‘proper’ school shooting.”

**What Is Quicksand About?**

Quicksand is about more than the tragic event. It’s also about myriad other issues, such as the wealth divide, class-ism, and racial tensions. Both the book and the show are set in one of Sweden’s wealthiest neighbourhoods, Djursholm. In the same interview with Bookreporter.com, Malin said: “In society today, there is no political issue more important than the growing gap between the richest and the poorest.”

The fact that the book’s author was also a practising lawyer for several years (and is the daughter of a criminologist) means that the depiction of the main character’s murder trial is about as accurate as you could hope. Intrigued? You’ll have to watch for yourself.

**Who Is In Quicksand‘s Cast?**

The protagonist Maja is played by Hanna Ardéhn, a 25-year-old Swedish actress who, according to her Instagram (@hannaardehn), is also studying psychology. She’s had a handful of other TV roles in her native Sweden, and also stars in thriller The Name of the Game.

Maja’s boyfriend Sebastian is played by Felix Sandman, who interestingly is perhaps better known in Sweden as a singer-songwriter, and a former member of the boy band FO&O. He now has a solo career and if Instagram is anything to go by.

With 462k followers and counting, it’s safe to say he’s a bit of a big deal in his native Sweden. Oh, and if you recognise the actor who plays Peder, David Dencik, that might be because he appeared in the Australian series Top of the Lake.