Plot Synopsis

Directed by Erin Lee Carr, UNDERCURRENT: THE DISAPPEARANCE OF KIM WALL is a two-part documentary that tells the story of accomplished journalist Kim Wall, who tragically went missing in 2017. She was last seen just prior to interviewing the eccentric entrepreneur Peter Madsen aboard his self-made submarine in Danish waters. Madsen changes his story multiple times during the course of a police investigation that ultimately uncovers the truth: Wall was murdered on the submarine. Madsen is soon put on trial, and a judge is tasked with determining what actually happened on the vessel. The documentary weaves together trial testimony, expert opinion, never-heard-before audio from Madsen himself, key new interviews with those who knew Wall and Madsen and includes commentary from: Royal Denmark Navy Lt. Commander Ditte Dyreborg, Royal Denmark Navy Commander Lars Moller Pedersen; Madsen's biographer Thomas Djursing; Deputy Chief of Police Mattias Sigfridsson; Journalists Trine Maria Ilsoe, Frank Hvilsom, Julie Thomsen; Oceanographer Torben Vang; and others. HBO debuted both one-hour episodes of this doc on Tuesday, March 8, 2022 from 9-11pm ET/PT:

"The Crime" (9pm): Part 1 starts at the beginning with tweets from Kim's friends, colleagues, and members of the public about a young woman who had strangely disappeared. After initially claiming that he had dropped Wall off, Madsen changed his story ten days later and admitted to "burying" her at sea after an accident. When the case turns into a murder investigation, a nation is horrified and transfixed. The first installment delves into how a young journalist's life could be cut short in such a brutal manner.

"The Punishment" (10pm): The finale delves into the judicial process in Denmark, while also painting a portrait of an unrepentant killer. Attempting to probe the mindset of Madsen, Part 2 explores the nature of narcissism and psychopathy in the process. Madsen was viewed as a minor celebrity in Denmark, but his brash persona ultimately hid misogynistic and sociopathic tendencies. He was used to orchestrating his own story and public persona, but found that his powers of persuasion and influence had run out when he tried to evade culpability for Wall's murder. Those who knew him wondered what they had missed and whether Wall was his first victim.