Colin Nutley's bland “Deadline” is the stuff of prototypically average David E. Kelley/Steven Bochco American television, and just as out of date. An overworked, blonde and attractive up-and-coming newspaper journalist, Annika Bengton (Helena Bergstrom), works day and night to solve the mystery behind the bombing of Stockholm's under-construction Olympic Stadium, all the while trying to keep her own sanity as the internal newsroom politics threaten to pull her into the abyss.

As the bombings continue, drawing Annika deeper and deeper in to the convoluted, not-ready-for-prime-time mystery, she is kidnapped by the bomber. Tied up with duct tape in a wet, underground lair (complete with the requisite huge, stylish exhaust fan backlit with strong blue light), Annika still struggles to write her story...while hanging from a fence.

Director Nutley does bring an impressive sense of American-spiced visual style to this underwhelming material. A decent television pilot is somewhere to be had among the current 128 minutes of unfortunate cliché. Starring Helena Bergstrom, Orjan Ramberg, Reine Brynolfsson and Pernilla August. Directed by Colin Nutley. Written by Anna Fredrikson, Colin Nutley and Johanna Hald. Produced by Maritha Norstedt. No distributor set. Drama. Swedish- and English-language; subtitled. Not yet rated. Running time: 128 min.