Category Archives: Swedish

2017, Acorn TV, Arson, Bloody scenes, Child custody, Contract Killing, Crude Talk, Dark, Depression, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Dysfunctional Lives, Fishing, Forensics, Gloomy, Lawyers, Murder Investigation, Nazis, Nudity, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Sexual Tension, Small Town Atmosphere, Suicide, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, TV Series, Violent

Rebecka Martinsson (2017)

Leave a comment

From Acorn TV:

Swedish with English subtitles. Based on Asa Larsson’s celebrated and popular crime novels, the series takes place in the bleak Northern Environment and revolves around Rebecka Martinsson (Ida Engvoll) a Stockholm lawyer. When a childhood friend suddenly dies Rebecka reluctantly returns to her hometown. But not everything is what it seems and she’s drawn into the gripping pursuit of a killer.

Although MHz Choice offers only foreign language TV with English subtitles, in this case it is exceptionally Acorn TV that streams this particular TV series. Recall that Acorn TV claims to offer only shows from countries associated with the British empire.

Season 1 offers 8 episodes. Each two episodes comprise one complete story.  Each episode lasts about 45 minutes.

Watching from the beginning is important because, in addition to the detectives solving murders,  all 8 episodes show continuous developments in Rebecka’s life  as a young adult.

This series was a lucky find. Not only are the stories original and out of the ordinary, but the writing and acting are excellent.

Daily life in Sweden is presented in all its frigidity,  gloom, and hardship. But one of Rebecka’s conflicts is whether to continue her successful career as a Stockholm corporate lawyer (and marry one of her fellow employees) or to remain in the cold north where she grew up. Rebecka is played by a Swedish actress named Ida Engvoll. Despite her golden-haired beauty, the story line puts her through much anguish, including a stint in a mental hospital for clinical depression. For much of the series her eyes are made up to be sunken and red making her look downright miserable.  Her relationship with a one-armed police dog handler is an important part of the series, and in fact seems to lead to an as yet unavailable new season.

For a detective series I vote DO NOT MISS!

2014, Abduction, Acceptable for teenagers, Ambiguous Conclusion, Ambitious Dirty Tricks, Anti-Semitism, Bloody scenes, Brother-Sister relations, Conspiracy, Corruption, Cult Brainwashing, MHz Choice, Murder, Personal Betrayal, Political Suspense, Politicians, Racism, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Thriller, Violent, White Supremecy

Blue Eyes (2014)

Leave a comment

From MHz Choice:

A taut, contemporary Swedish thriller set in the run-up to a general election as a series of terror attacks sends shock waves throughout the nation.

From MHz Choice (foreign films only) you can stream this Swedish TV series consisting of 10 1-hour episodes.

Essentially the film centers on the rise of white supremacy in Sweden, its political repercussions, associated terrorism, and its effects on different characters.

Secondarily the mystery in the series involves several murders which are a result of a conspiracy by some politicians to hide their greed-inspired push to allow uranium mining.

Most tragically we watch a young sister and brother being groomed to become white supremacist terrorists. Here the sister is motivated by the false belief that her mother was murdered by immigrants.

It seems only fair to warn you that the ending, much like life and the political process, is somewhat ambivalent. Expect no black and white conclusion.

Tension that drew me in like a magnet!

 

2014, Arson, Bloody scenes, Boating, Brother-Brother relations, Brother-Sister Relations, Bullying, Child abuse, Detective, Dysfunctional Lives, Extramarital Affair, Family Conflict, Father-daughter relations, Insurance Fraud, Jealousy, Lawyers, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Melodrama, MHz Choice, Mildly Violent, Murder, Nudity, Physical child abuse, Soap Opera, Suicide, Swedish, Swedish Soap Opera, Various Romances

Thicker Than Water (2014)

Leave a comment

This Swedish series was reviewed after season 1 was released. Since then season 2 was released.

SEASON ONE

From IMDB:

A mother sends postcards to her estranged son and daughter inviting them back to the guest house they grew up in. She gives each of her children one piece of advice and leaves them to ponder the meaning.

From MHz Choice:

DRAMA | SWEDISH | SWEDISH WITH ENGLISH SUBTITLES |
A mother’s attempt to reunite her three adult children forces them to confront dark family secrets in this atmospheric drama set on an idyllic Swedish island.

MHz Choice offers only Season 1 with its 10 episodes, each lasting about one hour. For the best listing of the episodes see IMDB.

Here is an involving soap opera about sibling rivalry between two brothers and a sister who agree to run the island hotel for one year.  Brother Oskar and wife Liv have been running the hotel all along. Brother Lasse is a bit of a crook and once or maybe still loves Liv. Sister Jonna is an aspiring actress.

Swedes drink a LOT of alcohol. Such a potboiler!

SEASON TWO

Shakespeare would heartily approve this “Shakespearean Tragedy”.  Season Two begins when Lasse returns to the hotel for Christmas only to discover that Liv has been absent for months and Oskar lives in a depressed drunken state. As a result the hotel is a mess and completely unprepared for the Christmas hotel guests.

Things continue for 10 episodes (lasting about 45 minutes each ) to go steadily downhill with lots of complications which can be summarized by a quote that is mistakenly attributed to Shakespeare:

“Oh what a tangled web we weave
When first we practice to deceive. ” – Sir Walter Scott (Marmion, 1808)

Beginning with the cover-up of the murder of the father of the siblings, one deceit leads to another.  Along the way we experience more murder, counterfeit money, betrayed young love, determined police work, love affairs gone wrong, and a final tragic ending in which only Jonna gets a chance for happiness.

In good conscience I could not let you sit through season 2 without first warning you. Despite the warning, as soap operas go, this series of episodes is well done.

 

1997, Abduction, Abuse of Women, Addiction, Bloody scenes, Child abuse, Child Molestation, Complicated, Computer geeks, Contract Killing, Corruption, Could Be Hard To Watch, Crime thriller, Detective, Disturbing Image, Drugs, Father-daughter relations, Financial malfeasance, Forensics, Grim, Made For TV, MHz Choice, Murder Investigation, Pedophilia, Police Culture, Psychological Drama, Revenge, Serial Killer, Sex Scenes, Spousal Abuse, Suicide, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Thriller, Violent

Beck (1997)

Leave a comment

From MHz Choice:

He’s got no style, he’s got no flash and he’s squarely in middle age. But Swedish detective Martin Beck is good at one thing: methodically catching criminals so that they can be put away… for a long time. His tightly-wound partner, Gunvald, is his opposite: an impulsive man who cuts a dashing figure, is in no way politically correct and who never met a boundary he didn’t leap across.

MHz Choice lets you stream 5 seasons of the Swedish detective series “Beck”.  All seasons offer 8 episodes except Season 4 which only offers 2 episodes. Each Episode is approximate 1.5 hours.

Harsh and sometimes hard-to-watch, the episodes are well done. If you want something less tense, try the MHz Choice series “Magellan”.

Through the 5 seasons Beck’s physical appearance does not change much. But the difference between the Season 1 Gunvald and the Season 5 Gunvald is striking in the way that the actor has aged.

Part of the appeal of the series is that the personal lives of the characters continue from episode to episode. Therefore it is best to view the episodes in order. However the mystery story for each episode is self-contained.

When you browse to MHz Choice, just enter “Beck” in the search box. Then you can see all the seasons and episodes listed. If you pause over one of the episode boxes, you get a short description of that episode.

Choosing categories for this series is difficult because after 34 episodes, there is hardly an untouched category.

Never boring, never relaxed viewing.

2001, 2003, 2012, Abduction, Abortion, Abuse of Women, Alcoholism, Bloody scenes, Career Competition, Child custody, Computer geeks, Corruption, Crime thriller, Detective, Divorce, Explicit sex, Extramarital Affair, Failing Marriage, Family Conflict, Financial malfeasance, Jealousy, Journalist, Lesbian Theme, MHz Choice, Murder Investigation, Nudity, Personal Betrayal, Private Versus Professional Life, Psychopath, Revenge, Serial Killer, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Terrorist Attack, Thriller, TV Series, Unmarried mother, Violent, Vulgar

Annika Bengtzon (2012)

Leave a comment

From MHz Choice:

Based on author Liza Marklund’s best-selling crime novels, Annika Bengtzon is a journalist and working mother of two struggling to raise her family. Fearless in her search for the truth, she won’t take no for an answer from anyone: not from prestigious academicians or drug dealers or from colleagues inside her own profession.

MHz Choice streams this Swedish TV crime series (with English subtitles) in two seasons. Season 1 includes 6 episodes all of which were made in 2012. Season 2 includes only 2 episodes made in 2001 and 2003.  First watch Season 1 in which Annika is played by the beautiful Malin Crépin.  Season 2 contains “Paradise” which is a prequel that tells how a young Annika fights to be a reporter, and “Deadline” which takes 2 hours and features Annika as a second-in-command at the newspaper. All the other 7 episodes last about 1.5 hours. In season 2 Annika is played by Helena Bergström who is extremely different in appearance from Malin Crépin. Visually, for example in the physical appearance of actors, season 1 is more of a crowd pleaser.

As is the case with many crime shows featuring a woman doing the sleuthing, the theme is how the woman must battle male prejudice while trying to balance her obsessive drive to do her job (here to deliver news stories)  with the demands of her family (here husband and two children). Quite a bit of really NOT boring film footage is devoted to jealous bickering in the newsroom.

Only one episode was somewhat boring. In every episode, however, the suspense is palpable, especially because  Annika’s life is usually in danger.

If you like an intense rush, try these two series.

2016, Acceptable for children, Based on a Book, Comedy, Could Be Sad, Drama, Feel Good For All, Gay theme, Interest in automobiles, Interest in cats, Journalist, Love Story, Senior citizens, Suicide, Swedish, Trains

A Man Called Ove (2016)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

Despite being deposed as president of his condo’s resident association, 59-year-old misanthrope Ove continues to plague his neighbors with dictatorial demands. But when Ove’s new neighbor runs over his mailbox, the old crank finds he’s met his match.

Beginning December 2016 Netflix will offer the DVD for this Swedish film with English subtitles.

Based on the book by Fredrik Backman first published in 2012, the film adaptation, according to wife Kathy who read this very popular book with her book club, is faithful to the original plot.

Although the film begins when Ove is 59 years old, the films spends a lot of time in flashbacks to his younger years. In a nutshell, Ove has suffered many personal losses in his lifetime, and is now so lonely he contemplates suicide, although his comic attempts never succeed. What saves Ove are all the new neighbors moving into his housing development.

Although the film has many sad points, it also has just as many funny spots.  For example, Ove’s competition with a close friend is based on the fact that  Ove drives  Saabs whereas the friend drives Volvos.

Here is one of those films for the entire family that you could describe as “feel good.” If you want to get away from sex and violence and nasty politics, this is the film for you.

 

2005, Abduction, Addiction, Alcoholism, Alzheimer's disease, Based on a Book, Bloody scenes, Clever Plot, Corruption, Crime, Dark, Depression, Detective, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Drug Dealers, Father-daughter relations, Forensics, Gay theme, Interest in dogs, Kidnapping, Lesbian Theme, Made For TV, Marital Infidelity, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Police Corruption, Revenge, School Teacher, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Teenagers, Tragedy, Violent, Well developed plot

Swedish Wallander (2005-2012)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

Detective Kurt Wallander is an intense, headstrong maverick who’s prone to eating poorly, sleeping irregularly and drinking too much. Wallander relies on instinct and experience and doesn’t shy away from using illegal means to solve crimes.

Kathy and I have just finished stream-bingeing on all the Swedish Wallander episodes of which there are many. Cable TV gets worse each day and we were grateful to have something well-written, well-acted, and gripping to watch in the evening. Thank you, Netflix. “Gripping” is an important keyword (picture Kathy leaving the room during violent encounters).

To be precise about numbers of episodes:

Season 1 comprises 13 episodes.
Season 2 comprises 13 episodes.
Season 3 comprises 6 episodes.

Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander is a dedicated (even better – obsessed) detective whose personal life is one of drinking, loneliness, and coldness to his family. In other words, he is a mess. To his credit, the Swedish actor Krister Henriksson portrays such a man to perfection. However, as in often the case in such types of TV series, as much time is spent exploring his relations with others as in solving murder cases. For example, “Dicta“, which I have strongly recommended is cast in the same mold.

Quite a bit of camera footage is devoted to leisurely scanning the Swedish landscape and waterways. Wallander and his beloved dog Jussi take many walks on the beach outside his house.

During the course of the three seasons, characters come and go, never to be seen again.

Season 3 ends tragically. But I will not say more because that would be a spoiler. If you want to know what I mean, then send me email.

Once again, if you enjoy intense detective procedurals DO NOT MISS either “Dicta” or “Wallander”.

Be aware that there is also the Kenneth Branagh “Wallander” English series from Masterpiece Mystery.

2013, Bloody scenes, Child abuse, Crime thriller, Detective, Divorce, DO NOT MISS, Drama, Dysfunctional Lives, Forensics, Journalist, Lesbian Theme, Love Story, Marital Infidelity, Medical Theme, Melodrama, MHz Choice, Mother-daughter relations, Mother-son relations, Murder Investigation, Netflix Streaming, Revenge, Sex Scenes, Suicide, Suspense, Swedish, Swedish crime series, Teenagers, Thriller, TV Series, Unmarried mother, Violent

Dicte (2013)

Leave a comment

From Netflix:

A crime reporter starts a new life by returning to her hometown, where she finds herself at odds with the police when she tries to solve their cases.

UPDATE: From MHz Choice you can now stream 3 seasons of Dicte. The stories and writing continue to be captivating and suspense filled. Currently (January 2020) there is a new episode of season 3 released each Tuesday.

OLD REVIEW ————————————————————-

No doubt about it, streaming is taking over. Just today (Dec 9,2014) the papers echo complaints that Netflix streaming is threatening cable TV. No surprise there seeing how cable offerings continue to worsen.

From Netflix I streamed 10 wonderful episodes of the only season made of the Swedish thriller “Dicte”. If you loved the Swedish “Wallander” you will be ecstatic over “Dicte”. Dicte is the character name of the lead actress who is a newspaper crime reporter dedicated to uncovering the truth often by using methods not legally available to the police.

More than crime solving, the series is equally if not more concerned with the personal lives of Dicte and all the people surrounding her. In this respect you can call it a melodrama. Expect to see married couples break up, exchange partners, and so forth: today’s operative word is “blended”.

As with “Wallander” the sound track is in Swedish with English subtitles.

DO NOT MISS either “Wallander” or “Dicte”!

2008, Comedy, Drama, Feel Good Not For Children, Gay theme, Love Story, Sex Scenes, Swedish

Patrik Age 1.5 (2008)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

After moving from the city to a small town, gay couple Sven (Torkel Petersson) and Goran (Gustaf Skarsgård) adopt a child. But when Patrik (Thomas Ljungman) arrives in their lives, it turns out he’s not 1.5 years old as they were told by the adoption agency — he’s a rebellious, homophobic 15-year-old. While the couple houses the angry boy until the mix-up is resolved, his presence causes them to reassess their lives.

Gay-themed films have come a long way from being centered on the AIDS epidemic to a more realistic involvement with society in general. After watching this film, I would like to know if you thought the story portrayed was realistic, that is to say, could happen.

So what do you expect from a “straight” film: sex, violence, comedy, mystery, romance, sports, war ? Ignoring the gay theme, this film offers romance, non-explicit sex, some rough stuff that could hardly be called violence, comedy, social issues, an orphan needing a home, etc. Sound familiar ?

Although I did not expect much at first, I was pleased to find that this sane and warm film tells a story which is finally a feel-good. Each character is well-cast and well-acted, including their well-honed facial expressions. Look for a variety of neighbors, for better or worse.

Swedish with optional English sub-titles.

Is Sweden any different from the US&A ?

2009, Child Molestation, Conspiracy, Crime, Detective, Drama, Rape, Revenge, Suspense, Swedish, Violent

The Girl Who Kicked The Hornet’s Nest (2009)

Leave a comment

From NetFlix:

Third in a trio of films inspired by Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s “Millennium Trilogy,” this thriller follows feisty computer hacker Lisbeth Salander (Noomi Rapace) as she finds herself hospitalized, suspected of murder and targeted for death by thugs. Meanwhile, Lisbeth’s journalist pal, Mikael Blomkvist (Michael Nyqvist), crusades to prove her innocence. Daniel Alfredson directs this film that also stars Lena Endre and Jacob Ericksson

My NetFlix version offered not only English subtitles but also English dubbing.

Although the third book in Larsson’s trilogy seemed procedural and not as exciting as the first two books, the third film was not boring. Probably for me what kept the tension going was the need to see Salander vindicated. In a certain sense it all seemed to work out too easily. At the very least, seeing Dr. Teleborian get his comeuppance was very satisfying.

For the most part the film was faithful to the book while omitting certain unimportant details. For example, her wounded father, Zalachenko, does not roam the hospital hall trying to get at Salander. Nor could the treatment of her clandestine use of technology in her hospital room be so elaborate.

Only in one instance do I object: without giving anything away, in the last part of the film Niedermann is given a different solution from that planned by Larsson in order to continue the series.

If you’ve seen the first two installments, how can you not watch the conclusion ?