Den röda vargen (2012) Reviews

• Better than its title

  GilBlas2013-02-02

  This series is far better than its title (reminiscent of juvenile fiction) would lead one to believe. The series, adaptations of the books of Liza Marklund, comprises six 90-minute episodes, each representing a story that the main character, Annika Bengtzon, a crime reporter for a Stockholm newspaper, is pursuing. Each story is complete in itself, the thread that runs through them being the newspaper's staff, Bengtzon, and her personal life. Filmed in Sweden with a Swedish cast (and thus with English subtitles), the series features excellent cinematography and high production values. The stories are interesting; the time devoted to Bengtzon's pursuit of the story and the effect of her career on her personal life is well balanced; and the cast, especially Malin Crépin as Bengtzon, are effective. All six episodes can be streamed on Netflix.

• Underrated, I think.

  laurabaker1082013-04-09

  I really enjoyed this series. Luckily, I didn't check out the ratings on IMDb, or I might never have tried it. Well-written, well-acted, and well-directed. I have seen the first six episodes (which seem to be listed separately here). Some are better than others, but all were worth watching. Malin Crepin is a treat to watch, as Annika. The continuing story of her marriage and motherhood make Annika a much fuller character than "reporter." Like the best of series, there is both an episode resolution and continuing character development. If you like Scandinavian TV series like "The Protectors," you'll probably like "Annika Bengtzon." Check it out if you like well-done mysteries. I hope there are more of these shows to come.

• Gritty, believable characters - real life problems

  AlaveWall2013-08-05

  As a woman, it's especially fun to watch this program. Annika is so fearless and yet so believable a character. There's a twist to the usual family dynamic in that Annika is the more workaholic and absent parent and her poor, long-suffering (and extremely hot) husband is often stuck home with the kids, or lying languidly shirtless in bed waiting for her just as she has to go out and investigate a tip. All of the acting is wonderful and the direction very natural. One gets completely sucked into the plot and the pathos. You see how Annika steels herself from being impacted from most of it, and yet some cases really get to her. The Kvallpresse newsroom has its amusing cast of characters, from the tubby, barking and be-jowled news chief, to the lovable and mannish old socialist Berit, to the smarmy young toady Patrik. Some of the crimes are pretty grisly so this series is not suitable for children. I've read reviews elsewhere in which men complain about having to hear about Annika's family life (also with Irene Huss, another Swedish crime solver I love) so this may be more something women and those interested in women's lives would enjoy.

• The ghost of the past

  jotix1002013-08-29

  We are given a recreation of a terrorist incident where a military plane is blown by persons obviously against the government. To aggravate things, no one of the perpetrators were ever caught. Now, after so many years, Benny, a journalist who never lost interest in the case, is the victim of a voluntary hit and run as he is getting home. Linus, a young man coming home from a hockey practice, witnesses in the shadows how the driver, not content with having struck the victim, returns and runs over his moribund body. Annika Bengtzon is asked to go to the town of Lulea to get information on the incident. She finds herself in a hostile environment, as it appears no one in town welcomes her presence. She gets lucky in finding Linus, the young hockey player, who tells her what he saw. Unknown to Linus, the same assassin, has a surprise for him, when the unknown man returns to take care of him. Annika's own life is in turmoil. Her domestic situation is a mess. To make matters worse, her own husband, Thomas begins an affair with a colleague, something Annika discovers in a strange fashion. At the office, her situation could not be more complicated with her boss. With the help of Bertil, Annika is able to go to the past and the activities of the Red Fox leftist gang. She will come close to being a casualty, but her intelligent approach to the case, helps her unmask the culprits, in a surprising ending. Directed with style by Agnetta Fagerstrom-Olsson, this series is a winner. Based on Liza Marklund's novels, the figure of an indefatigable newspaper reporter, Annika Bengtzon is a woman with high principles who believes in the pursuit of justice by the power given to her by the newspaper where she is clearly, the star. This episode was adapted by Bjorn Paqualin and Antonia Pyk. The casting of Malin Crepin is key to the success of this series. A lot of Swedish excellent players, many seen in other series, show up here to create an ensemble unit that probably made the director happy to rely on them to deliver.

• Great main character. Average mysteries.

  alethea-hall2014-01-17

  This Swedish television series captures the work and personal life of Annika Bengtzon, a tenacious journalist who relentlessly strives to unveil the truth and identities of criminals. She is also a doting, young mother and her conviction to her work often conflicts with her lion-hearted longing to be a good mother and supportive spouse/lover. The quick-paced show is artfully done (both visually and auditorily) and gives the viewer a sense that time is of the essence and moreover, it gives Annika's life a sense of edginess, fragility and most importantly, freedom, as she plunges headlong into tracking down criminals without thinking twice about the consequences. Annika is beautiful by American standards and average by Swedish standards. But she is not portrayed in any glossy fashion - she wears dark eyeliner, sloppy t-shirts and has pronounced bags under her eyes. The show does an excellent job at portraying a passionate, hard-working woman's struggles and it does an average job in creating compelling mysteries. The mysteries are somewhat formulaic, which is why we love them. However, a smart audience will eventually want to see more grit and complexity in its criminals. - Looking forward to Season 2.