Alle Sünden

One doesn't need to be a fan of Nordic Noir (I'm not) or even mysteries to enjoy this six-episode series by internationally acclaimed documentary filmmaker Mika Ronkainen of Finland. Set during the light summer in the land of the midnight sun, murders of three middle aged men in the fictional town of Varjakka perplex a close-knit, conservative religious community. Sanna and Lauri, two private investigators with their own personal struggles and and past traumas, are called up from Helsinki to investigate. You won't see much blood or shocking violence or gore, but deeply a evoking and steadily arching plot that will keep you captivated until the surprising climax.

I have watched two seasons of this great Finnish TV serie. I have learned out that the third is on air. I wanted to write my comment before watching the third season. I really liked the second season and I can even say that I like it more than the first season. The difference between revenge and punishment is very well analyzed in the second season. Although, there were very unnecessary dialogoues and moments in the first season, the second season lack these and it focuses on an old case that haunted the town. In addition to this, the acting is absolutely great in the second season, and you really enjoy the nature of Northern Finland.

Season One

Following the murders of two men in a small highly religious Laestadian community in northern Finland two officers are dispatched from Helsinki to investigate. They are Lauri Raiha, a gay man who is having relationship problems and was originally from the community and Sanna Tervo, a woman who appears to be more easy-going but also has certain emotional baggage. Once there Lauri will have to deal with attitudes he thought he'd left behind ten years ago; Sanna will also have problems as she learns of family problems back in Helsinki.

Season Two

This season is set fifteen years before the events in season one and covers a murder investigation that was briefly mentioned in the original season. It is set in the same community and involves police officer Jussi Ritola investigating the suspicious death of a couple. At first it is thought it might be a double suicide or a murder-suicide but events lead Jussi to suspect murder. It won't be an easy investigation; his boss tries to block any line of inquiry that suggests any of the Laestadian community could be involved; he also has personal problems when his wife makes a surprising confession.

I rather enjoyed this Finnish series. The two seasons feature mostly different characters so it is unnecessary to have seen the first season to understand the second; however it is probably preferable. It does serve to explain why certain characters turned out how they are in the first season. The cases are interesting and at six episodes each don't drag. There are plenty of suspects and motives so viewers are likely to be kept guessing until the reveal. The lead characters are solid and nicely varied as are the supporting characters. I liked the setting; both seasons may be set in the same town but they have a different feel as the first is set at midsummer when the sun never really sets and in the second the area is blanketed in snow. The cast does a fine job bringing their characters to life. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of murder mysteries; I hope we don't have to wait too long for a third season.

These comments are based on watching the series in Finnish with English subtitles.

I became quite hooked on the first series although I am not sure why. The characters were interesting and very three dimensional which is rare. The crime element was very much a sub plot. The gist of the series is about two very different cops coming to a brutal realisation of who they are and where they come from. The one thing it lacks, however, is any suspense whatsoever. Not a huge problem, but noticeable. However, season 2 for me is the whole package. I am only on episode 3 but felt compelled to write this review. The acting is fabulous. Matti Ristinen especially steals the show. There is palpable tension in every episode as the righteous but traumatise cop deals with a new world order on one side and suffocating, corrupt religious zealots on the other. Love it.

This is a little gem of a series. The performances are truly top-notch and I found myself tearing up near the end, which I rarely do. The lead actor and actress are incredibly solid and vulnerable. The screenwriting and plotting was solid. The filmography and landscapes are beautiful and you can really feel that you're watching Ostrobothnia--could the landscape be more flat?

The theme of the series really is about the trauma of religion. I have rarely seen a movie/TV-series tackle the subject with such vulnerability and from so many points of view. It's interwoven with grief, internalized homophobia and domestic violence. The storytelling comes across with very little melodrama, except for the culmination at the end. That's one of the reasons I didn't rate this a total 10/10. But the ending was well done and believable to me, so it isn't a huge complaint, and perhaps the culmination needs some extra drama, so it may be just a personal thing. Some characters, like the business man, were also too stereotypically depicted to my liking. But again, that is a small complaint in the big picture.

Bonus points for Lauri's mother's performance. It still brings me goosebumps when I think back on it. Such raw grief and guilt really makes you feel for her even with everything you know about her. But it's the humanity coming across in the series. I also thought it was very well done to have Lauri slowly start to speak more and more in his childhood dialect as the series went on. This is something foreigners won't catch, but it was a very satisfying detail for them to include, as that's what happens when one goes back.

I have ties to Laestadianism and what is portrayed does ring true to me. But I'm sure only someone who has left the religion can truly say anything about this depiction of it.