Paradis City

I was genuinely excited to start watching this series because of all the hype in Sweden. Unfortunately, after six episodes, I'm left disappointed. While the visuals are undeniably stunning and the premise had the potential to be fantastic, the execution leaves much to be desired. It's evident that a significant budget went into the production, but it's wasted on a story that feels disjointed and underwhelming.

The tone of the series feels oddly off, almost as if it's torn between wanting to be mature and gritty, but ending up coming across as juvenile and simplistic. Some scenes are so unrealistic that they take you completely out of the experience. Dialogue is another weak point; it's awkward and unnatural, especially when characters who are supposed to be hardened criminals sound more like teenagers playing dress-up.

What's even more frustrating is the script, which feels outdated and riddled with clichés. It's as though the writer relied heavily on stereotypes and preconceived notions rather than crafting believable, multi-dimensional characters. The result is a story that lacks depth and fails to resonate.

In the end, the series falls flat despite its glossy exterior. There's a sense of wasted potential that's hard to ignore, and the disconnect between what it could have been and what it actually is makes it all the more disappointing.

A Disaster Without Direction

Some series feel like they should never have been approved. Paradis City is one of them. What's the story here? Is there even a script? The series is based on Jens Lapidus' novel, but the screen adaptation seems to have lost all sense of structure, emotion, and substance. The result is a confused, half-baked mess that fails to capture the tension and themes hinted at in the original material.

Direction Without Purpose

Why was he chosen? What has he done before? And more importantly-does he even know how to build suspense? Because here, there is none. The show lacks any sense of dramatic buildup, pacing, or an understanding of the social critique that should be its core.

Disastrous Casting and Acting

For a story to work, the characters need to feel alive. Here, the opposite is true. Alexander Abdallah, who is supposed to carry the show, delivers a performance so flat and uninspired that it becomes embarrassing. His portrayal makes you long for Snabba Cash, where he at least had some impact. But it's not just him-every single actor feels misplaced and uninterested. It's as if no one truly understands why they're there.

Did They Even Understand Their Own Premise?

The central theme of the series-segregation and social exclusion-should be its driving force. Instead, it seems to have been reduced to a visual gimmick. They build a wall, show it, and then... what? Did they think that was enough? There's no real exploration of how this dystopian vision affects society. The audience never gets to feel the social tensions or experience the consequences of this world. It's a glaring oversight.

Conclusion: Medellín 2.0

To quote Ari Gold's infamous review of Medellín in Entourage: "Paradis City was awful, and Alexander Abdallah was awful in it." This is a textbook example of what happens when you fail to understand the source material, direct with a clear vision, and cast the right actors. It's not just a bad show-it's one of the worst Swedish productions in recent years.

Who approved this? That's the biggest question of all.

It's like a show made in the 90s of how they thought the future would be. Bad casting, bad acting and bad costume. The dialogue is horrible as always when theater actors is trying to sound like normal people. I can't imagine this is what Jens Lapidus pictured when he wrote the novel it's based upon.

Too bad since the plot is pretty interesting and they have some interesting names in the cast as Abdallah and Gudnasson. But as with almost all tv in Sweden that tries to portray some sort of reality, it fails.

Watch instead the Netflix show Snabba Cash for a more dystopian look on Swedish society. Don't need to look into the future - it's here right now.

This is basically a different version of Banlieu 13/District 13 (French) and Escape from New York, take your pick. Both are just variations on the same theme society has devolved and walked off the lower echelons from the rest of the country. Which creates more problems than it solves.

Ultimately, someone decides to take matters into their hands and take a stand. Whether by choice or accident. In this case by choice. The main make character that is supposed to be an ex-MMA fighter doesn't look like he's ever taken a punch, or thrown one.

I've only watched the first episode but I honestly was hoping for better.

The wide opening shot of a wall surrounding the troubled suburbs of Stockholm in a near future gives the viewer hope - this could be interesting.

But... unfortunately, from that and onwards it's a fall into an amateurish abyss. Absolutely nothing is exciting, original or ever poignant. Instead the writing, directing and overall production is closer to a B or even C movie.

The overall look is especially poor - absolutely no atmosphere whatsoever.

And what exactly is the plot?!

I hope the book is better, because whoever wrote this adaption has little understanding of building a suspenseful narrative.

And it feels so low budget in comparison - but with more talented filmmakers one could have achieved a far more visual dystopian look. Budget or not.

For example, staging a scene where the prime minister is holding a speech in front of an angry crowd, a mob - is no small feat. You need resources or a talent for cheating - well. Here it comes off as a children's show.

If you want to have a "bad guy" as your protagonist - please do better. Make him more interesting. Not paper thin, cliché and moronic - just acting tough. Remember Snake Plissken?!