Ocurrió a orillas del río

Top reviews. A crime series you just have to watch, I read. Could this live up to expectations?

After watching it, my answer is both yes and no.

No, in the sense that the series is not very exciting after a brutal double murder. A strange investigation starts and we quickly understand that this will take time to be solved. It is a slow crime story. You have to be patient here.

Not bad, but cumbersome and time-consuming.

What I have to admit I liked the most were the incredible characters and environments that are portrayed in this series by some of Sweden's very best actors. The series is about two different eras, and manages to juggle between them well. It is particularly in the era that is about the 70s that I find exciting and interesting. A sect that wants to turn its back on society, small-time criminal villagers, a mysterious Finnish woman appears and more. This is incredibly well described and an insight into a recent past.

In sum, I would therefore recommend the series. But don't expect a crime thriller with lots of action, but a comprehensive story that is carefully uncovered.

The series proceeds at a methodical pace akin to travel in the remote area of Sweden that it's set in. It was confusing at first with the jumps from 1973 to 1991 but once one got to grips with who the characters were and how they changed with age, the episodes were easy enough to follow.

I don't care about the anachronisms of certain cars being manufactured after the events or products shown not existing till later in the century. To me, the atmosphere and surroundings evoked by the different years were convincing.

There were two unexplained deaths - murders - in the two years covered by the series. The perp of the earlier incident was clearly not the main suspect but it took me till episode five to be sure of who it really was. Unfortunately, the 1991 murder was signalled far less delicately in the script and it was pretty obvious who'd done it.

I loved the touches such as the party ferries between Finland and Sweden. I've been on them in the 80s and 90s as well as the ones between Finland and Estonia. The remote vastness of the north with its untarmacked roads evoked strong memories of when I lived in Finland - our cottage only had a dirt road to it even though we were in the south. So many of the buildings and landscapes of where I lived were similar to areas in the series.

In short, even without the memories, I'd have loved this and recommend it.

This is so much more than just a murder story. It's also a brilliant semi-dramatic and quite touching story about Annie, Mia and Birger's lives living in the middle of nowhere (and then some) somewhere in Sweden. The first episode I was confused but I quickly understood the method of storytelling, and I was intrigued so I kept watching. After episode 2 I was hooked. I was a bit creeped out by the realization of how difficult things were back then (1973) without access to the technology we have today, and that made me feel like this show is special from a lot of other crime stories. Some events I guessed pretty early what was going on, and other events had me surprised.

The calm but yet hostile atmosphere that was presented in ep 1 was managed throughout. I'd say this is a relaxing watch for anyone interested in fictional crime.

This is one of the best Scandinavian series I have seen in a long time. But don't come expecting a standard Nordic crime series. This is more a crime story in the sense that Hamlet is a crime story. It's about man and nature, time's arrow and existential questions - and the acting is superb. They manage to make something work that usually never works: to have a younger and an older version of most of the characters, since it takes place in 1973 and 1991. Highly recommended if you like Twin Peaks and Top of the Lake - but I would also point to brilliant period recreations like Fanny and Alexander or Dazed and Confused.

Mmmmmm...The review with 'boring boring boring' as the header is the key to why you should watch this. He/She don't get it,Never lived amongst the rocks. Praise be. Lets talk Rolf Lassgård. That frame, the look over the shoulder with a rye almost desperate glance. The whispering voice that booms. The cheek of him to be so good. It's almost annoying. Lets talk about the overall brilliance of the casting. The Pernill family in real life, as Mother and two daughters playing Mother and two daughters in the show. It's genius, and it works. Like that wasn't interesting enough lets talk about Sven Boräng who plays a younger Rolf Lassgård. What a fantastic example of an actor totally owning his craft. He must of spent hours on end shadowing Lassgård's every move and nuance because he nailed it to the point you are watching Rolf. Wonderful work. Now I can talk about the music, because it is music and not soundscaping. Yuk. I work as a composer often with nordic noir. I put myself forward for this show when I first got wind of it's pre production. When I was told Mattias Bärjed was on it, I was so happy. Perfect. So great to hear the feel of the water, the rocks, the time frame. Odd, catchy and totally appropriate. But then he was in a great band and, moreover he composed for 'Hunt for a Killer'. I reviewed it a couple of years back and said it was a game changer for nordic noir. I am British but have spent many many years in Finland,Sweden, Norway. Folk who find a lot of these series 'slow/long winded' need to spend serious time in these places to understand the pace, the culture. Then they will understand. Maybe.