As Episode 1 of "Clark" (2022 release from Sweden); 6 episodes of about 55 min each) opens, it is "Trollhattan 1947" as a Swedish woman is about to give birth, but only when the baby decides it's ready to come out! "My first jailbreak", comments the Clark Olofsson character in the voice-over. It is the beginning of a wild ride. After a quick brush on his youth, we go to 1965, when he was 16-17 and gets into trouble for stealing from the Swedish Prime Minister's summer house. No, really! At this point we are less than 15 minutes into Episode 1.
Couple of comments: this is the latest from Swedish director Jonas Akerland, best known for his many music videos (which has won him 3 Grammys). Here he takes a look at what is being billed as Sweden's first "celebrity gangster", and whose bank robberies led to the term "Stockholm Syndrome". This is anything but your ordinary true-crime mini-series. In fact, with clever editing and by approaching this with irreverence, Akerland, tongue firmly in cheek, delivers a zany and thoroughly entertaining mini-series. The best episodes are the early ones, when we are fully submersed in the 1960s. It felt at times like Pink Panther-meets-Austin Powers, but much zippier. (Be sure to check out the many, many cars from that era. Just fabulous.) Bill Skarsgard (as Clark) is seemingly very much enjoying himself with this series. And why not.
"Clark" premiered last week on Netflix, releasing all 6 episodes at once. If you are in the mood for a true crime mini-series that is anything but ordinary, I'd readily suggest you check this out, and draw your own conclusion.
