Le crime à la racine

As a fan of Scandinavian TV and films, I thought this show was really well-made. I am not Swedish so I wasn't familiar with this story (I was too young when it happened to have seen it on the news) so it was surprising to hear that this is Sweden's 2nd largest case in history.

It is atypical for a Nordic show in that there is very little action and few characters outside of the main cast of about 4 actors. There are no big name stars or pointless, dragged out filler scenes or dialogue. There's a lot of detail that shows how the case developed and the writers were wise not to make us wait 10 episodes before getting to the arc of the plot. The show is more about the story and less about the actual characters beyond short bursts of their personal lives.

The acting is better from the families, whose lives we don't get to see too much of. This was fine since I think subplots can take away from the main points of the show. It was slower than many Hollywood productions but I appreciate how this was actually a mini series with 4 episodes and not anything longer!

Just finished watching "Breakthrough" and wow! 🎬 The storyline is gripping, and it is centered around a double murder that took place in Sweden in 2004, which remained unsolved for 16 years until advanced DNA genealogy led to the identification of the killer. The acting is incredibly realistic, with each cast member bringing their character to life in a way that feels so genuine. The direction is top-notch, making every scene count in this slow-burn thriller. The screenplay is brilliantly crafted, keeping you hooked from start to finish. If you haven't seen it yet, definitely add it to your watchlist! 🌟

As an intermediate genealogist I watched this film because that is my area of interest. I thought the acting was well done and the actors were chosen well for their parts. The version I watched was dubbed but was the best dubbing I've ever seen. It was easy to forget it was dubbed.

I don't however think the script was written well. I think the most interesting part of the story is that these crimes were solved through DNA and genealogy. It should have made that the main focus of the film. If I knew nothing about forensic genealogy I would have come away from this film learning nothing more. I found the description of forensic genealogy in the film very spotty, confusing for the average person, and a missed opportunity to really highlight the genius and practical application of it. One would think from watching the film that a genealogist sticks pieces of paper on a whiteboard and looks at confusing data on a screen. There is far more involved. They should have hired a genealogist to bring a true representation of genealogy to the screen showing (and explaining) the magic of building a tree through the present to the past and back to the present down through all the family lines from a distant ancestor and how exactly that is done using public archival records and DNA. There was simply no magic in this film and no understanding of the process.

I'm a big fan of Scandinavian crime dramas. They do crime as well as any...just top notch! This is a serious and relatable human drama. The actors / actresses are top-notch, especially the lead character. Very compelling plot and some lovely cinematography.

Apparently based on a true story. I wasn't familiar with the story but truly sad for the families of the victims.

I also loved the soundtrack for the series. Melancholy, emotive but fitting for the series and characters. As I said, the actors are excellent and draw you into their pain of loss. Sorry to repeat but oddly there is a minimum word count required for a review.

My cuppa. I love international dramas and especially Scandinavian (Beck, etc).

I watch this with subtitles - never dubbed. Please watch it with subtitles if you can.

This is Swedish and it is luxurious how it unfolds for us along its four episodes. Brilliantly done covering many years and very poignant. At first the makeup may seem a bit odd - trying to make the main characters younger than the actors are but you quickly accept it.

The focus is on the development of genealogical forensics (if you've watched the documentaries on it you'll know it has revolutionized police work).

In this case it's taking place in the EU, which has far stricter controls than the U. S.

At any rate this is based on a true story and it's fascinating stuff. The two main characters are acted so well. And in fact all the acting is fantastic.

The four hours fly by and this becomes a rare thing (for me) that I wished it was longer. I did not want it to end.

Speaking of the ending there's a very nice twist as to who the murderer is, which I greatly appreciated. I love clever endings.

I gave it a 9 and not a 10 because there's a bit of an insidious agenda about people who live alone - loners - being messed up. It's a weird and disturbing bias. And it bothered me quite a bit. It's almost "racist" in a way - that "loners" are not quite right. At one point in a discussion they actually say it out loud: that there is something wrong with "loners".

But don't let that get in your way of enjoying this! Highly recommended!