laurelhagen

One of the best Finnish shows I have seen since being introduced to Nordic productions about 5 years ago. The actors were superb, the storyline had mystery, humor, action, some fantasy elements and most of all, heart. The story is about man who is a specialty mushroom distributor and owner. The first scene shows him in Japan at a board meeting wooing his new potential customer. The Japanese appreciate exotic mushrooms and are willing to meet in Finland to further research the mushrooms and his business. The relationship between the Japanese CEO and the Finnish owner is a good, solid one, as each finds beauty in nature, the forest and what the earth provides for us humans. This business relationship and trust is key throughout the show while the main character experiences profound upheavals in every other aspect of his limited life. I'm being vague purposely as I hope there are others who will be intrigued enough to actually give the 4-part series a try. It's really that good!

I have never seen a Indonesian/Jarkartan film before so I don't know if Joko Anwar as a filmmaker typically produces this level of thrills and chills but, wow, his stuff if good! I am an avid foreign film watcher of European content so finding this series was a special treat. If you are looking for a Hollywood production that is smooth and practically flawless this might fall below your expectations due to the lack of huge financial capital. However, each story in the series is creepy and quite enthralling. Anwar used his financial resources well to bring a quality horror anthology to the screen. I can say without a doubt that I am a fan.

Overall, this mini series could have been cut by 50% time-wise. The plot based on actual serial killings in Western Australia was intriguing. It took the police decades to find the killer who eluded them due to conflicting eyewitness accounts, an odd coincidence with a company van, and set during a time when DNA testing was not perfected. The police had everything working against them it seemed. I found the two main police investigators annoying because they always seemed on the brink of tears. I understood their frustration level as each time they took a step forward they took a step back toward solving the case. But tears at the workplace is very unprofessional especially for seasoned detectives. I blame the director for this uncharacteristic portrayal. The actors who played victims and family members were believable and should be commended.