Arne Dahl Vol. 1 - DVD

Content: With his novels about the A-Group, a special investigation unit of the Stockholm police, the literary scholar and author Jan Arnald, under the pseudonym Arne Dahl, has enjoyed great success and won several awards. So a film adaptation of the book series was a natural choice. Under the series title Arne Dahl, the first five books have now been filmed as an international co-production. Two versions were made for the Swedish market: a two-hour version that was shown in cinemas and a three-hour version that was shown as a two-parter on television. In Germany, three film versions have been shown so far, which have now been released in a DVD box set. Unfortunately, this does not include the TV long versions in each case, but two films in the shorter theatrical version and only one in the three-hour television format:

DVD 1: Misterioso

NAfter a robbery at the 'Sydbank in the small Swedish town of Avesta, a bank robber is left for dead, a long dart piercing his eye. There is no trace of the perpetrator, there are no witnesses. The case cannot be solved at first.

regardless, the team tries to figure out who the next victim might be - the one they desperately need to protect. But the perpetrator is one step ahead of the police, and so they are unable to prevent the fourth murder. Viggo Norlander, frustrated by the lack of investigative success and too much work on his desk, follows a trail towards Estonia. The cartridges used in the murders come from the arsenal of the so-called Juri-X gang. Norlander takes unnecessary risks and is tied hand and foot by the gang in an old factory building. He returns injured and shocked, but overall safe and sound. At least he has found a lead: All of the victims were on the board of a company apparently connected to the Juri-X gang.

Meanwhile, three high-ranking businessmen are murdered in quick succession in Stockholm. Jenny Hultin, the head of the Supreme Bureau of Investigation, assembles a special unit called the A-Team for the occasion. This includes Paul Hjelm, who is not promoted for his heroic efforts in a hostage situation, as might have been expected, but instead faces an internal police committee. Hultin saves him from imminent dismissal. The A-Team also includes computer expert Jorge Chavez, police veteran Viggo Norlander, free thinker and family man Aarto Söderstedt, pragmatist Gunnar Nyberg and excellent thinker and interrogation specialist Kerstin Holm. Together they feverishly search for a motive for the three murders. There were loose business connections between the victims, and it turns out that they belonged to the same lodge society - but this only brings the investigation forward slowly. (Text: ZDF)

DVD 2: Bad Blood

Jenny Hultin's team receives an alarming call from the USA: a Swedish journalist has been discovered murdered in a broom closet at Newark Airport. The method of the crime points to the "Kentucky Killer" who has been wanted since the 1970s. Apparently, this in identity of the Swedish journalist has boarded the plane and will land in Sweden shortly. Immediately the team sets off for the airport, but it is impossible to spot the culprit in the group of arrivals.

The CIA contacts Hultin and informs that the Kentucky killer was never apprehended and that the prime suspect, Wayne Jennings, died in a car accident over 30 years ago. After a hiatus, the murder spree continued, so Jennings was no longer a suspect. The method is gruesome and was used by Americans during the Vietnam War: Small forceps are jammed through the victim's neck, vocal cords and spinal nerves.

The investigators are working flat out, but have to watch helplessly as there are more victims. Paul and Kerstin focus on the US. The house where Wayne Jennings lived is still there. From Sweden, they get a live stream of the CIA searching the house and finding a torture room in the basement. Paul suspects that Wayne Jennings may have a son who is carrying on his father's deeds. However, the search for him is initially fruitless.

At the same time in Sweden, Erik and Justine Lindberger, both employees of the Swedish Foreign Ministry, are hiding three refugees from the Arabic-speaking world on Gotland. Erik is murdered in the same gruesome manner as the victims before. Suspicions grow that the Lindbergers are hiding Palestinian terrorists. The team continues to grope in the dark, feverishly searching for a connecting trail to the previous crimes. Shortly after, first a young man is found shot dead, then another torture victim, in and outside the warehouses of the computer company LinkCoop. Gunnar contacts the company's head of security, Daniel Brink.

Then the detectives discover that the Kentucky killer probably faked the accident back then and is still active. It is still a rocky road for the commissioners until they can catch the killer, uncover the identity of Jennings' son and rescue the fugitives - not terrorists, but victims of American torture. (Text: ZDF)

DVD 3 + 4: Bad Blood Part 1 & 2

The A-Team gets back to work: in Holland, a Swedish car with three occupants has exploded: Karsten Mollström, his girlfriend Susanne Hörnfeldt and their daughter Lena are killed instantly. The A-Team finds out that the explosives used point to the Eskadron Gang, a Dutch gang specializing in drug trafficking and art theft. In addition, the colleagues get a tip that Karsten Mollström is said to have been working as an undercover agent in Sweden. Mollström had been assigned to watch David Billinger, one of Sweden's biggest drug lords, who hides his real sources of income behind posh restaurants. So is Billinger behind the murders?

Meanwhile, Sonja and her boyfriend Jovan, both waiters at the Goose restaurant in Stockholm, learn that a major financial transaction is about to take place, ostensibly to purchase a Miró. Sonja spontaneously decides to take the money and flees with Jovan. Billinger, who at first doesn't know who stole from him, gets into enormous trouble as a result. His restaurant blows up, and it turns out that the same explosives were used as in the first case. Badly injured, Billinger's brother Sverker arrives at the hospital. Billinger confronts him, and he learns that apparently Sonja, his daughter, fled with the money.

At the same time, Sara Svenhage, who has landed at the Reichskriminalamt in the pedophilia department, is investigating a child porn ring. She joins the A-Team when she tracks down a perpetrator on the Internet whose profile can also be seen in connection with her colleagues' case.

Jorge Chavez, having discovered the Eskadron gang's hideout in a hotel room in Stockholm, investigates on his own, putting himself in grave danger. He is overpowered and shot. (Text: ZDF)

Criticism: Although all three film adaptations offer extremely exciting entertainment and come up with well-drawn characters, Bad Blood is undoubtedly the highlight of this first DVD box. Because even though the cuts in the other two films have been made very carefully and there are no disturbing logic holes, you can still tell that something is missing. As a result, the clichés, from which especially Misterioso can't quite free itself, also stand out much more negatively than is probably the case with the long versions. The family problems of the main investigators, in this case with Paul and his wife, which are so often used in Nordic crime series, and which later extend to their son, take up too much of the first film, which in the end at least slightly dulls the overall impression, which in itself is very positive.

Dennoch: by the extremely sympathetic drawing of the main characters and their sometimes very entertaining interactions, as well as by the engaging atmosphere, the films offer extremely good entertainment. Moreover, despite small lengths, the stories are so excitingly realized that even the small weaknesses hardly change anything. Especially the end of the first part of Bad Blood is such a grippingly staged cliffhanger that you change the DVD in a few seconds to see as soon as possible how it continues. And as soon as the last DVD comes to an end, the only thing left to do is to look forward to the next cases of the A-Group, which can't come fast enough. If you like Nordic darkness, you simply can't miss this crime series. Despite minor weaknesses absolutely recommendable!!!

Picture + Sound: The A-Group may investigate on DVD in good picture and sound quality. While there are some small point deductions in the dark sequences in the overall sharpness, the visual realization otherwise convinces with a good coloration du a decent detail representation. The Dolby Digital mix makes the dialogue sound well intelligible from the speakers. A few well-implemented sound effects provide good surround dynamics throughout the otherwise rather unspectacular proceedings. Good.

Extras: Bonusmaterial has the box unfortunately not to offer!

Conclusion: The first three Arne Dahl film adaptations around the Stockholm A-group offer exciting entertainment for all fans of sophisticated Nordic crime series. Even though two of the films are only available in the shorter theatrical version and not in the TV long version, all three novel adaptations are absolutely worth watching due to the sympathetically drawn main characters, the decent level of suspense and the engaging atmosphere. The lack of bonus material can also be forgiven. Therefore applies, with small deductions: Absolutely recommendable!

Source: Sebastian Betzold / ZDF (synopsis)