Tore (2023– ) User Reviews

Beautiful but painful

[Sillyreviews · 8/10 · 7 January 2024]

Tore hits you right in the heart. It takes you to the ups and mostly downs that happen.

Tore is about a guy named tore that is 27 years old and still lives with his dad. He barely has any life experience and almost lives through his best friend. Suddenly his dad dies and the base is gone for him, he suddenly needs find who he is and deal with his grief. Which goes messy to say the least.

The pain, emotions and confusing is grabbing you through the screen. The acting makes the story that is already amazing even better. The acting is believable and really makes you feel for the characters, for all of them.

You should absolutely watch it. Although it can be emotionally draining it is absolutely worth it. So go watch I would say!

Great Scandinavian series

[Kim_F_T_R · 8/10 · 28 March 2024]

I found the series very entertaining. These type of series are becoming more and more popular in Scandinavia - the combination of humor and drama, the complex characters, the realistic yet unrealistic struggles - and I love it.

The music score is good, the characters are complex, and the manuscript is original. I loved it, and really hope there will be an another season.

As for the actors - they did an outstanding job. I mean, all of them! First of all, William Spetz portrays this grieving, dorky, exploring character in such a good way. His girlfriend, Linn, made me laugh loudly multiple times (I loved her character), and Erik, Heidi, Tore's colleagues, Viggo, shady & Lo, and even Linn's son were great. And by great, I mean this is how Scandinacians appear, speak and act realistically (myself included). Will probably watch the whole series again sometime.

Touching and painfully recognisable

[angelinosscheening-53439 · 10/10 · 29 October 2023]

Normally I don't write reviews, but this series unexpectedly touched me so much.

The storyline and characters did such a good job in showing the complexity of loss and pain. The strange choices we make and the behaviour we show whilst not saying or expressing what we really want or need.

I read someone saying it's overacting, but to me it was precisely perfect. There's a lot of meaning in the things unsaid. If that makes sense. Like when you're supposed to get a comforting touch but you didn't.

I think anyone struggling with loss, drugs, sexuality and self-love(or self destructive behaviour) will recognise something in this series.

Great show

[leelya-25689 · 10/10 · 28 October 2023]

This show really resonates with me. It shows grief in a very relateable way through a character who makes a lot of mistakes but still has me rooting for him. I like his multifaceted mixture of being charming but socially awkward and inexperienced without annoying me. William Spetz surely is the perfect cast for this role and did a great job conveying the emotional struggles. But it's not only him but the other characters, too that make the show feel very real. The authors found a way of creating interesting and nuanced side characters in such a small amount of episodes without losing the focus on the main theme which is grief. The relationship between Tore and his father makes it absolutely overwhelming for him to process the loss because it's not just sadness he has to process but anger, fear, lonelyness and disappointment too, which is very common in real life but doesn't often get portrayed in so many facettes in media.

I love how they found a happy end for the show in a believeable way. I mean he lost his job, is still a virgin without a big love story, may has to face the legal consequences of giving drugs to the old lady and doesn't fully seem to have found peace with his late father but that's the point. Grief isn't something to process a few weeks to be over. A lovestory is not the answer to the struggles of life. Virginity isn't something anyone has to lose in the matter of 6 episodes. Getting a new job isn't the solution to emotional problems. Life goes on and struggles go on. The end of the show wasn't about a happily ever after but about getting to a point where it's possible to face life again.

I'm not a young gay virgin man who just lost his father, and yet, this is effing relatable

[elinmariakristoffersen · 10/10 · 15 December 2023]

Wow. This is truly beautiful storytelling. I'm not a young gay virgin man who just lost his father, and yet, this is effing relatable. Yes, when a person experiences severe trauma or loss they might not act in "logical" or make all the right desicions. The actor who plays Tore potrays every emotion so well. Man I cried a lot. The acting overall is brilliant, I've always wondered how they manage to make so that nothing ever feels scripted. Every emotion feels so authentic, even from the kids. I also love the dynamic and the complexity they showed in the characters and their relationships. Oh and the soundtrack. Everything about this series is beautiful, please watch.

Frustrating to watch

[Ulimaroa · 3/10 · 7 November 2023]

The series started out watchable. The acting was OK at the start but as it went on there were many facets of the series that I just got irritated with.

The main character, Tore, just made me annoyed. I have never felt so annoyed towards a character like I felt towards Tore. I just wanted to shake him. He was socially inept, rude, a complete hot mess and this is without the information regarding his father passing away.

I completely didn't understand the need for the LSD scenes.

The spitting on Bosse's grave by Linn and Tore was a bit cringe.

And the selfishness of stealing the dog MJ/Cher from the new family and thinking that was an OK thing to do was just the weirdest last episode ever.

It's a no from me.

Stellar mix of drama and humour

[martinpersson97 · 9/10 · 6 November 2023]

This great drama was definitely one of the more anticipated series of the year, and safe to say, it lives up to all of its hype!

As expected, it is indeed a very fine mix of drama through humour, dark humour one might say - and somewhat similar to another of Peter Haber's great works recently.

William Spetz continues to shine, and proves that he is actually a very good and serious actor. He sure has matured a lot in his career.

Overall, a beautiful celebration of life, the ability to mourne and growing up. Incredible acting, cinematography, cutting and editing. All around beautifully put together.

Highly recommended show!

More than disappointing

[stnwal9 · 3/10 · 2 November 2023]

It's hard to like this series because the lead character, Tore, is so unlikable. In the first 10 minutes he reveals himself to be emotionally and intellectually stunted. He's 27 and has the maturity of a 13 year old; he behaves badly at almost every opportunity; he makes a lot of bad choices; he never considers others. None of this can be attributed to his grief. He's this way from the beginning. We have little sympathy for him.

Side note: this has made me wonder if this series isn't a lesson about raising a generation of kids who have been sheltered and given everything: Hey! Look what you get, parents! But I digress.

Other supporting characters are about as bad: Viggo as a druggie, almost rapist and un-boyfriend; Erik who almost beds him only hours after a tiff with his boyfriend about having a baby; a senior citizen's 2 daughters; a 'sister' who has tantrums most of the time.

A couple of characters are interesting: the drag queen Shady Meat and a senior citizen, Heidi. It's too bad these weren't developed and made more central. They might have been able to humanize Tore.

Moreover, the ending of the series is despicable--stealing back a dog Tore sold to a family with a little girl who adores the dog--and this is played for laughs and triumph. I was hoping the family would call the police and put Tore and his 'sister' in jail. That might have saved this series.

Enough said.

Excellent writing and performances from a refreshingly new talent

[mrneel · 10/10 · 13 November 2023]

Lots of newer movies and series about a central character being homosexual have got it so wrong because they use the protagonists sexuality and/or how they're perceived and treated because of it as the main challenge to overcome. Here the main character just happens to be homosexual and the angst and personal issues have almost nothing to do with that. This refreshing perspective on a flawed character who just happens to be gay is exciting to watch and the story grips you from episode one until the release in the final moments of the last episode. The performers are top notch and especially by the actor who plays protagonist who also happens to be the writer and you can't help but wonder how personal the story is to them. Every character is relatable and situations move from the deeply tragic to comic with such ease and deftness one has to credit the director/s and the technical team for bringing that to the screen. Bravo! Ten stars!!!

FINALLY! Been waiting a long time for something fresh

[paulied-49663 · 10/10 · 3 November 2023]

There's actually a writer left with an imagination. I didn't know what to expect when I decided to Netflix's new LGBT arrival watch. I was actually quite skeptical going in because I've been there done that everything is the same. My expectations for season 7 of Elite was pure excitement as if I was about to turn twenty one again and as it turned out it's the new fifty lol. But I digress this isn't about Elite. Tore is definitely a fresh look at the gay romance dark dramedy. Think Six Feet Under meets Heathers and you'll find yourself enjoying this one. My only complaint is that it's season one newly released so when it's over it's over. At least it is for a long time if we do get a season two.

Very bingable expose of a young gay man in pain.

[david-3165 · 9/10 · 9 November 2023]

This series stands as a testament to the power of visual storytelling, seamlessly weaving together a potent soundtrack and exceptional cinematography with performances that pierce the veneer of mere acting. It plunges the viewer into the turbulent odyssey of Tore, whose journey is not one for the faint of heart. The narrative doesn't shy away from the gritty realities of a life unraveling at the seams, capturing the essence of a coming-of-age story that eschews the trappings of cliché, providing an unflinching look at the consequences of an intensely traumatic event. It astutely challenges the viewer's suspension of disbelief, positing that the human psyche can indeed spiral from sobriety into the depths of substance abuse under the weight of profound distress. Adding to its authenticity, the series features the iconic Patricia-a real-life Stockholm club that lends a raw and pulsating backdrop to Tore's descent. Compact in its storytelling, the series offers a concise narrative that can be devoured in a single evening, marking it as a piece of television that not only entertains but lingers, prompting introspection long after the screen fades to black.

Went downhill fast..

[stefan-34-742417 · 5/10 · 5 November 2023]

After a brilliant start, this show went downhill fast.

This is a show about loneliness, love, betrayal, suicide, sex and drugs. A fresh start with an intense pace leaves the main character alone, loosing his father when a dumpster truck kills him.

Left alone, the main character Tore, tries to find meaning in his life.

It's from here the story cracks. The main character does things that is far fetched, and highly unlikely for him to do. It just gets worse and worse, to an extent whee it becomes absurd.

Every now and then there are good parts, but from episode 3 it is mostly a really bad script.

Raw and gritty take on young gay man's pain

[sandrostegmaier · 10/10 · 27 November 2023]

This is an absolute standout on Netflix. I started this show on a Sunday morning, wanting to only watch one episode while having breakfast, but I ended up binging the entire series in one go. It's that perfect symbiosis of drama and comedy that only very few shows manage to pull off. I laughed out loud one second, cried the next. What's best about this series is that it feels very real but also not too over the top and cheesy like most US Netflix dramas. Tore might be self-harming and selfish, but that's a very realistic depiction of someone that is hurting. Drug abuse and partying as a form of escapism might work for a while but it also drags you down an even deeper hole.

This show has the power to heal it's viewers, thank you so much for that.

Mostly annoying, stupid and illogical

[hakanlundberg · 2/10 · 4 November 2023]

The series is altogether "Stockholm" repeatedly mistaking awkward situations and recurring confrontations for a worthwhile storyline. You can at times feel Tores pain but he just repeatedly acts like a cliché caricature and keeps being annoyingly stupid and destructive and you stop rooting for him pretty fast. In order to root for someone they need to have some kind of redeeming qualities but he just pushes away everyone that cares for him without reasonable explanation. The storyline is 100% illogical, pitch black and the ending is just juvenile and amateurish. There might a positive message in there somewhere but it's a long, tedious and annoying road to wander down before arriving at the unsatisfying destination.

Love, loneliness, death, grief, family...

[robert7567 · 10/10 · 7 November 2023]

These are but some of the themes of this well written and acted series.

I'm personally surprised by the reviews critical of the actions taken by the lead, Tore. The character is a rather sheltered young man who chooses to remain living with his father even at the age of 25 or 27. Is he lazy? Is he afraid to leave home due to insecurities?

After a tragic incident, he falls into denial and makes less than wise choices. Several times over. To me, each of these actions make sense if you consider Tore hasn't yet grieved and chooses to remain shut down. If the reviewers who find his actions unbelievable, that may be due to them wanting a happy go lucky script and not one based on some element of reality and truth. Allow yourself to take the wild and crazy journey with that character to understand grief and loss and anger and fear and uncertainty and first love and loss. Will you be required to suspend belief at certain times, absolutely. Example: the elderly lady surprisingly finding the strength to lug a ladder to a foot bridge. Yes, that's a head scratcher. But that's not the point. The point is: why is she where she is and what's driving her? Grief and loss. Are the circumstances under which MJ is "stolen" or "retrieved" also a head scratcher? Yeah, but again, artistic liberties are allowed.

I highly recommend this series and love seeing the maturity and varied type of films/series depicting the queer life. Yes, we're no different than heteros. And we're complex and confusing and crazy and sane just like them. And we grieve just as complex too. And we make ridiculous choices.

Feel true pain and pleasure.

[KP1990 · 10/10 · 31 October 2023]

I still don't quite understand why Tore doesn't love his father so much. But on the other hand, Tore is a cowardly and stupid character in many ways. There may be many things that I don't understand. Like when his father was hit by a car. But he seemed happy again.

Some events made me cry very hard. Each character has a heartbreaking story. In some scenes I felt really immersed in the characters. Especially the relationship between Tore and Linn and MJ, I think the final story was the worst. After that, there will definitely be good stories to follow. In the end I think It was a good ending. Even though it's not perfect.

Surprisingly touching and binge worthy

[jenniferamandalilja · 10/10 · 29 January 2024]

I thought this would be more of a comedy series, but it was surprisingly touching in many unexpected ways. The acting was great and I felt that every person casted was really great for that role. Somehow it was impossible to just watch one episode, I had to keep going until I had binge watched all the episodes. William Spetz has done a great job with this film.

There were some questions left unanswered in the end but that's what I loved about this series. Not every problem in life has a perfect ending. Problems come and go, shift and change. There's not one magical answer on how to get through it all. Somehow life moves on and you learn how to deal with the pain. Absolutely beautiful.

It didn't make sense

[laduqesa · 3/10 · 2 November 2023]

I think the only reason I got through this was because the episodes were each just thirty minutes long. Even so, this story about a twenty seven year old gay virgin didn't convince.

OK it's billed as a comedy but also a drama and the dramatic bits aren't feasible. Falling out of a window and lying outside in the snow all night results in death not a black eye. Nutting a concrete pillar hard causes worse injuries to a person than a mere trickle of blood.

As for the love interest, what hot-blooded guy on a mission to have his first time would choose boring, older Erik over exciting, horny, hot Viggo?

The actor playing Tore, who also wrote the script, looks about 18 and acts it too. His IMDB bio says his height is five foot eleven. If that's true, Viggo and Erik must be giants - they both tower over him.

As for the trippy flights of fancy, I also, like Heidi, didn't waste the 60s! These sequences have nothing to do with the effects of Tore's "tea"; they are a bad imagining of the effects that have nothing to do with reality.

The final episode was just cringe making and impossible to believe, both the section in the club and later in Uppsala.

I know that William Spetz is well regarded in Sweden but he must have been having an off day when he wrote this.

Full marks! But bring tissues!

[Markie_P · 10/10 · 26 February 2024]

The Swedes certainly know how to write gritty dramas! First Young Royals, now this. Tore is a 27 year old gay male who lives at home with his dad. The series begins with the dad urging the boy to move out of the house and seek new adventures in life. However, Tore is outside his work when he sees his father, who is standing outside having a conversation on his mobile phone, get knocked over by a bin lorry. The series then explores Tore's reaction to grief, including anger and denial. He slides down a slippery slope. Thankfully the episodes are only about half an hour long, because I binged them in a day and thus spent 3 hours sobbing in buckets. I am at a loss how someone so young can write something so profound. It shows not only empathy for a young man in grief, but is extremely sensitive towards the elderly. A warning - it contains drug use, which I don't endorse, although I can see why in this case it's relevant. I also don't really get why it's labelled as a comedy drama. Brilliant though it is, heartwarming though it is, it isn't what I'd describe as funny.

OMG cringe

[valkyria-132-837185 · 1/10 · 2 November 2023]

I was advised to watch and half way he said don't bother. This is such a weired portrayal of an older gay finaly doing something about it. The death of the father was a shock, the selling of the dog too.

The lsd trips were uncalled for and a weired addition. The acting was almost psycotic, the moodswings the agressiveness.

This was more a psychiatric patient than a gay man's story. In general, Swedes are not this overdramatic, that's for sure. The whole story is a continues listing of disasters and it keeps on getting worse.

There is nothing comical about it. My advise to the actor and writer he should not combine both in one project.

Please Don't Waste Your Time Watching This Garbage

[daddygracenyc · 1/10 · 11 November 2023]

I don't know where to start but this series is awful and boring. The character Tore is unlikable and I wished he had gotten hit by a garbage truck instead of his father.

I was confused because his father didn't look nothing like him and Tore look almost like he was of Indian descent. Not only was the character Tore a hot mess, he was immature, weird, and just very unlikable. Ignoring his father when he was accidentally hit by a garbage truck lying in the street bleeding was very difficult to watch, and his not wanting to attend his father's funeral.

Tore turning to drugs and wanting to give up his virginity to a total stranger after his father's sudden death was rather sad. The guy Viggo he met in a gay club was attractive but he turned out to want to know Tore oppose to a one-night stand. Tore running after Erik a total stranger made him look pathetic. Lastly, providing a senior citizen in her 80's or 90's LSD was rather degrading. I wish Tore had trying to commit suicide by jumping off a bridge oppose to the senior citizen, Heidi.

I fast-forwarded all 6 episodes because this series is boring and it was a waste of Netflix or whomever dollars to produce and make this horrific series. I wish I could give it less than a 1 rating. I wouldn't recommend anyone to watch this boring garbage. Not even the dead!

Great premise, but ends up annoying becaose of overplay

[OJT · 5/10 · 29 October 2023]

Tore is a Swedish series about the undertaker worker Tore, who is 27 and gay, but not out.

The series starts off OK, but once again a Swedish series fails when it comes to pure acting.

I wonder why they are asked to over act, like they are here. Maybe it's to pretend they are Hollywood or something, because I know too many Swedes to know this is not the way they act or react.

Main actor is is also asked to act so silly that he seemingly is 16.

Cringy and strange, and far off reality. Sad that it's like this. If we are to have series about gay persons, please let them act like normal, and not this cringy.

Really?

[MutterCourage · 1/10 · 13 November 2023]

What started out as a seemingly sweet and charming and light drama comedy, suddenly took a sharp turn and went downhill into the abyss.

Why the main character reacts the way he does after the sudden loss of his father is completely ignored and underdeveloped- leaving a bizarre and truly unbelievable emotional character.

You are left with a big question of why am I watching this character.

The cinematography is promising but that's about it.

Youthful and naive isn't enough excuses for this mess.

And what triggers him to enter this gay club and then suddenly make out with a stranger after we are TOLD he is a virgin?! Are we supposed to believe the death of his father is the cause for his sudden odd behavior. I'm sorry but I don't buy it. It's way too simple.

A student film.

Utterly ridiculous crap.

[chatwithmichaelmac · 1/10 · 13 November 2023]

Where to start?

What an appalling mess. A non-existent storyline. What exactly is this? An hysterical mumbo jumbo of lines and characters that makes no sense whatsoever.

It's in equal parts stupid, nuts, absurd, depressing, non-sensical rubbish that goes nowhere.

The upside is the pain only lasts three ours. The best line is the end of one episodes that finishes with the line 'cup of tea?' By that stage I needed something stronger. Like morphine.

How this ever got the green light from NETFLIX is beyond me. Surely if they want to keep the LGBTQ+ audience feeling wanted they can do better than this rot.

TORE is beyond bad. It's cringeworthy. The dubbing into English is about the only thing it succeeds in.

A complete waste of time!

[eryina · 1/10 · 22 December 2023]

The series is boring with no context.

I wasted brain cells and time to connect events and behaviors to make some sense to no avail.

The main character ends up being obnoxious and incoherent. I think nobody cared to create believable people in relatable life scenarios. There is nothing really new or exciting or stimulating in the series. I ended up feeling annoyed and bored. And angry with myself for not having stopped watching early on, like in the second episode. I thought it might get to something after all. But no, it actually got worse gradually.

Don't waste your time like I did. I rarely have felt so puzzled by nothingness.