It's interesting the way the story is told. Little by little. Wasn't aware of the book so everything was unexpected and fortunately it was worth the watching. Scandinavians never disappoint. Well, this last is not objective...
29 Reviews
Raises the bar for swedish tv!
josef6549 November 2020
Having read through the previous reviews here the main gripe i find people having with this show seems to be how it isn't an accurate portrayal of it's source material. So having not read the book i'll judge it purely on it's own merit.
Now i pretty much boycott every production that springs from Sweden. What made me give this one a go was mainly how it was an HBO production, a company i associate with quality tv. As i suspected the production was very good with nice cinematography and sets etc. But the best thing was the story and the actors who kept me glued to the screen all the way through. I do however have a few gripes about this show, and the reasons to why i'm not rating this any higher than an eight.
First of i think that the delivery of certain lines from the younger cast felt a bit stiff even if the written dialouge itself was very good and believable. This didn't happen often and the cast was overall very good. My main gripe however was that i felt the show was a bit too short. The build up to the main conflict was great, with the show doing a good job at introducing us to a large amount of interesting characters. The pacing was also really good at first but i thought the second half of the show was a bit rushed. Character motivations started to change too quickly and i felt some more screen time should have been handed to some of the side characters to flesh out the story more and cover more topics. But all in all it was a great show, well made and exciting from start to finish whilst also raising some important questions.
Now i pretty much boycott every production that springs from Sweden. What made me give this one a go was mainly how it was an HBO production, a company i associate with quality tv. As i suspected the production was very good with nice cinematography and sets etc. But the best thing was the story and the actors who kept me glued to the screen all the way through. I do however have a few gripes about this show, and the reasons to why i'm not rating this any higher than an eight.
First of i think that the delivery of certain lines from the younger cast felt a bit stiff even if the written dialouge itself was very good and believable. This didn't happen often and the cast was overall very good. My main gripe however was that i felt the show was a bit too short. The build up to the main conflict was great, with the show doing a good job at introducing us to a large amount of interesting characters. The pacing was also really good at first but i thought the second half of the show was a bit rushed. Character motivations started to change too quickly and i felt some more screen time should have been handed to some of the side characters to flesh out the story more and cover more topics. But all in all it was a great show, well made and exciting from start to finish whilst also raising some important questions.
Good series, above last 2 or 3 Swedish that I've seen
valentinmh10 November 2020
Well constructed...yet, the script push few of the characters into a strange and abnormal behaviour. It's a movie, a fiction, so stop complain about "the book.." Who could ever read all the books and novels to infer a fault ? Just watch the show.
Swedish small town hockey soap is well worth seeking out
paul-allaer23 February 2021
As episode 1 of "Beartown" (original Swedish title: "Björnstad; 2020 release; 5 episodes of about 55 min. each) opens, Peter, an ex-NHL player, and his family (wife and two teenage kids Maya and Leo) arrive in Björnstad (a small town in northern Sweden), where Peter grew up and whose hockey team has seen better days. Peter's task is to turn the hockey team's fortunes around. One of the stars on the hockey team is Kevin, and Maya and Kevin are drawn to each other, even as Peter and Kevin's dad (same age as Peter) can't stand each other... At this point we are 15 min. into the opening episode of this mini-series, but to tell you more of the plot would spoil your viewing experience, you'll just have to see for yourself how it all plays out.
Couple of comments: this is the TV adaptation of the Swedish best-selling book of the same name. I haven't read the book so I can't comment on how closely the TV series sticks to the book. Regardless, after seeing Episode 1, the best way to sum up what we have here is that it is a Swedish small town hockey soap, pure and simple. There is so much plot in just Episode 1, I'd need pages and pages to describe all of it (which of course I wouldn't do in any event so as not to spoil your viewing experience). So let me just say that by the end of Episode 1, we have been familiarized with the primary characters, and it's only a matter before we get get some explosive plot twists (if you've seen the trailer airing on HBO, you know exactly what I mean). The winter scenery in norther Sweden is pure eye-candy from start to finish. Makes you want to go check it out for yourself.
Episode 1 of "Beartown" premiered on HBO this week, and is now available on HBO On Demand and other streaming platforms. New episodes air Monday evening at 9 pm Eastern. Can't wait to see how it will all unfold! If you have any interest in a good ol' fashioned soap opera, albeit with a Swedish twist, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.
Couple of comments: this is the TV adaptation of the Swedish best-selling book of the same name. I haven't read the book so I can't comment on how closely the TV series sticks to the book. Regardless, after seeing Episode 1, the best way to sum up what we have here is that it is a Swedish small town hockey soap, pure and simple. There is so much plot in just Episode 1, I'd need pages and pages to describe all of it (which of course I wouldn't do in any event so as not to spoil your viewing experience). So let me just say that by the end of Episode 1, we have been familiarized with the primary characters, and it's only a matter before we get get some explosive plot twists (if you've seen the trailer airing on HBO, you know exactly what I mean). The winter scenery in norther Sweden is pure eye-candy from start to finish. Makes you want to go check it out for yourself.
Episode 1 of "Beartown" premiered on HBO this week, and is now available on HBO On Demand and other streaming platforms. New episodes air Monday evening at 9 pm Eastern. Can't wait to see how it will all unfold! If you have any interest in a good ol' fashioned soap opera, albeit with a Swedish twist, I'd readily suggest you check this out and draw your own conclusion.
Great swedish tv-drama
DocHolmberg19 October 2020
After two episodes one can tell that this is a great piece of swedish tv-drama.
Former NHL-player and his family comes back to his old home town in the north of Sweden and makes an immediate impact on former friends and enemies.
And there is this feeling of something bad and disturbing lurking around the corner from the beginning of the first episode, which also gets you hooked at once.
Great cast where the actors actually act and talk like normal people (not very common in swedish productions) and the adaption from the critically acclaimed book by Fredrik Backman seems to be very successfull.
Can't wait for the rest of season 1.
Feels incomplete
julieshotmail27 March 2021
Foreign-language shows with English subtitles are always fascinating, and with the backdrop of cold winter, "Beartown" adds that lonely, bleak, mysterious air. I hit "Play Episode1" on HBO Max not previously knowing anything about the book or that the show is even about hockey. As the episodes progress, you become intertwined into the lives of the characters in this foreign world. Their motivations and decisions captivate you, however, some are portrayed rather one-dimensional and under-developed. The ending doesn't help either, wrapping up the show in an ambiguous fashion which leaves a lot to be desired.
Surprisingly wonderful
kittycattykins11 January 2022
So I wasn't keen on the subtitles as I tend to go for dubbed versions (please don't judge!) but seeing how much I enjoy the books by Fredrik Backman I wanted to give it a go. Note - I hadn't read the book so can't compare.
I really enjoyed this, the pace, the location & cinematography, the acting, the soundtrack & the story.
Don't let the subtitles put you off if you can't understand Swedish.
I really enjoyed this, the pace, the location & cinematography, the acting, the soundtrack & the story.
Don't let the subtitles put you off if you can't understand Swedish.
decent adaptation of a very beautifully written story
danji54316 November 2021
I adored Fredrick Backman's book so I had quite high expectations for an adaptation that did it justice. It is a very emotional and important story that deserved an appropriate portrayal. For the most part this tv show didn't disapoint. The characters were cast very well (especially maya and amat - they were exactly how i imagined them in the book) and the acting was also fantastic. I did feel, however, that five episodes wasn't enough to completely introduce all the characters. The first book went into a lot more detail, portraying the characters with significant depth.
Overall, this was a very good adaptation but I do recommend reading the book first, Backman's writing and storytelling (even being translated from swedish) is unparalleled.
Overall, this was a very good adaptation but I do recommend reading the book first, Backman's writing and storytelling (even being translated from swedish) is unparalleled.
I loved it
romuluscolinpop2 December 2020
Warning: Spoilers
I think people having been used to all the Hollywood drama styles will find this a bit difficult, plus the language used. It feels like it's also better to express feelings and emotions in English too, being so used to the americanized film industry.
What I liked a lot about this show is that it relates to many people and communities we got used to. It's about how people react, it's about past unhealed dramas and how children are affected by it. See Peter family and Erdahl's family, families omnipresent everywhere we go. How little things in the family shapes characters.
The expression of emotion from Peter at the end, brings the family together while Erdahl's are leaving, not wanting to face the suffering. Even if leaving town, their problems are not over until confronted. Miles away better than "the Undoing" recently released by HBO
Watchable drama
Ladiloque27 March 2021
A little slow and soapy, but still an emotional rollercoaster (especially if you watch it at a faster speed).
It has the problem of many productions nowadays: a lot of themes/angles stay superficial and feel like they were designed just to create the illusion of coolness/complexity or artificially strengthen characters' motives. Yet they don't serve any real purpose, they aren't explored, they transform the characters into puppets, they feel disjointed to the rest of the story.
Still Beartown succeeded where most of the tv-series I watched recently failed: getting me to the end and not feeling like a chore.
It has the problem of many productions nowadays: a lot of themes/angles stay superficial and feel like they were designed just to create the illusion of coolness/complexity or artificially strengthen characters' motives. Yet they don't serve any real purpose, they aren't explored, they transform the characters into puppets, they feel disjointed to the rest of the story.
Still Beartown succeeded where most of the tv-series I watched recently failed: getting me to the end and not feeling like a chore.
One of the best Swedish TV-series made
emil_backi29 November 2020
The acting is really good from everyone in this serie.
Often when I see a show from Sweden there use to be at least one actor that you can't stand.
I think this serie show that we have learned alot lately from making good shows and that we are getting better and better at it.
To make this serie a 10/10 show we need to bring back Ludwig Göransson from US to make the background music :p
Unbearable Swedish Political Correctness
ahvigier3 January 2021
Disapointed but not surprised - the book is better
marinaschulztork2 November 2020
The series very powerfully captures how toxic masculinity can permeate through a small town and destroy lives, but is an absolute travesty to the characters that populated the pages of Backman's original novel.
Characters like Anna, Amat and Benji get so little development I do wonder why they were included at all. The life-long frienship and deep caring between Anna and Maja, one of the most heartwarming parts of the novel, is turned into the two characters just meeting on the first episode of the tv-series, and Anna turns into a complete accessory of Maja, loosing her storyline from the book and any sense of being an independent character. The racism that Amat has felt his entire life is reduced to just a few lines here and there and is addressed just superficially.
As for the adult cast, I have no clue why they decided to turn Peter, who was soft-spoken, loved hockey but loved his family even more, to a hyper-masculine, always yelling, travesty of the original character. I also didn't understand why they decided to make him coach of the B-Team, instead of General Manager of all the teams, as this greatly reduced the roles of Sune and David. The changes to David were the most insulting to me, since he went from a good coach who understoood his team, had trained them since they were little, and loved them as if they were his own children, to an incompetent young-man who was always whining and minging and jealous of Peter.
In essence, while this may be a great series (and it is), it really reduces Bjornstad to its main storyline of Maja and Kevin, without adressing all the other topics (racism, homophobia, conformity, etc) that were such an integral part of the novel. I do think its a great standalone series, that completely captures the essence and raw emotion of the Maja storyline, has beautiful cinematography, and an amazing cast, but, I do think it'll be a bit disapointing for fans of the book.
Characters like Anna, Amat and Benji get so little development I do wonder why they were included at all. The life-long frienship and deep caring between Anna and Maja, one of the most heartwarming parts of the novel, is turned into the two characters just meeting on the first episode of the tv-series, and Anna turns into a complete accessory of Maja, loosing her storyline from the book and any sense of being an independent character. The racism that Amat has felt his entire life is reduced to just a few lines here and there and is addressed just superficially.
As for the adult cast, I have no clue why they decided to turn Peter, who was soft-spoken, loved hockey but loved his family even more, to a hyper-masculine, always yelling, travesty of the original character. I also didn't understand why they decided to make him coach of the B-Team, instead of General Manager of all the teams, as this greatly reduced the roles of Sune and David. The changes to David were the most insulting to me, since he went from a good coach who understoood his team, had trained them since they were little, and loved them as if they were his own children, to an incompetent young-man who was always whining and minging and jealous of Peter.
In essence, while this may be a great series (and it is), it really reduces Bjornstad to its main storyline of Maja and Kevin, without adressing all the other topics (racism, homophobia, conformity, etc) that were such an integral part of the novel. I do think its a great standalone series, that completely captures the essence and raw emotion of the Maja storyline, has beautiful cinematography, and an amazing cast, but, I do think it'll be a bit disapointing for fans of the book.
Decent 5 episodes winter drama, bad adaptation from the book.
surfisfun10 March 2021
Watch with subtitles and original language.
Never red the book, i heard compare to it is a very bad adaptation, changing most characters. I sure would have been unhappy with that.
5 episodes works well.
binge able.
Watch movie Slap Shot for a great hockey comedy with Paul Newman! The english and French canadian Dub is awesome late 70s classic.
Terrible hollywood writers - watch and learn
theodortinius26 October 2020
Thuggery on Ice.
crumpytv9 April 2021
I find it really irritating when a drama opens with a scene from the future.
You wait for the scene to transpire all the way through every episode, in this case until towards the end of the last episode.
This is a three part drama spread out over five episodes. The first two episode had little to do with the main theme of the drama which only became apparent at the end of episode two.
The first episodes covered the implausible story of an ice hockey coach turning a losing team into a winning one in next to no time at all. Bad or average players do not become good overnight.
Overall this is not a very good representation of ice hockey as a sport, at least I hope not. It appears to be an excuse for young men to knock the hell out of each other while being encouraged by their parents.
The real story is encapsulated within the last three episodes and it is strong stuff, but ultimately disappointing and frustrating because in the end the guilty get away with everything and the innocent are the ones who suffer which is ironic considering the amount of political correctness and diversity that is included and seems mandatory these days.
You wait for the scene to transpire all the way through every episode, in this case until towards the end of the last episode.
This is a three part drama spread out over five episodes. The first two episode had little to do with the main theme of the drama which only became apparent at the end of episode two.
The first episodes covered the implausible story of an ice hockey coach turning a losing team into a winning one in next to no time at all. Bad or average players do not become good overnight.
Overall this is not a very good representation of ice hockey as a sport, at least I hope not. It appears to be an excuse for young men to knock the hell out of each other while being encouraged by their parents.
The real story is encapsulated within the last three episodes and it is strong stuff, but ultimately disappointing and frustrating because in the end the guilty get away with everything and the innocent are the ones who suffer which is ironic considering the amount of political correctness and diversity that is included and seems mandatory these days.
Superb series!
Js-bingewatcher31 July 2021
Kind of Changed the feeling of the book in a way
vtsker21 July 2021
Warning: Spoilers
The TV series imo did a great job of most things. Only thing I can think of and may just be me.. But the Book made bad for Maya like its supposed to.. and the Movie makes me almost feel on Kevins side unfortunately. Who else feels this way?
love it
mirahovsgard25 August 2021
We need more seasons of björnstad! A really good Swedish drama. And I feel that it is very true. So much agrees with what reality might look like for some people. Stuck directly to it on the first episode. Definitely worth seeing! Would love if more seasons came.
... watch E1 & say you're-quitting-watching
bjarias25 April 2022
... you can actually feel cold emanating from the story (filmed almost as far north in Sweden as you can get)... there's now such a wealth of good Scandinavian actors, this production filled with 'em... only five episodes, that should be well enough time to thrash-out a really good crime-story emotional-drama... overall a good production, ending just a bit anticlimactic
... besides watching a very good series, Aliette Opheim was a real find here... should you have liked her work in this series, she has lots of recent screen performances from which to choose.... most all with good IMDb ratings.
... besides watching a very good series, Aliette Opheim was a real find here... should you have liked her work in this series, she has lots of recent screen performances from which to choose.... most all with good IMDb ratings.
Tragically out of date
Anon000000000122 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
This is essentially the "small town high school football star gets away with rape" story, exported from America to Sweden and football to hockey to prove...universality of concept maybe? It's unclear.
Yet the series fails to either really capture the effect on the town (its apparent goal), or on the victim. Rather, it reverts to a character study of a few of the town boys and men, with particular focus on the father of the victim and, of all potentially questionable choices, the perpetrator himself. The women, including the victim herself, are shunted to the background and periphery, flattened into saintly martyrs with no emotional complexity and little dialogue. They are there merely to highlight the suffering of their men, as they struggle to deal with what has happened.
To be clear this is not to argue that it is not well acted, or well produced. These are straight up writing and directorial decisions, and they are consistently questionable for a supposedly modern show.
One can only hope that the book is better than the series. But the show is story telling straight out of thirty years ago. And that's exactly where it should have stayed.
Yet the series fails to either really capture the effect on the town (its apparent goal), or on the victim. Rather, it reverts to a character study of a few of the town boys and men, with particular focus on the father of the victim and, of all potentially questionable choices, the perpetrator himself. The women, including the victim herself, are shunted to the background and periphery, flattened into saintly martyrs with no emotional complexity and little dialogue. They are there merely to highlight the suffering of their men, as they struggle to deal with what has happened.
To be clear this is not to argue that it is not well acted, or well produced. These are straight up writing and directorial decisions, and they are consistently questionable for a supposedly modern show.
One can only hope that the book is better than the series. But the show is story telling straight out of thirty years ago. And that's exactly where it should have stayed.
This show RUINS Fredrik Backmans books!!
joshuaxmeza16 November 2021
If I could give 0 stars I would. This show is nothing like the books and ruins what Fredrik Backman worked so hard for. People will watch this show and think this is what Beartown is. If you want to see and understand Beartown then you should read the books because the show is the complete opposite of everything. The characters in the show are not who they are in the books. The books have so much more meaning and the show ruins this for the people who only watch shows. This show doesn't follow the book at all and it doesn't even come close to sending the message it's supposed to.
Nothing common
rossin_dimitrov5 November 2020
Warning: Spoilers
Recently i read Bjornstad and We against all. I really liked the books. Actually i liked Fredrik Backman a lot. I read all of his books that are translated in Bulgarian language.
I'm really disappointed from this movie. I just watch the first 17 minutes from first episode and i can't stand it anymore. There is nothing common with the book.
- First Isak is bigger brother of Ana and Leo and family moved back from Canada when they are infants after Isak death
- Ana and Miya are friends since they was 5 years old
- Father of Kevin never attend of his matches and trainings, because he is to busy with his work
- Peter is not a coach of a team. He is a sport director of whole Bjornstad hockey organization
if you read the book, you will not enjoy this
jroc-7977223 December 2021
It only took me 5 minutes to realize that this was not going to be a good adaptation. Too many poor changes were made for it to ever have the impact the book had. If you've read the book, dont watch this. If you havent read the book ... read the book instead.
Travesty
wissia2 April 2022
This is a travesty of the book. We all understand the concept of adaptation, but too many choices were just inexplicable-the worst of all, the mild Peter turned into another toxic male for the sake of economy, condensing two characters in one. I gave it a 3 and not less because the setting is well captured.
See also
Awards | FAQ | User Ratings | External Reviews | Metacritic Reviews
