Deadwind (Netflix Series) – Review

Deadwind is a crime thriller from Finland that you can watch on Netflix now. Unlike other critically acclaimed Scandinavian TV shows, this one lacks both an intelligent plot and basic logic.

Deadwind is a Finnish crime thriller on Netflix, which should attract many fans of other Scandinavian crime shows. After all, several Scandinavian productions have (successfully!) been remade in other languages and countries. The Killing (based on the Danish series Forbrydelsen) is an obvious example.

Unfortunately, Deadwind (or Karppi, which is the Finnish title) is a very light version of the above-mentioned show.

Still, I have to mention that the actress portraying Sofia Karppi (the title character – for the Finnish title, anyway) is pretty damn good. Karppi is played by Pihla Viitala and I would love to see her in a better story.

Slow paced and easy to guess

By the first episode, I had an idea who the killer was. And while watching the second episode, I felt pretty sure I was right. When the final reveal comes in the last episode (there are 12 episodes), I was just waiting for them to finally come out with it.

And the pace of getting there across 12 episodes is almost unbearable. Of course, this series was made for Finnish television, where you don’t binge. Admittedly, this does call for a different kind of storytelling.

For binge-watching, or even just watching two or three episodes in one sitting, it becomes all too annoying.

Also, you have any tropes and stereotypes you hate? Yeah, you should expect to see them at some point.

A platform for Pihla Viitala

As mentioned earlier, I did really like the actor portraying the lead character Sofia Karppi. You may recognize her from Hansel & Gretel: Witch Hunters. The 2013 movie starring Jeremy Renner and Gemma Arterton as the title characters.

Personally, I kept thinking she looked like a combination of other actresses, I like. Specifically, Noomi Rapace (the original Lisbeth Salander), Rooney Mara (David Fincher’s Lisbeth Salander), and Kate Mara (Morgan).

Still, even if I did like Pihla Viitala’s performance, I felt her character was almost unbearably stereotypical. It annoyed me to no end that this character kept doing stupid or silly things. She’s supposed to be a police officer (a detective even) and her action and reactions were often off.

Deadwind on Netflix worldwide

Look, I really do love the chance to watch stories and shows, I wouldn’t otherwise. In that sense, I love that Netflix takes these national shows and presents them to an international crowd. For me, Deadwind just wasn’t really worth my time.

I would definitely recommend the French series The Mantis or The Forest over this one. And if you’re more of a horror buff than a crime thriller fan, then go for Ghoul. Read our review of Ghoul here >

All 12 episodes of Deadwind was directed by Rike Jokela, who also co-wrote all episodes. He has done quite a lot of Finnish TV shows, so they obviously like his style. I can’t help but think that this story would’ve been better as a tight movie than a series. But maybe that’s just me.

Deadwind is out on Netflix worldwide now (except for Finland, where it aired on national TV).

Details

Creator: Rike Jokela
Cast: Pihla Viitala, Lauri Tilkanen, Jani Volanen, Tommi Korpela, Mimosa Willamo

Plot

Sofia Karppi, a detective in her 30’s trying to get over her husband’s death, discovers the body of a young woman on a construction site. This triggers a chain of events that threatens to destroy her life again.