Arne Dahl: Ont Blod [DVD] [2012] [Import]

This is the second instalment in the Team A/Intercrime series based on the books written by Jan Arnald aka Arne Dahl an author that follows the Swedish "model" - social criticism and analysis, cops with complicated home lives and a thrilling crime story mixed with some humour. He has become one of the most celebrated Nordic crime writers and the 10+ books in this series, of which Bad blood is the second both in the book and the adapted TV series, have been translated into many languages.The motley crew in the special group of some of Sweden's most talented investigators, the A group, is once again gathered and put on the case when a Swedish man is found brutally murdered in Newark Airport, NY. The victim has two deep holes in his throat and the killer is apparently on a plane to Stockholm. Nobody knows his identity so he manages to get through the identity checks in Stockholm and Sweden has imported its first American serial killer.The team is initially completely lost and it doesn't help that further murders are committed in Sweden with no obvious connection between the murders and the suspect (whom they have been led to by their boss' FBI contact) - other than the same brutal MO.I am still a fan of this series. It is well acted, the stories well developed and paced and we get to know the characters better, they also step more out of the "types" they were cast as and creates a new dimension to their stories. The camera is a bit unruly from time to time - typical Nordic style for chases and to create a scary atmosphere, which can be really annoying, but otherwise I very much enjoyed watching it.Every 3 hour instalment can be viewed on its own, but you will of course get a better idea of the characters and back stories if you watch the films in the correct order. At the moment 5 of the 10+ books in the group A/Intercrime series are available on DVD:MisteriosoOnt blod/ Bad bloodUpp till toppen av berget/ To the top of the mountainDe största vatten/ Many watersEuropa Blues/ The Europe BluesThere are no extras other than a Complete Cast & Crew list on this DVD.Subtitles: Swedish, Danish, Finish, Norwegian & EnglishFor fans of series such as Beck, the Killing, Varg Veum & Wallander

There are five films based on the books of Arne Dahl. I have not read the books but these films are absolutely as good as they get - wonderful characters, superb actors, excellent plots. My husband and I are desolate that there are no further episodes!And we agree that one of the reasons Scandinavian Noir films are far more successful than their American counterparts is that the actors involved actually look believable in their roles - they are NOT all young and beautiful by any means, and are consequently more interesting and believable.Don't miss these!

Very average

Brilliant but you need the full series and to watch them in order.

Brilliant. I am so pleased I bought the set of Arne Dahl dvd's and recommend them to all crime fans

I too am a big fan of the Arne Dahl series. It has all the features which fans of Nordic Noir enjoy, but it is a bit unusual in being more of an ensemble piece, rather than focussing on 1or 2 main characters. The interplay between the very different members of A Team adds a lot to the narrative-not least some humour, despite the often gruesome storylines.Bad Blood is a very gripping episode, but definitely not for the faint hearted!I really hope that another series will be made.

This is the second 90-minute episode in the AD series, and it's worth noting that there's a boxset of all five episodes from the first season now available in the UK ( Arne Dahl Complete Series 1 DVD )Bad Blood is a self-contained stand-alone story, as are all the AD episodes, and this is where the series really gets moving after a slow start in  Arne Dahl - Misterioso (The Blinded Man)[DVD][Swedish Import ]The story is set in Sweden but weaves several international threads into the plot, including a vicious American serial killer who is now stalking Scandinavia. Meanwhile, a trio of maybe-terrorists are being smuggled through the country. The FBI are involved, and so is Sweden's A Group...You do really need to watch the first episode understand the background to this series. Nordic noir comes in many forms, and the subtle, frequently understated style of Arne Dahl may not be to everyone's tastes. Like many Scandinavian crime novels, this intelligent Swedish TV series is a blend of patient police procedural and seemingly mundane domesticity, which serve to give the stark moments of extreme violence all the more impact. Bad Blood certainly has some extremely unpleasant moments; normally 'suggested' and just off-screen rather than played out in full. Still, powerful stuff.The AD investigations tend to be less frantic than those of The Killing or The Bridge and there's no single central protagonist like Sarah Lund for the action to focus on. Instead Arne Dahl features an investigative team, an ensemble cast of characters who take turns in the spotlight. Part of the charm of this series is watching from the start as they are brought together to tackle a series of high profile murders. The 'A team' take a while to mesh; each character has his or her own back story which is gradually revealed as the series progresses, and initially there's a fair degree of conflict within the team. Some of the incidental moments are absolutely precious - look out for the surreal midnight cleaner and his weird interactions with the team... The dialogue between team members is beautifully scripted, too; even in translation it comes over as the kind of credible interplay and competitive needle which goes on between highly motivated, competitive types. As the series develops over a timescale of many months, so friendships within the group gradually form. The 'A team' is a contradiction in itself: a group of individuals none of whom seem to be natural team-players. The interplay between them is as interesting as solving 'crime of the week', and some of the tension-relieving humour is laugh-out-loud funny.Arne Dahl mixes quiet moments of domestic stress with cliffhanger instances of extreme violence when it seems that the absolute worst could happen to any of the core characters. It shows the human inclination to take solace from abuse and appalling acts of brutality by returning to loved ones, home and family -- yet it never beats you over the head with these themes, just lets them unfold in the backdrop to the mystery/thriller narrative.The storylines are unusual, too. They are typically spread over two 90-minute episodes, which allows for greater exploration of the themes and some quite complicated plot development than in single-episode series. This format also feels somewhat less contrived than the 10-hour (or longer) investigations where early plot threads flat-out contradict later revelations. The investigations also tend to play fair - the viewer is given enough clues to have a stab at solving the mystery (unlike some series where rabbits appear out of hats in the last act...) You get the feeling that Arne Dahl isn't intended to be a 'thriller' as such, but even so it contains some surprisingly grisly scenes and most episodes have moments of teeth-grinding tension.The excellent soundtrack also bears mentioning. Arne Dahl uses incidental music to great effect - not just the title theme, but also in many of the episodes.The individual episodes were originally released on separate DVDs, but this boxset makes more sense. It's definitely worth watching the episodes in the correct order, because then you get to follow the character evolution and watch the team meld together.8/10