User reviews

I became quite hooked on the first series although I am not sure why. The characters were interesting and very three dimensional which is rare. The crime element was very much a sub plot. The gist of the series is about two very different cops coming to a brutal realisation of who they are and where they come from. The one thing it lacks, however, is any suspense whatsoever. Not a huge problem, but noticeable. However, season 2 for me is the whole package. I am only on episode 3 but felt compelled to write this review. The acting is fabulous. Matti Ristinen especially steals the show. There is palpable tension in every episode as the righteous but traumatise cop deals with a new world order on one side and suffocating, corrupt religious zealots on the other. Love it.

I have watched two seasons of this great Finnish TV serie. I have learned out that the third is on air. I wanted to write my comment before watching the third season. I really liked the second season and I can even say that I like it more than the first season. The difference between revenge and punishment is very well analyzed in the second season. Although, there were very unnecessary dialogoues and moments in the first season, the second season lack these and it focuses on an old case that haunted the town. In addition to this, the acting is absolutely great in the second season, and you really enjoy the nature of Northern Finland.

Season One

Following the murders of two men in a small highly religious Laestadian community in northern Finland two officers are dispatched from Helsinki to investigate. They are Lauri Raiha, a gay man who is having relationship problems and was originally from the community and Sanna Tervo, a woman who appears to be more easy-going but also has certain emotional baggage. Once there Lauri will have to deal with attitudes he thought he'd left behind ten years ago; Sanna will also have problems as she learns of family problems back in Helsinki.

Season Two

This season is set fifteen years before the events in season one and covers a murder investigation that was briefly mentioned in the original season. It is set in the same community and involves police officer Jussi Ritola investigating the suspicious death of a couple. At first it is thought it might be a double suicide or a murder-suicide but events lead Jussi to suspect murder. It won't be an easy investigation; his boss tries to block any line of inquiry that suggests any of the Laestadian community could be involved; he also has personal problems when his wife makes a surprising confession.

I rather enjoyed this Finnish series. The two seasons feature mostly different characters so it is unnecessary to have seen the first season to understand the second; however it is probably preferable. It does serve to explain why certain characters turned out how they are in the first season. The cases are interesting and at six episodes each don't drag. There are plenty of suspects and motives so viewers are likely to be kept guessing until the reveal. The lead characters are solid and nicely varied as are the supporting characters. I liked the setting; both seasons may be set in the same town but they have a different feel as the first is set at midsummer when the sun never really sets and in the second the area is blanketed in snow. The cast does a fine job bringing their characters to life. Overall I'd certainly recommend this to fans of murder mysteries; I hope we don't have to wait too long for a third season.

These comments are based on watching the series in Finnish with English subtitles.

One doesn't need to be a fan of Nordic Noir (I'm not) or even mysteries to enjoy this six-episode series by internationally acclaimed documentary filmmaker Mika Ronkainen of Finland. Set during the light summer in the land of the midnight sun, murders of three middle aged men in the fictional town of Varjakka perplex a close-knit, conservative religious community. Sanna and Lauri, two private investigators with their own personal struggles and and past traumas, are called up from Helsinki to investigate. You won't see much blood or shocking violence or gore, but deeply a evoking and steadily arching plot that will keep you captivated until the surprising climax.

The lead detectives are good in their roles and the series keeps you guessing as to who the murderer is. This series tries to make cultural/political points throughout: religion is oppressive, gays need more understanding. Plus, it was fairly depressing. We rate it a 6.0 and wouldn't recommend it. We did not watch Season 2.

This is a little gem of a series. The performances are truly top-notch and I found myself tearing up near the end, which I rarely do. The lead actor and actress are incredibly solid and vulnerable. The screenwriting and plotting was solid. The filmography and landscapes are beautiful and you can really feel that you're watching Ostrobothnia--could the landscape be more flat?

The theme of the series really is about the trauma of religion. I have rarely seen a movie/TV-series tackle the subject with such vulnerability and from so many points of view. It's interwoven with grief, internalized homophobia and domestic violence. The storytelling comes across with very little melodrama, except for the culmination at the end. That's one of the reasons I didn't rate this a total 10/10. But the ending was well done and believable to me, so it isn't a huge complaint, and perhaps the culmination needs some extra drama, so it may be just a personal thing. Some characters, like the business man, were also too stereotypically depicted to my liking. But again, that is a small complaint in the big picture.

Bonus points for Lauri's mother's performance. It still brings me goosebumps when I think back on it. Such raw grief and guilt really makes you feel for her even with everything you know about her. But it's the humanity coming across in the series. I also thought it was very well done to have Lauri slowly start to speak more and more in his childhood dialect as the series went on. This is something foreigners won't catch, but it was a very satisfying detail for them to include, as that's what happens when one goes back.

I have ties to Laestadianism and what is portrayed does ring true to me. But I'm sure only someone who has left the religion can truly say anything about this depiction of it.

The series has some potential and the plot is good enough to keep you somehow interested in it for six episodes, but unfortunately it's not really living to its full potential. The main characters would have been sensational in the 1960s (policeman, promiscuous and emancipated cougar police, some kind of antifa guy, immigrants etc.) but nowadays they are just banal. They have tried to make it more interesting with these "interesting persons" but in the end they make it just more unbelievable.

The plot itself offers a couple of nice cliffhangers, but has too many holes in it. It's also a bit too underlining... Some of the actors are mediocre at best, but there are also some quite decent performances.

It's not bad. It's quite good but with too many irritating aspects.

Phenomenal series... the impact as it's all coming together was and is extremely moving for me...at times early on I thought maybe this isn't for me a period of character building and getting to know this community and the way they have live and have lived for many years..somewhere in there my eyes opened wider as I felt myself saying OMG!! Jaw dropping realizations began to open up and I felt speechless at the end on many levels... I absolutely believe the two detectives playing lead roles are deeply richly talented actors, excellent! This series is not like many I've seen it is unique and there is a vulnerability revealed here so well done especially around the topic of trauma and how it can affect relationships later in life...

Good beginning and end but inbetween the problems of the investigators turn this crime story into a drama. A shame as the premise is good and the actors are fine.

Can't wait for Season Two. Once I started watching series, couldn't stop. Well cast, acted, interesting plot twist, of essentially a "closed" community with its own particular dogma that all must adhere too, almost incestuous in tone. Dealt with sensitive issues both of community and two investigators struggling with their own karma. A must watch.

If you're a fan of Scandinavian noir then this isn't, there isn't any atmospheric foreboding but there is a dark undertone. However the story has holes in it and some pointless characters which do start to annoy in later episodes. On a positive note it is very well acted, well shot and has a score that works hard to invoke.

I loved the first season with its human interest background as well as the investigative aspects. The sexuality of Lauri was a factor in the development of the plot inasmuch as it was one of the main reasons for his long-ago departure from the area and the way people reacted to him upon his return. The fractured relationship he has with his husband was in large part engendered by the restrictive teachings of the Laestadian sect of his upbringing. It is hard to believe that such people exist in a modern, progressive society such as Finland that regularly tops the world happiness index and that their cold, exclusionist and rejectionist beliefs cause havoc with the minds of people who are connected to them. This is an overarching theme of both seasons.

Season Two is a prequel, if you will. It stems from a glancing reference made by Lauri to Sanna in the first season about previous murders in the area and is introduced by a "Previously on All the Sins" introduction in the first episode before the theme song comes up. We immediately learn about the murder and who was convicted for it and their relationship to one of the key characters in the first season. After the opening credits, we are transported 15 years into the past before the events of Season One. Clearly the actors and the characters they are playing are nearly all different with a couple of exceptions. Once more, the unforgiving and closed religious community is a major theme and we see again how it closes in to protect its own against perfectly decent and honest non-members.

As in Season One, there are some surprising, but believable, plot twists and turns. Nothing is as it seems and the revelation of the perpetrator and then the final gruesome twist leading to the arraignment in court are hard to watch. Yes, I can understand the actions taken but cannot accept them as justifiable.

I know Finland well, but this sort of religious community controlling whole towns was something I was unaware of. This particular setting takes place in a fictional town in the vicinity of Oulu, a lovely part of the country where normality, thankfully, reigns.

This was an original concept, well shot and acted with plot devices that held the attention throughout. The acting was excellent and the characters seemed true to life in their roles. Six episodes per season was just right.

I'm hoping that there will be a Season Three!

Wow this was excellent. The interlinking of series 1 and 2 was very creative. Great characters and storyline and in series 2 we get snow. Nothing like snow to enhance a Scandi-noir. Can see many points of departure for series 3. Bring it on👍

Both the acting and the photography were first rate, and the story line capivating. Loved it. Hope there is a season two. PS Finnish is one weird language!

This is a very good series. The plot, the acting, the directing and the cutting is excellent. It is the best series in a long time to come out of Finland. And it addresses very controversial subjects, like religion. I truly recommend watching it.

I watched the first episode and shelved it for around a year as I thought it looked a bit amateur. During lockdown I came back to it, and so happy I did. This show has all the ingredients for a disaster, but it's anything but. As the episodes unlayered a plot that kept turning answers into questions the positioning of who was the main character changed, very smart. As for season 2, wow. I saw one review on here whining the seasons should of been in reverse order. That would be like suggesting jimmy Hendrix would of sounded so much better had he learnt the violin. I see there is going to be a season 3. Bring it on.

The first season (have not yet watched 2 & 3) is trying to break down good values of society. Promotion of promiscuous behaviour is rife.

I am not a Christian but find that the values of a good conservative Christian community and a good conservative Jewish community are probably the best anyone can hope for. In this series it breaks down this community, and breaks down respect for parents. I may not have believed everything my parents did but I honoured and respected them until the day they died. The lack of respect for parents, older people, authority and such is the big reason for the enormous rise in crime and violence throughout the world. We don't need this.

I had to create an IMDB account just to get to praise this wonderful tv series. I've watched both of the seasons and was mesmerized by them. In this series everything works - the script, acting, music, editing, location etc. The show offers such symbolism that you could write a thesis about it. Can't wait for season three.

/refers to Season 1/

Although the Finns entered the Nordic thriller field later than the Danes and Swedes, some 5 years or so have shown talented approaches with several catchy series. And Kaikki synnit is another pleasant example, with distinct characters, beautiful nature, closed community issues and internal/external solitude have been skilfully combined. One can ponder on and over different modern perspectives and backgrounds - even in a remote area like Oulu´s vicinity.

And the performances are great, both leading and supporting, with relatively new faces I have not noticed in other similar series (particular wow! to Tuula Väänänen as Lauri´s mother Maarit).

"Only" 8 points from me as I liked Sorjonen a bit more. But still - worth watching and recommended. Next seasons will apparently follow.

PS Season 2 is a more intensive spin-off when some events unclear in Season 1 got explained. The performances are not so strong and the share of humour is less.

The first season was quite good, sometimes it felt like dragging but overall the ending was not so much predictable as you would think. Second season was also quite good, and connects nicely to the first one. Hopefully there will be more.

Much of this is above expectations, especially in terms of cinematography and plot. The acting is solid, the characters well written and complex, none of them archetypical. It's critical of religion and authority while subverting viewer expectations. I wasn't expecting all that much and ended up being very impressed. Especially when you continue watching it, as each season builds on what is established in the previous one, creating a really satisfying but not wildly, overly dramatic plot line in keeping with the overall themes.

The only thing that sucks is the actual availability of the show; at least in Canada I can't find it anywhere to stream, and the third season was hell to get ahold of even 6-7 months after airing. If you're in Europe you may have better luck, though.

Finnish "Noir" is usually the most bizarre of all the "noir series" from Scandinavia. It is filled with morbidly depressed characters, a constant supply of snow and perpetual darkness, endless drone footage of cars snaking down black asphalt highways, and plots that offer little in the way of context and background. The scenes are mostly disconnected from one another and the dialog seems to skip from one topic to the next thereby destroying any hope that the viewer might have for story continuity. Nothing seems to make sense. Perhaps the themes utilized lack global appeal and are meant to pique the interest only for a Finnish audience.

SERIES 1 is a tightly crafted, well-thought-out police crime drama, with lots of intrigue, a steady stream of fast-paced action, and lots of fresh storytelling. Agents Räihä and Terho are likeable if deeply flawed characters. The ending nicely wraps up the action, for a coherent resolution. The scenery, including aerial photography, celebrates the northwestern Finland countryside. The climax/resolution surprises!

The Laestadian services are authentically depicted.

Foreshadowings/Omens using bird strikes are a nice touch.

Actress Väänänen as Räihä's mom deserves special praise; whenever she appears, intense drama occurs.

'Could have done without the gay sex scenes; they're not important to the plot.

My favorite line is from Agent Terho: Forgiveness is overrated.

SERIES 1 deserves all its accolades and more. Rating: 10/10

SERIES 2 expands on the high drama of series 1.

The theme of forgiveness (or lack thereof) permeates series 2 as well, including most notably in the life of the guilt-ridden war criminal/philosopher.

The witchy women's group is a nice antagonist to the stodgy Laestadians.

Unfortunately, series 2 loses its way plot-wise.

(A) Most new characters in series 2 fail from the start to be viable suspects for the homicide, or to even pertain to the homicide.

(B) Interesting characters are written out suddenly, just when their development has started to get interesting.

(C) The incoherent, illogical non-wrap-up of the homicide is IMO a disappointment, including because Officer Ritola's dark action at the end contradicts nearly everything the viewer has learned about him up to that point.

(D) Compelling but only marginally (if at all) connected subplots, rather than the homicide, appear to drive series two.

These are the reasons I rate SERIES 2 a 7.5/10.

COINCIDENCE OR INTENTIONAL ALLUSION?

This series, and series 2 in particular, takes place in a small northern Finland town near Oulu, called Varjakka, and involve a Laestadian-owned company that is working on a phone screen, which it sells to an American company at great profit. This exact place and these facts parallel the real-life story of former Laestadian prime minister of Finland, Juha Sipila.

If it wasn't another batch of murders resulting from cultish religious fanaticism and the personal, politically correct, private lives of the dour lead detectives, this would have been ok. The only thing is, there was nothing else. I wouldn't recommend it.