Man in Room 301

Wasted potential. Starts off strong and I was intrigued by the family secrets. But...This show was so frustrating to watch and the ending made no sense. Multiple creepy young men creep around, but no one ever seems to be creeped out until it's too late. I yelled "ASK WHY?!?!" at the screen many times. No one seems to want to know why anyone does inexplicable creepy things.

Partly created by Briton Kate (Shaun of The Dead) Ashfield but transferred to Finland, a twisty piece of fluff. Twelve years after a child is killed, the extended family are targeted by someone they believe to be the person held responsible. Half the series drip-feeds the history, the other half covers the repercussions. There are storytelling absurdities - a young couple who think it is acceptable to take a child from a hotel without seeking permission from the parents - but suspension of disbelief leads to a fun story. After the first two episodes I sought out the other four via on-demand services rather than wait.

Perhaps the series is unfairly lumped in with Scandi-noir, which it is not. The story is basic and allows us to stay a step ahead of the plotting at all times. The ending should be a surprise to nobody but it is still fun getting there. Only the most inexperienced watcher will be caught out by the twists, and I found myself adding others that weren't there, but the innocent characters are likeable and we want them to survive. Even the final resolution is largely satisfactory.

The show is not going to change the world but it helps pass the time and should offend nobody.

Even the title is a red herring.but forgivable as this is a well constructed thriller .perhaps it takes you down to many misleading avenues .but it is never less than absorbing.

This Finnish drama is set in two time periods; 2007 and 2019; the events in the former coming back to effect those in the later. In 2007 the Kurtii family have assembled to celebrate midsummer in a woodland area. Tommi, a young boy wanders off into the woods. Here troubled teen Elias Leppo is shooting a rifle. The next thing we know Tommi is dead; while it is strongly implied that certain things happened nothing is initially shown. In 2019 the family is planning to meet up again, this time in Greece. Shortly before they go Tommi's father and grandfather, who know what happened in 2007, receive letters implying a threat to Tommi's sisters and his twelve year old cousin, Kalle. The grandfather becomes convinced that 'Leo', the man staying in Room 301, is in fact Elias; a fear that is compounded when the man takes an interest in Kalle. As each timeline is shown we gradually learn the truth about what happened in 2007 and what is about to happen in 2019.

I rather enjoyed this short drama series. It was clear from early on that there would be many twists and turns and that certain things we assumed didn't happen quite as we thought... I deliberately wrote my precis after only four episodes to avoid accidental spoilers! The story moves at a good pace and there are plenty of tense moments including the heart-wrenching scenes where we finally see what happened to Tommi in 2007. The cast does a solid job and the locations, in Finland and Greece contrast nicely. Overall I'd recommend this to those who enjoy plenty of twists in their drama; just don't expect 'Scandi-Noir'.

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

Usually, the Nordic nations are masters of thrill and suspense, with static meaning not boring, but here, in spite of a promising starting point, it becomes protracted soon, with too heavy dominance of burden and oppression. Perhaps the number of episodes could have been less (4, for instance), some confusing twists added, and the round-up less sophisticated. The characters and performances not too elaborate either...

Finland has produced several interesting crimes series, e.g. Sorjonen or Karppi. Alas, Huone 301 is long behind of them.