The Red Wolf

The film in question follows the footsteps of several famous Scandinavian crime dramas with "feminine approach", i.e. the leading character is a strong woman who does well in masculine environment or even outperforms her associates. Usually they are based on book by female authors, and topics deal with "softer" values rather than harsh and nasty felonies. Similar to e.g. Dicte, Annika Bengtzon is a journalist, but both the character itself and performance are somewhat weaker than Iben Hjejle's Dicte; moreover, there are some sidelines not providing additional value to the course of events (Annika's family problems), and the ones depicting evil are quite inexpressive. On the other hand, the plot itself is intriguing and as I did not figure out the real killer, I can give 7 overall points. And as it was my first familiarisation with Liza Marklund / Annika Bengtzon, I would not like to express blunt criticism, perhaps they did not just "open" fully to me at first sight.

Malin Crepin stars as crime reporter Annika Bengtzon. Annika has a partner and two children, but her job as a crime reporter often and summarily sends her on cases away from her family and into a degree of danger. Her sudden absences put pressures on her family life.

The stories are quite good,the acting is very competent and the production values high. It's what you expect from Scandanavian productions and this series of six movies doesn't let you down.

Not at the same level as The Bridge and The Killing, but enjoyable nevertheless. Worth watching in the knowledge that what you see won't send you into convulsions of pain and horror, nor will it make you reassess your life. But most of us just want to be entertained and for me Annika Bengtzon does that.

This Swedish television series captures the work and personal life of Annika Bengtzon, a tenacious journalist who relentlessly strives to unveil the truth and identities of criminals. She is also a doting, young mother and her conviction to her work often conflicts with her lion-hearted longing to be a good mother and supportive spouse/lover. The quick-paced show is artfully done (both visually and auditorily) and gives the viewer a sense that time is of the essence and moreover, it gives Annika's life a sense of edginess, fragility and most importantly, freedom, as she plunges headlong into tracking down criminals without thinking twice about the consequences. Annika is beautiful by American standards and average by Swedish standards. But she is not portrayed in any glossy fashion - she wears dark eyeliner, sloppy t-shirts and has pronounced bags under her eyes. The show does an excellent job at portraying a passionate, hard-working woman's struggles and it does an average job in creating compelling mysteries. The mysteries are somewhat formulaic, which is why we love them. However, a smart audience will eventually want to see more grit and complexity in its criminals. - Looking forward to Season 2.

It's unfortunate this great series was only six episodes, it was such a pleasure to watch. This crime drama is all Malin Crepin.. bit.ly/14ierxC... and she is sensational. She could easily come to the US and be a huge success.. cameras just adore her. There are few women having such natural beauty, where makeup adds so little to their allure. As for the show, it's more like six movies strung together with her characters job and immediate on-screen family linking them all. The remainder of the cast is good... but by script design, and her beauty and talent, no one stands out anywhere near as much as she does. There are not many thirty-something actresses that could be dressed down into loose t-shirts, dungaree shorts, black & white sneakers, and look as desirable. One unrealistic part of the plot, you'd have to be completely out of your mind to even consider divorcing her.

I really enjoyed this series. Luckily, I didn't check out the ratings on IMDb, or I might never have tried it. Well-written, well-acted, and well-directed. I have seen the first six episodes (which seem to be listed separately here). Some are better than others, but all were worth watching.

Malin Crepin is a treat to watch, as Annika. The continuing story of her marriage and motherhood make Annika a much fuller character than "reporter." Like the best of series, there is both an episode resolution and continuing character development.

If you like Scandinavian TV series like "The Protectors," you'll probably like "Annika Bengtzon."

Check it out if you like well-done mysteries. I hope there are more of these shows to come.