Tag Archives: finland

ARCTIC CIRCLE Season 5 TV Series Review

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– By Mark Glass –

We now return to Finland for the 5th season of Finnish TV’s “Arctic Circle,”with a season-long crime scenario challenging chief Nina (Iina Kuustoen) and her small Ivalo police force. They also handle their business in six efficient episodes, unlike the overlong first season’s ten. Well done, writers and producers!

For newcomers, Nina has worked her way up the ranks to chief in the first four seasons, while raising Venla (Venla Ronkainen) and, as of last year, her new infant, as a single mother. In many of these crime series, children of the protagonists tend to be a distraction or annoyance. But Venla, who has Downs Syndrome, has been a major asset in terms of both plot advancement and the series’ emotional depth. That continues to be the case in this year’s production.

For returning fans, the season offers a significant change of tone from last year’s creepy set of crimes. That one revolved around an approaching comet that a sect of religious fanatics believed to be the catalyst for the return of Jesus, compelling them to do a bunch of horrible things to make sure it happens. This time around, the focus is on technology and terrorism, which feeds into a significant real-life concern.

A group of hackers plants ransomware in the system of a conglomerate that controls Finland’s electrical grid. They are mostly Russians, some of whom are motivated by a huge payday; others by creating an opportunity for their homeland to make a move on Finland during a nationwide shutdown. The non-Russian among them, Vaga (Betadi Mandunga), has been foiled repeatedly by an anonymous super-hacker known as D-Time, who has protected many other companies and countries against such cyber-attacks. D-time is believed to Live in Finland which is why Vaga teamed up with the others to attack this target, hoping to force his nemesis into the open so he can kill the bastard (Vaga’s opinion, not mine).

The season’s events are triggered by a murder in Ivalo, putting the case on Nina’s desk. She’s also greeted with the unpleasant surprise of her baby daddy, Toni (Mikko Nousiainen), suddenly changing careers and joining her force as a trainee. Too much of a good thing can be a bad thing, as far as she’s concerned. When the cyber-attack occurs, that brings in another set of cops who specialize in those crimes. It also puts Nina at odds with them, since their missions overlap, but differ, and in some ways, pull in opposite directions.

The season is replete with conflicts and secrecy, creating high levels of dramatic tension and suspense that keep building to a thrilling conclusion in Episode 6. This might be my favorite season of the quintet. Although the cases are closed, they end with a significant open question about the future that calls for a sixth season to follow. Don’t let us down, Finland!

“Arctic Circle” Season 5, mostly in Finnish with English subtitles, debuts streaming on MHz Choice on Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2026.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

A scene from the Finnish TV series ARCTIC CIRCLE Season 5. Courtesy of MHz Choice

SLIFF 2010 Review: LETTERS TO FATHER JACOB

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LETTERS TO FATHER JACOB is a simple, intimate (mostly) two character drama set in the stark countryside of Finland. The two characters are emotionally(and in the case of Jacob physically) damaged when they first meet , but at the end each has been greatly helped by their relationship. The film is a calm, quiet look at another culture and features two strong, subtle performances.

We first meet Leila(Kaarina Hazard) as her warden explains that she is being pardoned. The warden expresses surprise that during her incarceration she has never asked for a furlough or a family visit. The hard woman remains unemotional as she’s told that a priest has petitioned for her release and asked if she would live with him as his assistant. Without any other options, Leila travels by bus to Father Jacob’s desolate country home. There she is stunned to find that the elderly Jacob(Heikki Nousianinen) is blind. Jacob wants Leila to read him his mail which mostly consists of requests for advice and prayers and write out replies to them. The old man seems to spring to life when he hears the postman’s call(“Letters for Father Jacob!”) as he bicycles toward the house. When the postman meets Lela he expresses his concern over her past and the priest’s safety. Leila catches the postman as he sneaks into the house to check on Jacob. After that the letters stop arriving. Has Leila scared off the postman or have people just stopped writing. The lack of mail causes Jacob to spiral into despair and dementia. Will Leila abandon him? And how did she receive a lifetime prison sentence?

The film is leisurely paced as we get to know these two very different people that fate has brought together. Hazard is tough and stoic for most of the beginning, but eventually shows her softer caring side as she spends more time with the old priest. Nousianen’s Jacob has learned to be self sufficient after his blindness and relishes the time spent on his backyard listening to the requests of his former flock. Later, as he trudges to his old empty church believing that a wedding party waits for him, we can feel his despair and need to serve others. LETTERS TO FATHER JACOB is a tender,simple story of kindness and the healing power of forgiveness.

LETTERS TO FATHER JACOB will play during the 19th Annual Stella Artois St. Louis International Film Festival on Thursday, November 18 at 4:30 pm and Saturday, November 20 at 6 pm at the Plaza Frontenac Cinema

The Fins give us a tale of ‘Sauna’

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Finnish director Antti-Jussi Annila brings us Sauna, a creepy but beautiful new horror film. After seeing the trailer, I am pumped to get a chance to see this … and, while I realize my chances are slim, this movie NEEDS to be seen on the big screen. Whatever chances I have of catching this in theaters, its gonna be a LONG wait. The movie doesn’t release in its native Finland until October 17, 2008. A US release … if so (and I hope) your guess is as good as mine.

[A cruel horror film bathing in the Finnish sauna culture, in the no-zone between Christianity and paganism. A story of two brothers, who leave a young girl to die and become haunted by her, as she follows them in supernatural form, her face pouring with endless filth. The brothers escape with a commission marking the border between Russia and Finland to a Russian-Orthodox village. In there they find a sauna – The sauna where all sins are washed away. Seeking for forgiveness, the brothers step into the sauna†¦] — TwitchFilm.net