Ranking Every HBO Miniseries From Worst To Best
35. Beartown
It was only a matter of time before HBO hopped on the scandi-noir bandwagon, and this adaptation of Fredrik Backman’s bestselling novel seemed likely to become a winner. But while there’s a decent amount to admire about this grizzly slice of Swedish life, Beartown isn’t entirely successful, the quality at its core offset with an ugliness and lack of fleshed out characters.
Beartown is set in a rundown locale where the one spot of hope comes from the local ice hockey club. The focus is on the club’s junior division and star player Kevin, a small town jock exalted to such a degree that he feels untouchable. A party gets out of control, and things go from bad to worse from there.
Beartown’s key issue is the reckless way it uses sexual violence in its storytelling. There’s nothing too graphic but it feels exploitative all the same, with heinous acts propping up the drama, bereft of nuance or sensitivity.
The source material could have been better utilised, but much of the subtleties and depth of the novel have been stripped in favour of bleakness and shock value.