Moscow Noir (2018) User Reviews

Another stylish thriller in the spirit of new Russia-West antagonism

[BeneCumb · 8/10 · 14 March 2019]

In spite of hopes and wishes from the 1990ies, Russia has not "westernised", but has somewhat imported its approaches and modus operandi into relations and dealings with the West. In Moscow Noir, most events take place in Russia, with most performers of non-Russian origin, enabling to develop events and scenes with additional thrill and appropriate mood.

Adam Pålsson is good as usual (perhaps his character is somewhat less interesting than in Innan vi dör), and he has many pleasant co-actors to side with him, enabling to wend his way through cruelty, greed and betrayal. True, this Series includes again some talks in horrible Russian and I figured the main wrongdoer out a bit too early, but as for entirety, the 8 episodes were pleasant to follow and are recommended to those not against of political elements in a thriller.

Partly to be juxtaposed with the BBC´s McMafia.

Moscow Noir

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 11 October 2020]

This Swedish series is set in Moscow at the turn of the Twenty First Century. Swede Tom Blixen works as an investment banker for an international company. When his friend's wife, Olga Ukolova, tells him they are having financial problems he agrees to look through their investments and see if there are any of any value. Most of their shares are worthless but there is a possibility; Tom thinks some apparently worthless oil shares might have some value. He tries to acquire the other shares he can find hoping to arrange a merger with another oil company... soon shareholders are starting to be murdered. As the story continues we are taken deeper into a world of dangerous oligarchs, corrupt politicians and learn more about why Tom came to Russia in the first place.

I really enjoyed this tense thriller. It might not be the first to explore the murky world of Russian business; 'McMafia' explored similar territory as did the film 'Gorky Park', which was set in the Soviet era; but it still had plenty of original ideas. Once the action started, in the first episode, there was constant tension which managed to increase as the story approached its conclusion. The cast did a fine job; most notably Adam Pålsson, who played Tom; Karolina Gruszka, who played Olga; and Georg Nikoloff, who played Prosecutor Dmitri Skurov. As the conclusion approaches there are some twists and nice misdirection. Overall I'd recommend this series to fans of the genre.

A compelling if slightly compromised watch

[BaronVonKolisch · 8/10 · 22 September 2020]

For the most part, a taut and evenly paced thriller that works on many levels.

Yet it suffers from one big flaw - the central premise is a money making scam that isn't quite believable, or else it's not nearly well enough explained.

Adam Palsson may not be everyone's choice of lead actor either. He has been blessed with one handsome and enigmatic expression ... eyes and eyebrows straight out of the Roger Moore School of Acting. But should it be a look that suits every mood and occasion?

Add to these misgivings the feeling that the ending dragged on a bit, and you are left with something that fails to reach its full potential, but is still entertaining. - 7.6/10

Rather amateurish but not a disaster

[Vindelander · 6/10 · 22 February 2021]

It was ok overall but I wouldn't watch it again. Plot is over complicated and acting very hammy in places. Oh- and the soundtrack is just awful and overplayed. Very annoying.

Promising start fading in to false complexity.

[ptsj-music · 6/10 · 26 February 2020]

The presentation and building up of the plot and characters is indeed promising. Sadly it fades out into solutions that both are too obvious as they also try to keep up a complexity where the aspects revealed become exaggerated. Still, the play is kept in a mellow mood in an effort to maintain realism, and many characters are credible, though the plot developes away from credibility, and rather far into a slow emotional drama. This way much of the thriller feeling is lost. Several actors do a brilliant job, some of the extras not, and it's always gratifying to experience a well-balanced soundtrack.

Amazing, exciting, thrilling!

[amentia · 9/10 · 24 February 2019]

This series has surprising turns all the time, exactly how a good tv-series should be. Highly recommended.

Intense and well executed thriller

[uffevera · 8/10 · 7 July 2019]

Very effective thriller with excellent character distribution, even the minor roles have a unique presence that adds complexity and intensity to the plot, which remains focused and gripping throughout.

The main weakness is the lack of a clear reason for all the killings, as the motive remains something of a political abstraction. And the secret antagonist is guessed far too soon. None the less it is is full of effective twists and turns and human elements that keeps the interest all the way.

mediocre, disappointing

[nothingisforbidden · 2/10 · 16 July 2019]

The setting (Moscow) and the hook (large-scale financial shenanigans) are intriguing, but the plot is flimsy and contrived and the characters are so unreal that anyone might say or do anything anytime anywhere. The killings that drive the plot make no sense if you pause to think about it, and the reveal at the end is just a bore. (Also completely unbelievable is the main character's "mysterious" back-story.) This is sort of like those "airport thrillers" that bored travelers used to read to pass the time on long flights; it doesn't matter if you finish the book, you just toss it in the trash can when you reach your destination and never think about it again.

Very good despite that Swedish TV4 is involved! !

[southgard · 9/10 · 19 January 2019]

A very good and well acted series! I highly recommend a watch you won't get disappointed! And by far the best thing that TV4 has been involved in so far!

Makes no sense

[stegasaurob · 3/10 · 24 October 2020]

If you want to watch a show where a whole load of people get killed in increasingly gruesome ways for absolutely no reason at all, then this is the show for you.

Deep and Intriguing

[anekenkenna · 8/10 · 8 August 2019]

I came to save all those who will be mislead by wrong reviewers again. Watch this movie to solidify your grasp of why you can't grasp Russia.

Goood

[pyssel-93649 · 10/10 · 10 January 2019]

This serie is very good, it's a must to see. I love it

Not a credible plot

[sin_siri · 3/10 · 29 December 2019]

Chaotic story with no credible character (except the policeman) and a lot of questions that aren't answered. Not worth watching

Twisty, fast moving thriller - nothing ground breaking but entertaining

[nooshie-33142 · 8/10 · 19 September 2020]

After watching Young Wallander on Netflix, I was in the mood for more Scandi TV and found this on All 4. Yet again, Adam Palsson plays the protagonist and he's easy on the eye and better in this than YW. A strong supporting cast and excellent production values lift this twisty thriller set in the world of high finance, above the usual potboiler and it's quite gripping in parts. It does get a little convoluted as it goes along but it's still entertaining enough. I can see comparisons being made with "McMafia" but this is not in the same league. The theme music and titles are awesome!

Stereotypes galore

[yuri-288-641768 · 5/10 · 11 September 2020]

Not a cookie-cutter politically correct Nordic noir. The plot is illogical, the story has holes the size of Jupiter in it and acting is often terrible. The show is full of stereotypes:

• Drinking samogon like apple juice.
• Balalaikas on the wall. Come on guys :)
• Many more ... skipped to avoid spoilers

Besides that:

• Neftnik is a strange name for a Russian company.
• Blixem travels on his USSR passport?! Really?
• The whole conductor story is just weird.
• Space dogs? Why?

I actually enjoyed watching it although it is mediocre.

Extraordinary series... you gotta watch this!

[mybeloved-bb · 10/10 · 24 February 2022]

I've become sedated with the Covid isolation... well not tonight.. this series is the best I've seen in.a long long time... the actors especially the lead... top notch in every way! The suspense, twist and turns...it builds. Off of a slow burn .. I am super excited about this quality of entertainment.... I also loved the score...

Super awesome!

[fiercecelt · 10/10 · 1 April 2022]

Palsson once again gives a superb performance.

The detective is perfectly cast.

I tried numerous ways to learn who the actor is, playing in the role of Kolya, Tom's chauffeur/housemate. He is not listed in the cast credits. Can someone help me out here? Thanks.

Just painful

[b-l-brennan54 · 3/10 · 20 February 2022]

Uninteresting story. Terrible script, poorly directed and acted. NOT Swedish Noir by any stretch. I pushed through to the end hopeful that there would be some creative twist but nope.

Good Thriller

[crumpytv · 8/10 · 31 December 2020]

Ok, you can't take too literally with these dramas. It was brutal at times and the body count was high, but it kept pace through 8 episodes and it kept my attention throughout.

Tom Blixen's change of identity was never fully explained, especially in how he managed to achieve it.

Some good performances, especially by the Russian cop, Georg Nikoloff.

Adam Pålsson is building an impressive portfolio within the noir.

Quite often these Nordic dramas are scenically rewarding and interesting, not so in this one. The Russian setting looked bleak and depressing.

Dragged out plot, poor acting

[malcolmcochran · 4/10 · 7 March 2024]

This has a deal of time-wasting, without entertainment, for what is a very meagre plot. There is the occasional piece of good acting but mostly it is self-conscious and stilted. One actor (the boss) who fortunately seldom appears seems to be particularly out of date, more 1960s style than 1990s.

The basic plot is that a Swedish Bank, only interested in making money, has a youngster with a past, tending to go it alone, thus crossing into "Mafia" territory when he (somehow) guesses that a former Soviet land-holding has Oil. Remarkably, there are private Shareholders who have to be persuaded to sell their stock. The usual mayhem follows, including some lucky escapes.

Nice series about Business, Ethics and Romance in Russia.

[Dr_Mark_ODoherty · 10/10 · 26 December 2023]

This is an interesting and intense Swedish-Russian financial thriller, focusing on Tom Blixen, an investment manager from Sweden who is involved in a shady trade deal with an oil company in Moscow.

It is set in Moscow 1999 - shortly before the onset of Putin's totalitarian reign - highlighting the connection between governmental corruption, judicial corruption and crime; which in today's Russia under the Putin regime regrettably has grown worse :)

The flim also highlights the beauty of music, and the connection between Europe and Russia - economically, culturally and romantically - Russia being a country where dreams and reality constantly interwine - like the Yin and the Yang; capitalism and communism, vodka and romance - as well as the Kremlin and Corruption.

So although Russia is in some ways a very sophisticated and technologically advanced country - in other areas Russia is regrettably far behind - such as Human Rights, Ethics and Civil Liberties - which are the pillars and corner stones of our Global Village.

Regrettably our dear friend Vladimir Putin is responsible for the killings of ordinary, decent Russian people and unjust imprisonment of Human Rights activists; waging an inhuman and illegal war on Ukraine, that could have easily been avoided.

In fact, Putin has become a lame duck president, because he made some very bad political decisions, and therefore must be replaced with a new leader.

Once Putin has been replaced with a decent leader, we will support Compromise and Negotiations between Russia and Ukraine 100%.

Hence the NGO BTB-Global Peacebuilding will lead Russia inthe meantime; to restore Human Rights, International Law, Civilization and Happiness in Russia.

NB: The Putin regime is responsible for the killings of Human Rights Defenders and critics of the corrupt and evil egime; such as Alexei Navalny. We declare all perpetrators of the Putin regime 'Persona non grata' - and order their arrest by the Global Community.

Love and Light / Peace Profound.

Mark - PRESIDENT OF THE MIDDLE EAST / IPA - INTERNATIONAL CRIMINAL COURT - UNITED NATIONS - RUSSIA - AU/EU/UK - USAN - IRAN - SOUTH AFRICA - ISRAEL-PALESTINE - POTUS - THE PENTAGON.

Chaotic and confusing rubbish

[qui_j · 3/10 · 21 April 2023]

The only thing interesting about this series is hearing how easily the actors switch between languages of the region. The story is confusing, and comprises a group of characters for whom no background or context is provided. They interact with one another in ways that are not explained, and at the same time, a few get murdered for reasons that are not known. The way the narrative unfolds is uninteresting, and with little context provided to facilitate viewer engagement, the watch experience becomes boring. As the series progresses, explanations do not get better. The episodes just seem to be one random even after another until the best choice for the viewer is just to stop watching and move on to something more engaging, entertaining and interesting. Walter Presents, as a streaming platform, seems to seek out these second rate or failed European series and tries to pass them off as really clever productions. They are not!