by Mike Hilty, Contributing Writer
Welcome to Cross-Platform Partners! In honor of a new movie release, I have selected a TV show to watch to pair with the movie. Think of it as a way to get hyped for the new movie, a preview of things to come, a means to tide you over if the movie won’t be released where you live for a little while, or a change of pace if you’ve run out of related movies or sequels.
For August, I picked Wallander to pair with A Haunting in Venice.
Kenneth Branagh is an amazing performer. He has such a presence about him and he truly feels like an artist. He’s been having a bit of a resurgence ever since he directed Thor for the MCU, an underappreciated gem in the whole Infinity Saga. Since then, he’s partnered on a few Christopher Nolan movies, like Dunkirk,Tenet, and Oppenheimer, and started playing and directing the legendary detective, Hercule Poirot. What better way to celebrate a third outing with Poirot than by watching Wallander, a show about another widely-ish known inspector also played by Branagh?
Based on the novels by Henning Mankell, Kurt Wallander is a detective in the town of Ystad, Sweden. He solves all kinds of serious crimes and encounters a colorful cast of characters to catch. Along with various members of his team, Wallander finds himself solving some of the strangest and toughest crimes using his instincts and tactics. His devotion to justice comes at a price, though. His personal life is in shambles, and his relationships suffer because of his inability to balance his work.
Wallander occasionally bends the law to gets what he needs. He’s extremely talented, and brave to a fault, so some of his actions can be considered reckless. And his personal life is shattered due to his job — he struggles maintaining relationships and establishing boundaries in his investigations, leading to his loved ones being caught in the crosshairs, making for storylines which end tragically.
Kurt suffers from numerous physical and mental ailments that affect his police work. Due to the numerous tragedies that happen under his watch, Wallander constantly questions his ability to even do his job. It feels realistic, considering how much he struggles with crimes continuing to pile up in Ystad. Branagh is the perfect performer to portray a character having a crisis of purpose. Ever since his Shakespeare days, Branagh’s known how to display his vulnerability and show the audience how much he’s struggling. I bought his pain, and it just goes to show just how amazing Branagh is in the role of Wallander.
The other performances are really strong, supporting Branagh by assisting with his investigations. Top of the list for allies is Anne-Britt Hoglund (Sarah Smart), one of Kurt’s fellow detectives and frequent collaborators. They have a deep respect for one another, but Anne-Britt is in a rare position where she can call Wallander out without fear of repercussions. Going toe-to-toe with Branagh doesn’t happen very often, but Smart is one of the rare performers who’s up to the task. She crushes it, and her chemistry with Branagh is amazing. Another detective that Wallander relies on quite a bit is Magnus Martinsson (Tom Hiddleston). Often, when he runs into an issue, he consults Magnus, and trusts his judgment and support. This is honestly the earliest I’ve seen Hiddleston in a role, and he’s outstanding. It’s amazing to see his talent on display in a non-Marvel piece.
Wallander most definitely has his hands full with the crimes he’s investigating. I enjoy the format of the series: three movie-length episodes per season. As much as crime procedural shows have taken over American television, 45 minutes to one hour doesn’t feel like enough time to get through the nuance of an investigation. Each episode focuses on one crime, with some overlap of crimes in later seasons. The crimes are intricate and are extremely violent. Trigger warning for sure, as a lot of the crimes are more brutal than your typical crime procedural show.
Ystad is also a great place to have a criminal show. It has some of the more unique and brutal murders that only Wallander can handle, and is such a scenic place that one wouldn’t think there would be so much death around the town, causing a really interesting contrast with how dark the town is despite how beautiful it looks. The townspeople are very supportive, unless they feel they are being accused of something they didn’t do. One aspect of Wallander that I quite enjoy is that he also ventures beyond Ystad. His career takes him to crimes in Latvia and South Africa. This keeps the series fresh, with the town dynamics drastically different from Ystad.
Wallander is encouraging me to watch more British TV. I subscribed to Brit Box with no intent of keeping it, and now, I ended up buying an entire year. There’s just something about the criminal show that British TV does better than American TV. Maybe I’m desensitized to the likes of CSI, Criminal Minds, or Law & Order, but Wallander is just a notch above your standard police procedural. Branagh is outstanding, and the investigations keep you guessing until the very end. Wallander’s ability to question his capabilities helps build his character and drives him to succeed at every turn. I see a lot of parallels between Wallander and Branagh’s other investigator role of Poirot.
I quite enjoyed Murder on the Orient Express, and was a little let down by Death on the Nile. I’m looking forward to this aspect of Poirot’s life: a man retired and being pulled back into the life he left behind. I’m curious to know what caused him to retire and the supporting cast including Tina Fey and Michelle Yeoh will bring me to the theater pretty quick. In addition to a great performance, I’m just looking for a compelling story in a beautiful setting with a haunting (maybe) conclusion to Poirot’s story.
You can read more from Mike Hilty, and follow him on Twitter, Letterboxd, and Serializd