In the beginning when I first saw "Innan frosten" I was very against these movies. Thought they would be to freaky for me because I get easily scared watching horror movies. But I got surprised and found myself like these movies. I think this movie was the most exciting movie of the ones that had been maid. You're so in the movie and you get so frustrated on the police because they don't know who the murderer is but you do. But in the beginning you don't have a clue about what has happened and what the connection are until they reveal it in the movie. It's psychological and you think the murderer is such a freak. You don't like him and that the police doesn't get a clue either. He is totally playing with their minds and that makes this movie so good and different comparing to the others. My legs couldn't stop shaking in the cinema. You follow the movie with excitement and you just want to catch the murderer. If you have to see one of the Wallander movies, watch this.
15 Reviews
When Push Comes to Shove
Hitchcoc19 November 2015
I rate this high because the script builds some real suspense. As is the case with most of these, the villain is a really bad guy--psychotic to the nth degree. There seems to be an orchestrated effort to push Wallander to the edge. A series of event are directed at the daughters of cops. We are made aware that Kurt is under surveillance by some evil entity. Things are moved around in his apartment. He is called to crimes which prove to be falsehoods or distractions. His own people begin to doubt his stability. Linda is out to prove something, to outdo others, and she gets quite reckless. Another young woman is kidnapped, her bedroom splashed with blood. The key has to do with a connection among all of these. The downside is one that is recognized by other reviewers. The sloppy, careless, haphazard work of the police. In so many episodes, a little care and common sense would have prevented a great deal of anguish. Yes, there would have been less suspense, but with the right effort, this still could have been accomplished. Once is continually saying, "Are you serious?"
Revenge
jotix10011 May 2010
Warning: Spoilers
Wallander is surprised he cannot start his car in the morning because the gasoline was stolen. Martinsson's car tires were slashed and that makes him late for the morning meeting. Some annoying things are happening to the members of Ystad's police force.
When a call is received by an annoyed woman about a racket in her apartment complex, Linda and Stefan are sent to investigate. The woman that made the complain has no idea why the detectives showed up at her place since she did not call them. Linda goes to the unit above and finds a horrific scene. She finds a dead woman that has been hung from the ceiling by her feet. Linda also sees a postman that passes by. This man holds the key to solving the mystery.
Ebba, the police station receptionist, has a card for Martinsson daughter's Therese graduation and she wants everyone to chip in before they can sign the card. Ebba is concerned about Linda missing her target practice. The station is shaken when Martinsson calls to report he has found Therese's bed full of blood and no trace of the girl.
Meanwhile, at the target practice, Linda passes the pistol test. When she is given a rifle, she concentrates by looking through the lens, but it misfires and she is hit in her eye, temporarily blinding her. Wallander rushes to the hospital like a mad man. His daughter's mishap, tells him is not just an accident. There have been little things that made no sense to him, like the disappearance of Faure's Requiem from his CD player. He becomes aware he is being watch. When he finds out that he is being spied from an apartment across the street, he is shocked to find the equipment directed to record his every move in his own home.
Wallander and Martinsson tie the disappearance of Therese and Linda's accident to an unknown person that have decided to avenge. In going through the files, they find a name from some years ago that Kurt and Martinsson were instrumental in sending to jail. In fact the same man has infiltrated and violated them in ways they never suspected. The dramatic finale finds Therese and Linda, who was kidnapped from the hospital, about to die in an empty warehouse.
Peter Flinth is the director of this episode. It was written by Stefan Ahnhem. This action packed chapter in the series proves to be a good one. Mikael Nyqvist, the actor who appear sin the movie versions of the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson, plays the evil Lothar Kraftzcyk. Krister Henriksson shows a human side to his otherwise cool Wallander. Johanna Sallstrom does a fabulous job, as usual. The ensemble cast are perfect. The Henning Mankell's characters come alive in this enjoyable Swedish series.
When a call is received by an annoyed woman about a racket in her apartment complex, Linda and Stefan are sent to investigate. The woman that made the complain has no idea why the detectives showed up at her place since she did not call them. Linda goes to the unit above and finds a horrific scene. She finds a dead woman that has been hung from the ceiling by her feet. Linda also sees a postman that passes by. This man holds the key to solving the mystery.
Ebba, the police station receptionist, has a card for Martinsson daughter's Therese graduation and she wants everyone to chip in before they can sign the card. Ebba is concerned about Linda missing her target practice. The station is shaken when Martinsson calls to report he has found Therese's bed full of blood and no trace of the girl.
Meanwhile, at the target practice, Linda passes the pistol test. When she is given a rifle, she concentrates by looking through the lens, but it misfires and she is hit in her eye, temporarily blinding her. Wallander rushes to the hospital like a mad man. His daughter's mishap, tells him is not just an accident. There have been little things that made no sense to him, like the disappearance of Faure's Requiem from his CD player. He becomes aware he is being watch. When he finds out that he is being spied from an apartment across the street, he is shocked to find the equipment directed to record his every move in his own home.
Wallander and Martinsson tie the disappearance of Therese and Linda's accident to an unknown person that have decided to avenge. In going through the files, they find a name from some years ago that Kurt and Martinsson were instrumental in sending to jail. In fact the same man has infiltrated and violated them in ways they never suspected. The dramatic finale finds Therese and Linda, who was kidnapped from the hospital, about to die in an empty warehouse.
Peter Flinth is the director of this episode. It was written by Stefan Ahnhem. This action packed chapter in the series proves to be a good one. Mikael Nyqvist, the actor who appear sin the movie versions of the Millennium trilogy by Stieg Larsson, plays the evil Lothar Kraftzcyk. Krister Henriksson shows a human side to his otherwise cool Wallander. Johanna Sallstrom does a fabulous job, as usual. The ensemble cast are perfect. The Henning Mankell's characters come alive in this enjoyable Swedish series.
Lothar Kraftzcyk?!?
silmaril-611 May 2013
Thank God that I've seen this episode, otherwise I would spend all my life in ignorance, not knowing that Yugoslavian language was spoken in Yugoslavia and that we were overflown with Lothars, Paulinas and Kraftzcyks :D OK, it's just a TV show, it's not a lesson in general knowledge, but I'm sick and tired of all those mistakes considering former Yugoslav countries and now favorite villains - Serbs most of the time, and some Croat now and then. Please, before centering an episode or a whole movie around character from former Yugoslav countries, just google a bit. There were few "Paulina" (extremely rare name here, it's Polish in fact) but only Lothar was Matthaus while he was coaching our football team, and none of the Kraftzcyks (if this surname exists at all, even in Poland, Czech Republic and Slovakia)
Weaker episode but still okay
Tweekums12 November 2009
Warning: Spoilers
Of the Wallander episodes I've seen so far this one probably has the least good story as it didn't seem very plausible compared to the others, I still enjoyed it though.
A killer appears to be playing games with the police, luring Linda Wallander to a murder scene after first disabling the cars of her father Kurt and another senior detective so they knew she would respond. Soon after it appears that the daughter of the other detective has been murdered but although her room is covered in blood her body is not there. When the police learn that the blood actually came from the victim Linda found they realise they aren't dealing with a normal killer. As the story progresses Kurt becomes convinced that the killer is in the police station watching them although his colleagues don't believe him.
As with the other episodes the acting was good, especially from Krister Henriksson and Johanna Sällström as Kurt and Linda Wallander. I suspect the story might work better for people for haven't seen previous episodes so aren't expecting a more realistic crime. If you can suspend your disbelief it is still fun.
A killer appears to be playing games with the police, luring Linda Wallander to a murder scene after first disabling the cars of her father Kurt and another senior detective so they knew she would respond. Soon after it appears that the daughter of the other detective has been murdered but although her room is covered in blood her body is not there. When the police learn that the blood actually came from the victim Linda found they realise they aren't dealing with a normal killer. As the story progresses Kurt becomes convinced that the killer is in the police station watching them although his colleagues don't believe him.
As with the other episodes the acting was good, especially from Krister Henriksson and Johanna Sällström as Kurt and Linda Wallander. I suspect the story might work better for people for haven't seen previous episodes so aren't expecting a more realistic crime. If you can suspend your disbelief it is still fun.
Best of the Wallander series?
dying_fetus27 March 2006
I've watched all of the Wallander movies available now, and this one was by far the most well done movie. It's the second Wallander movie based on Henning Mankell to be shown in the theaters, and I first I found 'Innan Frosten' to be the best movie (1st one in theaters) but this 'Mastermind' was so exciting and well done, it didn't really feel like watching a Swedish movie, it was a bit more exotic. I'm not going to go in on the movie synopsis too much, but this one takes a few twists that were very welcome, to break that predictable chain we usually see in Swedish action/cop movies. I can recommend it to anyone who wants a good movie to watch on a Friday night, 9/10.
Great episode of great series
user-854014 November 2009
One of the best of the Swedish Wallander series. This was a really creepy episode, with lots of surprises. A scene near the ending reminded me a little of 'Silence of the Lambs' but otherwise if was original, and much more like a horror film than some of the others in the series. The basic premise of the plot - revenge - is a very common one for Henning Mankell, but it's the characterisation and acting that are both so strong. I thought Martinnson really came alive as a character in this, with convincing vulnerability. It is so sad that the actress who plays Linda Wallander came to such a tragic ending - she gives a superb performance in this. And Krister Henrikson's Wallander is starting to become the definitive one for me - even over Kenneth Branagh.
Excellent Swedish Movie
rogermpersson15 July 2006
I don't think I have seen such good Swedish action movie sense Livvakterna med Samuel Fröler. This movie has it all, action and intelligence.. Swedish people is not spoiled with good police movies. And Mikael Nykvist in a Wallander movie was a surprise. The Walander before Krister Henriksson with Rolf Lassgård was great and I was a little bit worried with Krister Henrisson in the roll as Kurt Walander. But he surprised me in Mastermind. Some of his other Walander movies was not as good as this Masterind. Now its time to look at the next Wallander in the series. But Mastermind I recommend. So go and buy this great movie (Roger)
Very bad plot line at the end
blogger-510-38980124 October 2012
Warning: Spoilers
I've just watched "Mastermind" after enjoying quite a few of the other Wallander series, and I was reduced to shouting at the TV towards the end. In the final moments, when Wallander and his partner save their daughters from hanging, instead of the two girls and the policewoman remaining with Wallander's partner (thus two armed police officers) while Wallander goes in pursuit of the psychopath, the policewoman takes Wallander's daughter Linda, who is bandaged so she cannot see, into the bowels of the building they are in, for no good reason. Naturally, the policewoman is attacked from behind, and Linda, after ripping the bandage off, then wanders around aimlessly with a gun, wondering where the psychopath is, constantly walking backwards (naturally). She is supposed to be a trained policewoman, but instead of backing into a secure corner (any corner), and retaining the gun to protect herself if the psycho attacks her from the front (the only possibility if she is backed into a corner), she keeps wandering around in panic among large building support columns, behind any one of which the psycho could be hiding, and from where he can surprise her. Of course, he does exactly that, which is made easier for him by the fact that Linda keeps walking around backwards. I have never seen a more stupid piece of plotting in a police drama. Making police officers behave in such an obviously idiotic fashion destroys all credibility in the show.
Very Subpar Episode of Wallander
deankiravar17 December 2015
Warning: Spoilers
I'm a big fan of the Wallander series. The characters are interesting and it's always kind of fun trying to guess who the criminal is in the episode. As with most cop dramas, sometimes they can be a bit too formulaic and sometimes the suspension of disbelief is necessary (can there really be so many "terrorist attacks" and multiple-murderers in a tiny Swedish city of only 18,000 residents?). That said, the plots are generally good and I've enjoyed nearly every single episode I've watched.
This episode, however, really felt like it didn't belong in the Wallander series. It's more like a bad horror movie. And while I'm willing to suspend disbelief a bit, this one got very out of hand. None of the characters behave as they normally do and they somehow all seemed to lose all the senses they use to solve other cases.
Then there's the matter of the "mastermind." He's not a realistic character. First off, in order to do the stuff he did in this episode, he would've literally had to have spent millions of Dollars (or more accurately, tens of millions of Swedish kronors). Where does a guy who's been in prison for years end up with all the resources to conduct this operation? They have the guy renting out half the city to install expensive surveillance equipment everywhere. Then somehow, he seems to have no realistic limitations like time or need for sleep. He works right under the noses of the cops and they don't notice him, which is far-fetched enough, but how does he keep his job without anyone noticing that he's never around? It just doesn't make any sense. That might be OK in another series where that's the norm, but it was a huge departure from the rules of the Wallander world.
I enjoy that the Wallander movies are all like puzzles that you are slowly trying to solve, but in order to "solve a puzzle", there has to be some logic and reason behind it. There was no logic or reason behind this episode. For that reason, I consider this the worst of the Wallander episodes. This should've been a horror movie; not an episode of Wallander.
This episode, however, really felt like it didn't belong in the Wallander series. It's more like a bad horror movie. And while I'm willing to suspend disbelief a bit, this one got very out of hand. None of the characters behave as they normally do and they somehow all seemed to lose all the senses they use to solve other cases.
Then there's the matter of the "mastermind." He's not a realistic character. First off, in order to do the stuff he did in this episode, he would've literally had to have spent millions of Dollars (or more accurately, tens of millions of Swedish kronors). Where does a guy who's been in prison for years end up with all the resources to conduct this operation? They have the guy renting out half the city to install expensive surveillance equipment everywhere. Then somehow, he seems to have no realistic limitations like time or need for sleep. He works right under the noses of the cops and they don't notice him, which is far-fetched enough, but how does he keep his job without anyone noticing that he's never around? It just doesn't make any sense. That might be OK in another series where that's the norm, but it was a huge departure from the rules of the Wallander world.
I enjoy that the Wallander movies are all like puzzles that you are slowly trying to solve, but in order to "solve a puzzle", there has to be some logic and reason behind it. There was no logic or reason behind this episode. For that reason, I consider this the worst of the Wallander episodes. This should've been a horror movie; not an episode of Wallander.
Worst of the lot
derekph-12 January 2013
Warning: Spoilers
I've liked all the others I've seen of this Swedish Wallander series. They're not high art, but they're serviceable cop drama. But this one had me groaning in frustration and disbelief. None of the cops has an iota of intelligence or sense, they act like puppets, doing exactly what the villain wants, never stopping to think what he might do next, or how to stop him. There's no way he could have infiltrated their department and avoided notice so completely, unless they are all incompetent boobs. And really, a few moments of standard detective work should have tracked him down in a few hours. Instead, we're subjected to a pointless series of inanities. Worthless garbage.
Worst Wallander ever
tasmaniangirl2 December 2016
Warning: Spoilers
Minor spoilers included
I'm sorry but much as I love this series this particular episode was absolute unadulterated drivel. Every moment of it, from start to finish was so contrived and stupid I barely managed to finish watching. From all the ridiculous mistakes the police make, to Wallander's uncharacteristic over-reactions, to the ludicrously unrealistic perfection of the bad guy who must have had supernatural powers and access to a fortune to carry out what he did, to idiotic things that would NEVER have happened like not having a guard on the door or ward of a victim who has been obviously the target of a lunatic, to a cop not being suspicious of a man who is staring intently at him in a confined space for no reason, to not bringing backup and surrounding a building they know the bad guy is in, to a highly trained cop not knowing how to deal with being stalked in a building and on it goes, There was nothing in this movie that made any sense. What was the point of that stupid scene with the guy in a wheelchair? That wasn't even part of any plan or plot. Just a bizarre excuse for some odd drama between two blokes that was completely silly anyway. It would have been perfectly easy and simple for Wallander to say "he's tricking you & you need to stop letting him control you" and drive off - there was no reason for the whole "you don't know what it's like" speech because that was so far off the point it didn't matter. And then there was that strange bit at the end where the girl panics and starts fighting off her dad as if she had suddenly lost all her marbles and didn't know who her own father was. WHy would she do that? Even given she just had a rough time that hysterical reaction just made zero sense. Anyway - I was so disgusted and disappointed I had to write a review. I hope the rest of the Swedish series isn't this stupid because I've thoroughly enjoyed the British version for years and this threw shade all over the franchise.
I'm sorry but much as I love this series this particular episode was absolute unadulterated drivel. Every moment of it, from start to finish was so contrived and stupid I barely managed to finish watching. From all the ridiculous mistakes the police make, to Wallander's uncharacteristic over-reactions, to the ludicrously unrealistic perfection of the bad guy who must have had supernatural powers and access to a fortune to carry out what he did, to idiotic things that would NEVER have happened like not having a guard on the door or ward of a victim who has been obviously the target of a lunatic, to a cop not being suspicious of a man who is staring intently at him in a confined space for no reason, to not bringing backup and surrounding a building they know the bad guy is in, to a highly trained cop not knowing how to deal with being stalked in a building and on it goes, There was nothing in this movie that made any sense. What was the point of that stupid scene with the guy in a wheelchair? That wasn't even part of any plan or plot. Just a bizarre excuse for some odd drama between two blokes that was completely silly anyway. It would have been perfectly easy and simple for Wallander to say "he's tricking you & you need to stop letting him control you" and drive off - there was no reason for the whole "you don't know what it's like" speech because that was so far off the point it didn't matter. And then there was that strange bit at the end where the girl panics and starts fighting off her dad as if she had suddenly lost all her marbles and didn't know who her own father was. WHy would she do that? Even given she just had a rough time that hysterical reaction just made zero sense. Anyway - I was so disgusted and disappointed I had to write a review. I hope the rest of the Swedish series isn't this stupid because I've thoroughly enjoyed the British version for years and this threw shade all over the franchise.
Weak plot.
imdb-34042 January 2007
The production quality of this movie is delightfully good to come from the Nordic countries, but the plot.. oh the plot! It is just not believable at all.
If you don't mind guessing all the time what happens and grinding your teeth because you think "even the Swedish police are not that stupid" this movie is good for you. If you don't mind repeated, very-convenient-for-the-bad-guy twists of fate, this movie is good for you. Your call.
Acting on the other hand was good, I guess - I didn't pay attention to it, and isn't that at least one sign of good acting?
If you don't mind guessing all the time what happens and grinding your teeth because you think "even the Swedish police are not that stupid" this movie is good for you. If you don't mind repeated, very-convenient-for-the-bad-guy twists of fate, this movie is good for you. Your call.
Acting on the other hand was good, I guess - I didn't pay attention to it, and isn't that at least one sign of good acting?
Mind-numbing
Torgo_Approves20 October 2006
(r#83)
Banal. Pointless. Pretentious. Not even so bad it's good. Boring. Overlong. Dragging. Stupid. Best of the Wallander series? Who cares? It's not even bad enough to warrant a funny review. I hope this movie dies and burns in hell.
The characters are all 1-dimensional morons. The acting is awful. The actors look like they're reading of cue cards. No one with a brain could enjoy this movie. No one! The movie's shot in a filter that makes every scene dark and ugly. What, they couldn't afford lamps...?
It's a shame that my hometown should get famous through an awful movie such as this one. Avoid at all costs.
Banal. Pointless. Pretentious. Not even so bad it's good. Boring. Overlong. Dragging. Stupid. Best of the Wallander series? Who cares? It's not even bad enough to warrant a funny review. I hope this movie dies and burns in hell.
The characters are all 1-dimensional morons. The acting is awful. The actors look like they're reading of cue cards. No one with a brain could enjoy this movie. No one! The movie's shot in a filter that makes every scene dark and ugly. What, they couldn't afford lamps...?
It's a shame that my hometown should get famous through an awful movie such as this one. Avoid at all costs.
Not like the others in this series and now I know why
markwallace-849325 April 2021
When I watched this movie, I was not only shocked at how ridiculous it was. I was even more shocked that it sacrificed all the believability that usually makes these Swedish versions of the Wallander films so impressive, one of the best series of police procedurals I've ever seen (and I've seen too many to want to discuss it).
After the fact, I learned that this episode had been released first as a movie in theaters, and then things started to make more sense. The overblown absurd dramatics, plus what seemed a bigger budget for effects, look clearly like part of a misguided attempt to sell the series to a larger audience.
The movie is trying to have the visual impact of something like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and doesn't succeed.
The first film in this series, Before the Frost, was also released in theaters, and thankfully is much much better than Mastermind. And at least knowing that Mastermind was trying to be something other than a usual episode in this series helps me understand why it goes so wrong--and helps me be glad that other episodes in the series did not try to repeat the errors made here.
After the fact, I learned that this episode had been released first as a movie in theaters, and then things started to make more sense. The overblown absurd dramatics, plus what seemed a bigger budget for effects, look clearly like part of a misguided attempt to sell the series to a larger audience.
The movie is trying to have the visual impact of something like The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, and doesn't succeed.
The first film in this series, Before the Frost, was also released in theaters, and thankfully is much much better than Mastermind. And at least knowing that Mastermind was trying to be something other than a usual episode in this series helps me understand why it goes so wrong--and helps me be glad that other episodes in the series did not try to repeat the errors made here.
See also
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