Two stalwarts of Nordic Noir — the ongoing Swedish series “Wallander” and the hit television show “The Bridge” — will arrive on DVD on May 27 courtesy of MHz Home Entertainment as part of that company’s International Mystery Collection. Both “Wallandar” and “The Bridge” have been receiving international critical acclaim and have prompted British and American remakes.
Wallander (Season 3)
In Swedish with English Subtitles. Four-DVD set with five episodes. Cast: Krister Henriksson, Charlotta Jonsson, Douglas Johansson, Mats Bergman, Fredrik Gunnarsson. Extras: “Wallander’s World” featurette; interview with Krister Henriksson; trailers. 549 minutes. $69.95
“Episode 1: The Troubled Man”: Wallander has found a place in Linda’s family through his enthusiastic embrace of the roles of grandfather and occasional babysitter. When Linda’s father-in-law disappears, he’s drawn into a case that has its roots deep in the Cold War past.
“Episode 2: The Missing”: The mystery of a missing girl draws the entire Ystad police force into a frantic search. But when Wallander begins his own investigation, he sees frightening similarities to a case he had worked on 10 years earlier, which still hits him hard personally.
“Episode 3: The Betrayal”: A young woman reports her mother missing. Soon after, she’s found brutally murdered inside the family home. The primary suspect is the young woman’s father, a motivational speaker who was also in the middle of a nasty split with her mother.
“Episode 4: The Loss”: A young Moldovan woman is found dead at a construction site. When Wallander questions a respectable doctor a little too vigorously, he gets thrown off the case. That doesn’t stop him and he goes to Moldova for more information from her family.
“Episode 5: The Arsonist”: A convicted arsonist returns to his town after he’s served his prison term and is met with hostility from those who remember his crimes. He’s suspected when a kiosk in Ystad burns down and the owner is killed. Unconvinced, Kurt keeps investigating.
The Bridge – Season One
In Danish and Swedish with English Subtitles. Four-DVD set. Cast: Sofia Helin, Kim Bodnia, Dag Malmberg, Magnus Krepper, Iggy Malmborg. 580 minutes. $49.95