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Feminist university professor Gedda (Johanna ter Steege) firmly believes that a man can only flourish if their wife takes care of everything in life. So that's what she does for main character and middle-aged veterinary surgeon Jan (Herman Finkers). When Gedda's father Oarend (Jan Roerink) passes away and is buried - despite his explicit wish to be cremated - Jan sees his own life reflected in his father-in-law's, and snaps. He decides to feign the onset of Alzheimer's disease to get away from Johanna, and to fulfil Oarend's last wish: that his ashes be scattered at the Loreley in Germany, a popular pilgrims' destination.

Finkers, a well-known comedian from the Dutch region of Twente, has adapted Radek Bajgar's originally Czech filmscript for Teorie tygra in Finkersian style. Whereas his comedy shows are extremely witty and full of wordplay, calling this film a 'comedy' in the true sense would be a misnomer. Yes, there are some minor smile and chuckle moments, but don't expect to double over from laughter. Some scenes border on the absurd or dark, others are more subtle.

The Marriage Escape is the first feature-length comedic drama fully spoken in Twents, a regional variety of Low Saxon. This heavily minoritised language of the Netherlands and Germany is spoken by some 5 to 6 million people today. It's rather difficult to keep a neutral outlook (and by the way, should we?) when you're from this region yourself and speak the language in which this whole film is shot, because it has never been done so well before. To anyone from Twente or neighbouring regions, The Marriage Escape is full of linguistic nostalgia. Its significance within the broader range of language preservation efforts is undisputed. This alone makes it worth ten stars. But that should not eclipse everything else about the film. That's why it needs a fairer, more thorough look.

Born in Twente himself, veteran film director Johan Nijenhuis knows his region well, and has enough experience to lend his shots a lush, dreamy, spring-like appearance. The scenes with the rolling, misty hills of north-eastern Twente and the adjacent German region of Bentheim lend it a unique softness that would befit any promotional video for a local board of tourism. It could even be considered a bit utopian.

One thing well-written is Gedda's absolute nightmarish doting on Jan. The unrelenting, near-dictatorial hijacking of Jan's decision-making faculties is enough to make any male viewer cringe, and it will undoubtedly have led to some marital quarrels off-screen. It is a recurring theme among all couples in the film, who continuously struggle with their interpersonal power relations. From Gedda's old mother Sinie (Annie Beumers) who continues to decide everything for Oarend even after his death, to Gedda and Jan, and daughter Liesbeth (Leonie ter Braak) who is dating a neurotic control freak Erik (Ferdi Stofmeel).

All the main characters go through some major developments. Gedda has her beliefs firmly shaken by Jan's actions, while Jan highly enjoys his newly acquired freedom. Erik slowly reveals his true nature to daughter Liesbeth who starts to question her own decisions, while son Peter (Stef Assen) and his girlfriend Ilse (Aniek Stokkers) choose a convenient lie over the hard truth. Well, I say 'hard'...

The heavy focus on the language aspect has significantly reduced the pool of possible actors. It is clear that not every actor is comfortable speaking it, while some speakers aren't comfortable actors. Finkers himself, for instance, is in the last category. Especially because of his national fame as a comedian, it is difficult to separate the tragicomic character of Jan from Finkers himself. Johanna ter Steege is the only main actor who grew up speaking the language at a native level. This gives her all the freedom to focus on her acting instead, which she has been doing professionally for decades. She showcases her talent in a stellar performance. Another surprisingly natural speaker is Daphne Bunskoek, although her role as candid photographer Julia seems somewhat superfluous and not very essential to the story, if only to convince Jan that there are women who aren't as possessive as his own wife.

Despite all this, The Marriage Escape is a monumental film within the broader strive for more recognition for Low Saxon. It is also a mirror to many couples who having been living together for years. It is well-shot, and it was chosen as the 2020 Dutch Film of the Year (although it isn't Dutch), attracting millions of viewers and high praise since its release.

Highly enjoyable for an evening of light entertainment, but no ground-breaking stuff, apart from the language aspect.

Brot (The Valhalla Murders) is advertised as being about Icelandic policeman Arnar (Björn Thors) being brought back from Norway to assist in the hunt for what appears to be a serial killer. This is only partly true. I felt the series was more about Kata (Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir), a senior policewoman leading the investigation, and who gets side-lined for promotion while her teenage son appears to lose some of his game nerd innocence.

Let's get the little points of critique out of the way first. The series does have a considerable amount of scenes where coppers steal around in dimly lit warehouses and harbours, brandishing nothing but a pocket torch in defence against a potentially mentally disturbed killer. What was that? A suspicious noise from behind that strip door? let's barge right in unarmed, and check it out! The occasional cheap 'zing' sound effect when a sinister silhouette darts across the room in front of the camera gave me Eighties flashbacks.

All that time of creeping through abandoned places and running after suspects could have been used to zoom in on the soured relationship between Kata and Helga (Tinna Hrafnsdóttir), that thing with Kári (her son), or the as of yet unresolved consequences of Arnars sudden violence.

The screenplay is straightforward. No distracting time jumps, just several main characters with a human flaw going through a personal struggle, trying to solve the biggest murder case in Icelandic history. Combine that with solid acting and you have a golden show (though it's mostly in blue and grey hues). Thors' Arnar has his own demons, and you can nearly sense them roiling and toiling under the surface of his tight-clenched, almost morose composure. Scandinavians are renowned for their undercooled emotions, which make it all the more powerful when those feelings finally do come out raw and untethered. But I guess that's a European's perspective.

The camera work is well done, and really serves its purpose: keeping you on edge from the start. Combine that with shots of the impressive Icelandic landscape, and you'd even consider visiting the place, were it not for the highly disturbed killers, ever-present ice and snow, and severely understaffed police force out there.

We've seen our fair share of mainland ScandiNoir. Together with Ofærð and Fortitude, the Icelanders show they have a few tricks up their sleeve.

Crime reporter Dicte (Iben Hjejle) stays ahead of criminal investigators John Wagner (Lars Brygmann) and his snarky aide Linda Bendtsen (Ditte Ylva Olsen) in solving cases, and sometimes can't help getting involved as well.

Dicte is a light-hearted show about the continous dance between news reporters' drive to inform the public and police attempts to keep a lid on. In this show, solving a case usually takes two episodes. Meanwhile, Dicte and the rest of the characters have their own stuff to figure out. That usually involves a bit of banter, casual sex, but also more serious issues, such as searching for her son whom she had to give up for adoption when she was a teenager.

Dicte is an entertaining show, but don't expect extensive plot twists or a ground-breaking cinematic experience.

It may be because we're in the TV Series era now, and used to slow character and plot build-up that typically goes with it. It might be because I had fond childhood memories of the original, which are now tainted by the harsh realisation that we tend to romanticise our memories.

But The Lion King's remake wasn't all there for me.

It most certainly wasn't because of the lush beauty of the CGI. Indeed, the visuals were stunning, life-like, and I'd pay handsomely to visit one of those paradise locations in real life. You'd also sort of half expect Sir David Attenborough to narrate the story. That might not even be such a bad idea after all, come to think of it.

But the story felt rushed at times, and key moments were bereft of the required emotional impact, such as Simba's mourning and sense of guilt.

It may be I was less impressed because, hey, it's a remake, and I already knew what was coming. But that could just be part of the truth. I think it was too realistic to still get away with animals bursting into song and dance.

And then there's the voice acting of Beyoncé. Her singing, well, nobody does that better than Queen Bee, and I seriously enjoyed her rendition of the classics. But her spoken lines for Nala sounded chronically underwhelmed.

Maybe I'm being a bit too harsh. Maybe we should just treat it as a new story. It's a children's film after all. And to any new, young, and impressionable viewer, it will undoubtedly be an overwhelming, visual display supporting a classic story that has proven its worth countless of times.

A Flemish/Dutch covert operation is set up to bring down Ferry Bouman, leader of the biggest XTC trade in the Benelux and a blunter, Dutch version of Tony Soprano. Naturally, the undercover agents find themselves more and more entangled in their own web.

It's refreshing to see a Flemish/Dutch production executed so well. It's fast-paced, well-shot, and properly thought-out. Yet at times you wonder how such petty criminals manage to run one of the biggest XTC networks in Western Europe. You'd half-expect them to have one or two politicians or lawyers in their pockets, but nothing of the sort. Except one pretty useless bent copper. But apparently, that is how the Dutch run the European drug trade.

Some of the characters (I'm looking at you, Danielle and Jurgen) are pretty shallow, even to a caricaturised point. Especially Jurgen, the explosive aide of Ferry and not the sharpest tool in the shed, reminded me a little too much of that other Brabantian classic, New Kids. It does, however, offer a lighter streak of Dutch humour to a dark show, and a lovely contrast to the beautiful, more deeply written-out characters of Ferry, Bob, and John, skilfully portrayed by Frank Lammers, Tom Waes, and Raymond Thiry. Especially Thiry deserves a commendation for his stellar performance of the ever-suspicious, shrewd, and 100% loyal consigliere. In my opinion he finally manages to convincingly break away from the antihero image that clung to him from his days as an actor for a Dutch children's TV series.

As can be expected given Europe's rich cultural tapestry, this is a show for language lovers. Europe has open borders, and criminals have no trouble driving a lorry from Belgium to Poland and back without being held up. At least, not by border control. Within two episodes, you'll hear Flemish, Dutch, Brabantian, Polish, (terrible) English, Spanish, German, French, and even a bit of Italian. And although the dialogues may be predictable at times, the strong regional accents lend them a very authentic feel. I must admit I found undercover agent Anouk one of the least convincing characters, precisely because she stood out with her polished Standard Dutch accent (take heed, Hilversum).

Trust seems to be the biggest theme throughout the series, though they don't really dwell on it, and it is relatively easily won and lost. Cinematography-wise, the show does pay attention to details with smooth shots, but given the fast-pacedness of it, there isn't much room for drawn-out scenes. Undercover banks nicely on the constant tension of whether the ops will be found out. Each episode ends with a well-planned cliff hanger. And despite every point of critique, this had me watch the entire series in less than a week. So all in all, nothing truly ground-breaking or deeply philosophical, but definitely worth a watch.

Can you imagine driving to your secondary school in one of your parents' Porsches? Or spend a holiday on your father's flashy yacht while being served by a ten-person crew? Me neither. But it's everyday life for spoilt rich kids and lovers Maja (Hanna Ardéhn) and Sebastian (Felix Sandman). Theirs is a world of shallow materialism, where parental lack of care is inundated with an overabundance of presents. Desperate for his father's attention (and approval), Sebastian does everything our dear Lord forbade, effectively pushing him away even more.

Your first reaction to the subject of Maja's infatuation will probably be something along the lines of "Him? Really? This scrawny, and down-right annoying specimen is the man of your dreams?" But oh well, I guess love works in mysterious ways. Admittedly, it takes a long time to get a feel for the filthy rich characters, who divide their time between dinners in ritzy castles and drug-induced pool parties.

But, perhaps miraculously, in the course of the just six episodes, you get drawn in more and more while you begin to feel for Maja's rising despair as she finally realises Sebastian's instability and bad overall influence.

Regular short flashbacks to the fatal day keep you in the dark (and on edge) as to what really went down until the very last scene of the final episode. Cinematography-wise, the directors have opted for a shaky, erratic style of filming and random focus on seemingly unimportant details. Besides a sense of urgency, this lends Quicksand a certain first-person experience. It isn't always very pleasant to watch, though.

I'd like to commend the actors for their fine acting work. The fact that we get to dislike Sebastian from the moment we first lay eyes on him, is testimony to Sandman's acting skills. And Ardéhn's Maja who sees her rosy childhood go down the drain, while she tries to save what's left of it despite immense pressure from all sides. A mature performance, if you'll excuse my pun. Same goes for lawyer Peder Sander (David Dencik), who is convincing throughout the show.

The only implausible side of Quicksand is the overdone teenage parties, which admittedly can be pretty wild, but not as over-the-top as in this show.

On first thought, the story is pretty straight-forward: a downward spiralling teenage love affair ends in a sad school shooting. But it is skilfully executed (another pun, sorry). Some characters are rather shallow, but this adds to the image of the emptiness below the thin layer or glitz.

Money can't buy you happiness, folks!

Suburra follows several young gangsters while they mature into a life of violence and corruption, while dealing with life (and death) itself. One from a 'respected' crime family, one gypsy, and one copper's son with questionable loyalty who gets caught up in something he wasn't grown up enough for yet. And then there's the one straight councilman who has no alternative but to gradually sell his soul to the devil to finally live up to his potential and make a difference in politics. They run into bent priests, unscrupulous brokers rubbing elbows with both the upper- and underworld, the Sicilian mafia, and each other.

While hot-headed wrecking ball Aureliano Adami (Alessandro Borghi) tries to earn his place between his father and more strategy-savvy sister Livia (Barbara Chichiarelli), and flashy gypsy son Spadino (Giacomo Ferrara) is forced into an arranged marriage although he's gay, small-time party crasher and coke slinger Lele (Eduardo Valdarnini), who is the son of a policeman, ends up selling his wares at the wrong party, making him the perfect problem solver for sly old deal maker Samurai (Francesco Acquaroli).

We get to follow them while they figure out where their loyalties lie in this blood-curling, violent coming-of-age, or rather, shifting-of-power series, through several masterfully written plot twists full of grand-scale irony, set-backs and difficult choices for better or worse, against the backdrop of beautiful but cold-hearted Rome. All the characters have something humane, be it a character trait or flaw, that makes them likable, if not relatable. Even stone cold Samurai is looking after his dear old mother, after violently 'tying up a loose end' only five minutes ago.

The acting is good, the story captivating, and you can't go wrong with the splendour of Rome as your background. Go watch this!

Narcos Mexico follows Diego Luna playing Félix Gallardo's rise from unimportant weed peddler to the world's (second) biggest cocaine kingpin, and the freshly founded American Drug Enforcement Agency's frantic efforts to swim against the tide of Mexico's widespread corruption to stop him.

For starters, it's a little off to hear the same narrator from Narcos Colombia in a series about Mexico. You sort of half expect Agent Peña (Pedro Pascal) from the first series to step into view at some point. The casting agency must have found it funny that this season's main protagonist, agent Enrique 'Kiki' Camarena, is played by Michael Peña. But what a fine choice it was. Peña's acting makes you sense Camarena's rising despair when with each episode his hands are tied tighter, while he's all the more bent on tackling Gallardo.

The show is beautifully shot, capturing that sweaty, dust-layered grit of the scorching Mexican desert climate. The supporting characters' dialogues and antics are guaranteed to elicit a few smiles every now and then. Especially Joaquín Cosio's exquisite version of Don Neto, Gallardo's personal advisor and external conscience, deserves a mention. We all have that one unruly uncle who can't behave at parties, which makes him all the more fun to be around. Though he is still a criminal, he is also a father figure who - up to a point - keeps Gallardo and his wild weed farmer Rafa (Tenoch Huerto) in check.

That said, the show's plot develops lightning-fast, sometimes at the cost of crucial character developments. At one point, Gallardo is just a Sinaloan ex-copper turned fairly innocent marijuana farmer, looking to provide for his family. The next moment we see him shoot up someone in public in cold blood, without a shred of remorse. His initial humble abode in the Sinaloan mountains is (a little too) quickly replaced by lavish sea-side palaces. And while the narrator explains that the Mexican regional drug organisations are extremely difficult to reconcile, Gallardo manages within one scene, when he gathers all the heads around a big round table King Arthur-style.

The show is well worth the watch, especially when you know its plot twists and characters are fairly true to real life. It is all the more gripping when you realise the events in this series depict a drug war that has been raging for nearly forty years now, at the cost thousands of innocent people's lives. If you want to understand what caused the current Mexican drug mess, this provides a compelling start.

After her US marine husband Kane (played by Oscar Isaac, well that's at least one Oscar in the pocket) returns from a mission and doesn't appear to be the same person as before, soldier-turned-biologist Lena (Natalie Portman) wants answers. She ends up on a all-female mission into 'the Shimmer', an otherworldly, constantly growing soap bubble glow, emanating from a lighthouse, and from which none bar Lena's husband has made it back alive, albeit barely.

Of course, when your best-trained soldiers don't ever return from a mutant bog, perhaps a team of scientists will fare better. Here's an M16, the best of luck to you!

All of the tough girl team seem to have a backstory for wanting to go on what clearly is a suicide mission, and Lena, too, happily volunteers. A lovely coincidence she's a celebrated biologist, because there's wonderful stuff going on inside the bubble. From fairytale deer with glow-in-the-dark antlers to rampantly growing blossoms in all possible hues of the rainbow spectre. All biologists peer into microscopes at night when they can't sleep, and Lena does a remarkable discovery, just in time to witness one of the other ladies being eaten. Was it the anthropologist? There weren't any people left in the bubble to describe anyway. Well, as my mother used to say, night time's vermin's play time.

It seems the writers mistook that for a challenge, and hired both the animators from The Revenant and Jurassic Park for the CGI effects. I also got the idea they had a kitchen argument whether they should go for a more intellectual or a horror-like feel, and decided on a compromise. We get gory scenes of people being ripped to bits, literally grown apart, cut open, and eaten from the inside, while the scientists engage in a lively discussion to make sense of it all. Instead of getting a feel for the thinly drawn characters, however, the result is a sense of alienation (heh, sorry). Perhaps that was intentional.

Annihilation's scenes are dream-like overall, with flashy lense flares around every corner and lush, extravagant foliage eating away at the world as we know it. The rampant parasitic proliferation looks quite natural, and the mutation notion allows it to be plausible for a long time. Up to the point where, after delivering a semi-esoteric speech contemplating the meaning of life, the ever-distant Dr. Ventress (Jennifer Jason Leigh) throws back her head, and disintegrates into a bright beam of particles emanating from her mouth. You read that right.

When Lena returns after fighting a galvanised version of herself, everything has returned to normal. Or has it? I guess we can best summarise it in the same words as the most-heard answer in the film: I don't know.

SUMMARY

A certain murder method resurfaces after ten years of absence, and former investigator turned traumatised housewife Marcella (Anna Friel) decides to dive back in.

STORY COMMENTS

The story comes as a multi-package. There are (perhaps too) many subplots that lead to the ultimate climax, but at the same time don't really help its plausibility. There's simply too much going on, and it all coincides a bit too comfortably.

Marcella is a troubled investigator, whose personal affairs get her into serious trouble during the investigation. The fact that everyone has their flaws is a nice enough notion in this series, and the angle in which at some point the viewer, the main character, and the team of investigators are all uncertain about Marcella's own innocence is nicely done. On the other hand, it's quite disheartening (and a serious flaw) that a top team of investigators fails to assess the mental state of one of their members, which jeopardises the whole operation.

While Marcella appears to have a hard time coping with the loss of one of her children, she doesn't seem too interested in the other two. And for someone who desperately wants her husband back, she has an odd way of expressing it.

There's a satisfying climax halfway through, but at the same time it's such a red herring revelation that it drains the energy somewhat from the rest of the story.

Also, the final answer to the murderer's motives seems a bit far-fetched, crammed into the last episode, and quickly brushed aside.

ACTING

At times solid acting with mostly convincing characters. Though some bigger names top the cast list, they cannot lift an upper-mediocre story into the amazing range. Nicholas Pinnock playing Jason Backland, Marcella's husband, for instance, cannot seem to get past looking stoical most of the time in what seems a subconscious advert for a personal clothing line of tailored suits. Special praise to Ian Puleston-Davies, though. Although only part of a subplot, his portrayal of the disturbed and creepy stalker Peter Cullen really induces some nail-biting suspense.

CINEMATOGRAPHY AND EFFECTS

The lighting and camera angles support the story well. Nothing fancy or novel about it, just solid stuff. There are some redundant shots, that could have been left out for the sake of story progression, but they were probably kept for atmospheric or emotional effect. The tension-inducing sound effects were a little over the top for scenes that on second thought weren't that exciting at all. Other than that, not bad at all.

THEMES

The series seems to want to briefly comment on the aftermath of divorce and loss of children, but doesn't entirely drive the message home. Yes, we can understand it affects the parents deeply when they lose a child, and we all know it can destroy their relationship. Nothing new here. Love, friendship and the betrayal of it, the stubborn solo copper, blackmail, as well as the theme of the hard-line industrial mogul not hesitant to go the extra mile to get a project approved, it's all there. If the broadest of thematic coverage possible is what you're after, here's your show.

FLAWS

To put it mildly, It is quite strange that the main character can just jump in an ongoing investigation at will, after years and years of absence, and without even the slightest reintroduction training. Her trauma-induced relapses don't seem to bother anyone, not even when she blacks out in the presence of a lead investigator, or when she kicks her ex-husband down the stairs after she first wrecked his car. And when Marcella's husband is implicated, the top brass simply agrees she can keep working on the investigation. When Jason pays off his private investigator, he does so in broad daylight, with a terribly clichéed brown, neatly sealed package. Also, that private business investigator's computer is remarkably easy to hack into. And who killed Hassan?

ROUND-UP

To round things up, it is a nice enough story to keep you busy for a few nights, but nothing groundbreaking. Let's see what season two brings. Going by the reviews, we're in for a treat.

After a French national is murdered in Sámi territory in north Sweden, troubled investigator Kahina Zahdi (Leïla Bekhti) is sent out to investigate. She quickly learns there's a lot more at play.

The small local police force is faced with the task of solving a gruesome murder, unheard of in the otherwise sleepy mining community. And when lead investigator Rutger Burlin (Peter Stormare) unexpectedly takes his leave, the investigation suddenly lands on the shoulders of the somewhat clumsy public prosecutor Anders Harnesk (Gustaf Hammarsten), whom hardly anybody holds in high regard. Tensions only worsen when it turns out the French murder is only the tip of the iceberg, which puts both the mining community as well as the Sámi on edge. There's even a minor role for the Kven people.

Midnattssol offers an interesting window into Sámi culture, while succesfully contrasting the beauty and tranquility of the northern Swedish landscape and its six-month daylight with the dark cruelty of a troubled mind. While the mystification of Sámi customs may be a bit overdone, with at times incessant traditional joik singing and visions of reindeer, having a nåjd (Sámi shaman) make unexpected jokes lightens the mood sometimes.

The series touches on quite a few issues, such as racism, the treatment of minorities and their fight for basic rights, acceptance of (homo)sexuality, the bonds between parents and children, greed, honesty, revenge, and international relations. Almost all main characters grow and develop considerably during this multilingual drama, and they all have their own issues to overcome.

As a viewer, you really find yourself divided between the mining community and the Sámi, the motives of the murderer and the (not so innocent) victims, which in itself also reflects the inner turmoil of lead investigator Harnesk, who is half Swedish, half Sámi himself.

Small wonder both Hammarsted and Bekhti were nominees for Outstanding Actor and Outstanding Actress in a Drama TV Series at the Montecarlo TV Festival, and Midnattssol won the Kristallen Best Drama of the Year award.

Nice detail: the town of Kiruna does exist in real life, and it really plans to move in its entirety a few kilometres because of the iron mine.

After his success with Kroamskudden in Mariaparochie, Dutch comedian Herman Finkers decided to kick things up a notch. Originally a skit in one of his theatre shows, he made a full-scale animation of his (very) loose interpretation of Shakespeare's world-famous play MacBeth. As with most of his programmes of that era, Finkers teamed up with his brother Wilfried, who came up with the original set of jokes, and who can be heard as a voice actor for several characters.

'Loose interpretation' is an accurate description. Though most renditions of the play take several hours, Finkers' version manages to tell the story in just 25 minutes. Most secondary plot twists are left out, and in one instance, the animation simply skips a movement out in the heather, as it turns out to be bad weather there. Only the essentials remain, such as MacBeth (voiced by the late Jan Knollema) meeting three witches who make a fool out of him in this version, his overly ambitious wife Salmonella (voiced in falsetto by Finkers himself) urging him to help his fate a little, the murder of King Duncan, a revolt against the new king, and eventually MacBeth's unfortunate demise.

Finkers' version is a delight for language lovers. The plot gaps are filled in with typical Finkers-style word jokes, literal interpretations of imagery and metaphors, and unexpected side-steps on standard expressions (skilfully supported by John Croezen and Sieger Zuidersma's animations). Right at the beginning, for instance, MacBeth is introduced as a good-natured but strong military leader, who slaughtered, amongst others, Patrick the Right. The narrator (also Finkers) explains he was called Patrick the Right because MacBeth first killed the wrong Patrick. Meanwhile, MacBeth is seen dusting off a row of trophy heads on a wall.

But it isn't all just silly word jokes, as Finkers displays a remarkable skill in matching rhyme and metre, easily on par with the style of the original. Before he played his large theatre productions, Finkers started out as a self-dubbed 'comical poet', providing a laugh during the intermezzos of a band of friends in his youth. Apart from being a language virtuoso, he's also a skilled multi-instrumentalist. It explains why he flawlessly knows his way around metre and rhyme schemes, without losing his humorous streak. Two times, MacBeth himself is seen reciting a few tight-knit stanzas bulging with clever wordplay, witty puns, and hilarious, unexpected twists. As with all Finkersian work, these prove near-impossible to translate.

Whereas Kroamskudden in Mariaparochie was rather straightforward in its storytelling, Finkers' MacBeth contains subtle in-jokes that get noticed only on a second viewing. Croezen and Zuidersma have also upped their game, as the animations are more natural, smooth and tidy, and the backgrounds are drawn with an eye for detail. The piece is fast-paced, clever, and for the most part simply hilarious.

If Kroamskudden was a first-class production, MacBeth is an absolute masterpiece by one of the biggest names in Dutch comedy history.

The classic story of Jesus, Mary and Joseph of Nazareth set in the eastern-Dutch region of Twente, and - except for the heavily accented Dutch narration - told in the local variety of the Low Saxon/Low German language.

Kroamskudden is the old Twents practice of visiting and congratulating the family of a new-born child by bringing lots of food, and Mariaparochie (Mary's Parish) is a hamlet just north of Almelo, the hometown of Herman Finkers.

Originally published in 1988, this short animation quickly propelled to fame the rising star (pun intended) of Herman Finkers, a Dutch comedian from the aforementioned region. Within Twente, mostly, of course. The short film reached such cult status that a local TV station has since aired it every Christmas. And thousands still sit down to watch it every year. The witty quotes from the film have become staple expressions within the local language.

Finkers is a language genius, and the exchanges in the animation capture the unique, dry-witted humour of the region perfectly. Though hilarious for those familiar with the language, his clever wordplay and literal interpretation of metaphors are hard to translate.

In Finkers-logic, the Wise Men from the East speak German, for instance, as Twente borders on Germany to the east. And when they ask for directions to find Joseph of David, the farmer they meet only knows Joseph by his local nickname, and refers them to a one-star hotel. An obvious biblical reference, to those familiar with the original story.

The animations are a bit erratic at times, and it is clear that John Croezen is more of an illustrator than an animator, but the visuals still support the jokes quite well, for which Finkers is the sole voice actor.

If you're interested in learning a thing or two about local Twents culture and have a few good laughs (that is, if you understand Dutch and Low Saxon), Kroamskudd'n in Mariaparochie is a must-watch.

Taking his leave from hectic Helsinki to find more peace of mind and time for his family, Finnish detective Sorjonen finds himself and his loved ones more and more intertwined with the intrigues of Lappeenranta, a small town near the border with Russia.

The show is subdivided into several 'cases' covering three or four episodes each, giving you a quick and steady build-up of suspense that keeps you at the edge of your seat and hungry for answers. The characters develop naturally, and their interactions are natural and witty. Cinematography-wise, the film makers went out their way to contrast the beauty of the Finnish landscape with the dull greyness of a small industrial town.

Sorjonen/Bordertown's reserved characters may be a typical and accurate representation of the overall Finnish disposition, but it's the rough edges, quirky little details and the snarky responses from the somewhat stubborn Sorjonen that give this show a very authentic feel. Sorjonen having to move an inevitable pile of paper clutter from Taina's passenger seat before he can sit down, for instance, is a very natural thing to happen, and would surely be polished out in Hollywood shows. Another refreshing example is Lena, a stocky blonde in her late 40s. As the actual unscrupulous ex-FSB Russian muscle of the show, she won't shy away from a few unconventional methods to get answers. At the same time, she is having a hard time being a mother to troubled Katia.

If you're looking for points of critique, it would be that some of the characters are surprisingly quick in recovering from rather traumatic experiences, and there's a few loose ends that remain unanswered. Also, there's quite a worrying number of really twisted people in the small town of Lappeenranta.

If you are looking for rapid action and wild shoot-outs, this isn't the show for you. If you're into natural acting and subtle, dark humour, then this is highly recommended.