Review: Wallander: The Arsonist – Wallander: The Murderer (2013)

Directed by: Charlotte Brändström | 90 minutes | crime, drama, thriller | Actors: Krister Henriksson, Douglas Johansson, Charlotta Jonsson, Anja Lundkvist, Mats Bergman, Leonard Terfelt, Signe Dahlkvist, Sven Ahlström, Fredrik Gunnarson, Malena Engström, Stina Ekblad, Marianne Mörck, Christoffer Nordenrot, Staffan Kihlbom Thorson, Andreas Rothlin Sörgen Thorsson, Anna Blomberg

Does everyone deserve a second chance and to what extent should you judge someone on their reputation? These two issues form the core of Wallander’s penultimate episode. These are two topics that can play an important role in the social field. A society must show some kind of generosity. Anyone can make mistakes. But where do you draw the line and does this also apply to serious criminals? Imprisonment is a form of forced penance. The only question that arises is whether you can change the nature of some individuals? In any case, it provides substance for a solid episode.

When Tommy Ek leaves prison he can stay with his sister who runs a farm with her husband, Svante Holm. However, his past as an arsonist continues to haunt him. Someone sets fire to the tractor and kills his sister’s dog. It is clear to the residents of Ystad. The young man should never have been released. Even Svante doesn’t like Tommy hanging out in the yard. In the meantime, it runs around like hunted game.
While the ground beneath Wallander’s feet sinks more and more, he is raving against witnesses during a scuffle, the intrigues pile up and all of Ystad seems under the spell of Tommy Ek. Some residents even believe that they should take matters into their own hands. The nervous fuss leads to a blood-curdling finale.

“The Arsonist” contains to some extent the same content as the much acclaimed print “Hunting.” Also in this someone gets a whole community against him. Hysteria and backbiting can cause even the most well-behaved citizens to suddenly profile themselves in the wrong way. In the case of Tommy, the gossip is of course. He has serious facts on his record. But as long as there is no proof, someone remains innocent. Whatever public opinion claims.