Bordertown: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.5
Extras		0.5
Overall		4.0

Bordertown: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie Review

A must-see murder-mystery drama.

Bordertown is a compelling police procedural drama which is worth checking out. The Finnish Netflix series is often compared to the hit television-series, Sherlock. Think of it as the Finnish equivalent to Sherlock, if you will. (Though the series develops its own distinctive voice during the season.) Created by Miikko Oikkonen, Bordertown: Season 1 is full of compelling mysteries for fans of procedural dramas to check out.

Kari Sorjonen (Ville Virtanen) is chief of police in a small border town which is located between Russia and Finland. As a head investigator, Kari has to bring together a team to solve a myriad of murder mysteries and crimes which are causing problems within the small-town community. Kari moved to the border town with his loyal family (his spouse and his college-age daughter) and the family soon finds that the journey taken is one that will head to surprise after surprise.

Can Kari manage to juggle his family life – caring for his lovely wife, raising his daughter – while solving mysteries that are as pitch-black as the night? As the series unfolds, grisly murders start to occur – lurking in the so-called border-town is a ruthless serial killer who will stop at nothing to take out their victims. Can Kari solve the case before it is too late? And what connecting do the cases have between one another?

One of the best things about Bordertown is the impeccable performance by Ville Virtanen. Virtanen manages to craft a compelling lead on the program. For a procedural drama, it is vital that the lead character be compelling and well-performed. Virtanen manages to give subtle nuance to his great character and the performance is full of unexpected depth. There is something magnetic about his performance and the way in which the performer carries the series from episode-to-episode. There certainly is something undeniably special about his performance and how it raises the bar for the entire production.

The series benefits from a number of impressive production elements. The series boasts a nice production aesthetic which rivals feature- films and is more visually inventive than many theatrical films. The production design by Vilja Katramo (Cryptid) and Okku Rahikainen (Miami) gives the series a style that is unique and compelling. Many television series can feel cookie-cutter and even throwaway when not produced well. Bordertown has no such issue – the production is well-done throughout and the stylistic flourishes are outstanding.

Into the abyss.

The series is expertly edited by Otto Ikaheimonen (Cryptid, Nymphs). There is never a dull moment within the series. Bordertown manages to keep audiences engaged with the characters and with the storylines through tense and riveting storytelling. Ikaheimonen brings a keen editorial eye to the production and helps the pace maintain a consistency that works wonders.

The costumes by Anu Pirila (Bad Luck Love, Hella W) also make an impression. The investigators appear in impressive attire and are well-dressed. The lead actor on the series has a superb costume – bringing a sense of realism to the series which simply works. The leading actresses also showcase a variety of compelling costumes that make the series more engaging.

Featuring cinematography by Mikael Gustafsson (Arctic Circle, Traffic Jam),  Bordertown is an impressively realized television series that has visuals which rival cinema. The aesthetics feel compelling throughout the season. Gustafsson has a keen sense of style for the program: the sometimes pitch-black atmosphere is kept intact throughout while smaller dramatic scenes display pathos that is compelling.

Miikko Oikkonen (Nymphs, Ihon alla) is the most-valuable-player in the production. As head scriptwriter of Bordertown, Oikkonen crafts compelling scripts that will keep audiences on the edge of their respective seats. The series often unfolds in two-to- three episode arcs – which are brought to a compelling close - while exploring a larger story which revolves around the lead detective and his family. The serial killer storyline in season one is also ongoing and a narrative that will glue viewers to their seat. Oikkonen is clearly a master at his craft and Bordertown becomes appointment television due to his dialogue and storytelling cues.

Under head direction of Juuso Syrja (Karalahti, Darude: Sandstorm),  Bordertown manages a tone that is dramatic and exciting. While the series is a procedural drama revolving around a case-of-the-week scenario in certain regards, the direction highlights the characters (and the scripts) with a level of dedication that is far more complex and thought-provoking. Bordertown is a compelling series. Television fans looking for a must-see series can look no further – Bordertown is a smash-success.

Bordertown: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Arriving on Blu-ray from Kino Lorber, Bordertown: Season 1 is presented in 1080p MPEG-4 AVC encoded high definition in the television broadcast aspect ratio of 1.78:1 widescreen. The presentation is superb from start to finish. The encode quality is enormously satisfactory and the presentation manages to showcase the unique cinematographic style with ease. Colors look quite satisfactory (even when the series often uses subdued or overcast colors for the ambiance and tone established in the series). The video-quality is remarkably sharp and engaging. There are no major issues to report in regards to compression artifacts. An impressive effort by Kino.

Bordertown: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The release is presented in DTS-HD Master Audio 2.0 stereo. The lossless audio presentation sounds superb and manages to pull viewers in to the story of the series well. The English subtitles are quite effective overall and are free from any significant spelling or grammatical errors (though there are a few minor hiccups that appear from time to time). The soundstage is involving and highly engaging. The music score is well reproduced.

Bordertown: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

Bordertown Season 1 Trailer (HD, 2:27)

Bordertown Season 2 Trailer (HD, 3:06)

Bordertown Season 3 Trailer (HD, 2:36)

Marseille Season 1 Trailer (HD, 2:16)

Marseille Season 2 Trailer (HD, 2:02)

Bordertown: Season 1 Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

One of the best television dramas to arrive from Finland, Bordertown is a must-see series with great performances and well-written storylines. The production is cinematic and far better than most TV dramas. With lead actor Ville Virtanen stealing the show as detective Kari Sorjonen, Bordertown is undeniably impressive. Creator Miikko Oikkonen, head-writer, crafted a television drama that is so effective that it manages to transcend any semblance of language barriers and it can be considered as appointment television – in Finland or elsewhere. Don't miss it. The Blu- ray release features an impressive video-audio presentation and is well worth a pick-up for fans. Highly recommended.