Tore is a Swedish drama series released on Netflix on October 27, 2023. It is written and created by William Spetz and directed by Erika Calmeyer. Produced by Anna-Klara Carlsten and consists of 6 episodes with a duration of between 30 and 35 minutes.
The cast of the series includes William Spetz as Tore, Sanna Sundqvist as Linn, Peter Haber as Bosse, Hannes Fohlin as Erik, Victor Iván as Viggo, Carlos Romero Cruz as Shady Meat, Karin Bertling as Heidi, Lotta Tejle as Ulla, Per Svensson as Per and Doreen Ndagire as Lo.
Creator: William Spetz
Stars: William Spetz, Sanna Sundqvist, Hannes Fohlin
The series begins at an awkward moment in which Bosse tells his 27-year-old son, Tore, to move out of the house and create a place for herself in the world. Bosse believes that moving would be a good boost for his son, since something new will do her good and she will no longer depend on him so much. Tore, on the other hand, is shocked and angry that his father is trying to kick him out.
He tried to give the example of animals staying in a herd throughout his life, but all he could think of was to quote Zebra. Shortly after we see how Bosse treats Tore like a child, feeding him and even clothing him. But every time he tries to continue the conversation about moving, Tore lashes out and suspects that his father has found a lover and wants to move in with that person. Bosse doesn't answer directly, but hints that it might be a possibility if he wasn't busy taking care of it. They both work at the funeral home and stop at the senior center to transport a dead person.
While complaining about the sudden change in his life to his best friend Linn, Bosse is hit by a truck and the impact is such that he loses his life. This tragic moment is the crucial point at which we realize Tore's personality. Instead of running to help his father, he runs back inside with a fake smile and starts chatting with the grieving person's family. Even when Linn tries to finish him off, she would rather work than deal with the loss of her beloved father.
Every time he feels some kind of emotion or meets a person who might remind him of her father, he runs away and tries to suppress it. During the days, he continues working at his father's funeral home as if nothing had happened and begins flirting with the new florist Erik. At night, he settles into a party boat in the city and spends the night with strangers to escape his intrusive thoughts.
Despite being an anxious person, who would not leave his comfort zone for fear of the unknown, he throws himself into the world of alcohol, sex and drugs for the first time. A beautiful but risky new world suddenly opens up for Tore, but his best friend Linn and his funeral home colleagues quickly begin to worry that Tore is about to lose his balance in his desperate attempts to escape the reality. To find the same kind of warm love, he becomes obsessed with the new florist, Erik. Find ways to start a conversation or even move things forward.
No matter how hard he tries, he eventually hits a wall. The series does a brilliant job of showing how everyone processes grief differently. Some try to find comfort in familiar things and others try to avoid anything that might remind them. Another reason for his erratic behavior could be his personal anguish over how before his last moment, Bosse did not want to live with his son and even wanted to fire his job at the funeral home.
Already feeling rejected, the sudden loss induces a response that causes him to confront his worst demons. The ending, however, could be quite contradictory. Some might feel that he was confusing and didn't resolve anything. On the other hand, the ending could mean that Tore is slowly coming to terms with what has changed in his life. Instead of repressing his feelings, he finally opens up to Linn and realizes what he has rejected by denying her.
What really stands out is how the romance isn't used as a crutch to get Tore back on track. Grief is something that everyone has to face on their own. It does not disappear but remains with you completely; The only difference is how much it weighs you. Speaking of romance, we must mention the character of Viggo. Initially, he is the prototypical antagonist who takes the lead into the dark world. It was interesting to see that he didn't exactly fit that mold, but he had his own thoughtful character arc, which one would have expected from the male lead.
A simple detail that struck an emotional chord was the absence of the tie. In the first minutes, we see Bosse tie Tore. But once he left, Tore never wore a tie again. His perfectly buttoned, tieless suit visually shows the missing part of his life, even as he projects a fake smile and claims to be "completely fine."
Overall, it's definitely an emotional watch that offers another perspective on grief.
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