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 there are 6 episodes with a runtime of about 30-35 minutes.
The ensemble 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.
Tore Review
The series starts off at an awkward moment where Bosse is telling his 27-year-old son, Tore, to move out of the house and create a place for himself in the world. Bosse believes that moving out would be a good push for his son as something new will do him some good & he wouldn’t be so dependent on him still. Tore on the other hand is flabbergasted and becomes angry that his father is trying to kick him out.
He tried to give the example of the animals who stay in a pack for whole their life but could only think of Zebra to cite. Soon after we see how Bosse treats Tore like a child, feeding him and even dressing him up. But every time he tries to continue the conversation about moving out, 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 could be a possibility if he weren’t occupied by taking care of him. Both of them work at the Funeral home and stop at the senior facility to transport a dead person.
While he is complaining about the sudden change in his life with best friend Linn, Bosse gets hit by a truck and the impact is such that he loses his life. This tragic moment is the crucial point when we realise Tore’s personality. Instead of running up to help his father, he rushes back inside with a fake smile and starts chatting with the bereaved person’s family. Even when Linn tries to take him out, he would rather work than deal with the loss of his beloved father.
Whenever he feels any type of rush of emotion or meets a person who could remind him of his father, he runs away & tries to suppress it. During the days, he continues to work at his father’s funeral home as if nothing has happened and starts flirting with the new florist Erik. At night, he establishes himself on a party boat in the city and spends his night with strangers to run away from his intrusive thoughts.
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Despite being an anxiety-ridden person, who wouldn’t step out of his comfort zone for the fear of the unknown, he throws himself into the world of alcohol, sex and drugs for the first time. A new and beautiful, but risky, world suddenly opens up to Tore, but his best friend Linn and the colleagues at the funeral home quickly start to worry that Tore is about to lose his footing in his desperate attempts to escape reality. In order to find the same kind of warm love, he becomes obsessed with the new florist, Erik. Finding ways to strike a conversation or even take things forward.
No matter how much he tries, he bumps into a wall at the end. The series does a brilliant job of showcasing how everyone processes grief differently. Some try to find comfort in familiar things and others try to avoid anything that could remind them. Another reason for his erratic behaviour could be his personal anguish about how before his last moment, Bosse didn’t want to live with his son and even wanted to terminate his employment at the funeral house.
Already feeling rejected, the sudden loss induces a response that makes him face his worst demons. The ending, however, could be quite conflicting. Some might feel that it was confusing and didn’t resolve anything. On the other hand, the ending could mean that Tore is slowly accepting what has changed in his life. Instead of repressing his feelings, he finally opens up to Linn and realises what he has pushed away in his denial.
What really stands out is how romance isn’t used as a crutch to get Tore back on track. Grief is something that everyone has to deal with on their own. It doesn’t go away but remains with you for your entirety; the only difference is how much it weighs you down. Talking about romance, the character of Viggo has to be mentioned. Initially, he is the prototype antagonist who pulls the lead into the dark world. It was interesting to see that he didn’t exactly fit in that mould but had his own reflective character arc, which one would have expected from the male lead.
One simple detail that touched the emotional string was the absence of the tie. In the first few minutes, we see Bosse putting on a tie on Tore. But once he was gone, Tore never wore a tie again. His perfectly buttoned-up suit without a tie, visually shows the missing part in his life, even when he projects a fake smile and claims to be ‘completely okay’.
Overall, it’s definitely an emotional watch which gives another perspective on grief. Some might relate with him or find him too erratic, not understanding what’s going through Tore’s mind. But will leave you with lingering feelings. Another bonus point is how the creator didn’t drag it on for hours but made the story crisp by utilising every minute wisely.
Rating: 4/5
Tore is available for streaming on Netflix.
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