Netflix’s new limited series Clark makes viewers’ heads spin as it takes them on a fast-moving and wild “true story” of one of Sweden’s most notorious criminals.
The name Clark Olofsson might not be too familiar to many outside Europe, but his legacy is quite remarkable. Olofsson had one of the longest-running histories of crime involving major bank robberies and drug trafficking. He’s also known for being a major player in the Norrmalmstorg robbery where the term Stockholm Syndrome was born. Even more prolific are his anarchist antics and charisma that often lead to sudden escapes and drive his ecstasy-filled lifestyle. Now, he’s got his own Netflix series that tells his “see to believe” story and, based on what’s known about Olofsson, played by Bill Skarsgard, it’s pretty fitting.
The series is supposedly based on Olofsson’s own account, it’s no surprise that the story is pretty much told, for better or worse, solely from his perspective. It’s a choice that might fit the material it’s working from but doesn’t exactly present the most unbiased narrator. Certain aspects of Olofsson’s story and character come off as overly glamorized and even paint him as sort of heroic when maybe that wasn’t exactly the case. Often, Olofsson presents himself as an alpha that everyone falls for upon meeting. However, his blunt and brutish way of talking to people doesn’t make his depiction all that believable. For living the life he does, it’s surprising that he doesn’t find himself in more conflicts with anyone outside of the police. It’s also incredibly doubtful that the women he has short-lasting sexual relationships really react the way they do.
So, those going into Clark looking for a completely honest telling of Olofsson’s story might have to do some truth searching on their own. However, Clark owns its narration perspective with how it instantly establishes its true story as a mix of “truth and lies.” Director Jonas Akerlund works with this knowledge well in creating a captivating story. The outrageous events that see Olofsson bounce back and forth between sex and drug-fueled escapades and finding a way to get back in the crime game inspire you to look deeper into Olofsson’s life just to see if there are deeper roots in reality. The narration is so detailed and unapologetic that you can’t help but hang on every word. Olofsson’s personality is so larger than life in his storytelling that you just can’t help but love his over-the-top view of himself.
Admittedly, certain elements of the storytelling “style” can be overbearing and become tiresome the longer the series goes on. While it’s fun to see Olofsson go all out for his full story and even go as far as turning a prison fight into a visually stunning comic book fight sequence, the constant montages of wild sex-capades and drug binges can quickly lose their shock and awe. Frankly, there’s so much of it that this writer might now be fully desensitized to seeing sex and drug use in movies and TV shows. It might be a vital part of showcasing Olofsson’s insane lifestyle, but it does become less intriguing rather quickly. However, there are parts of Akerlund’s direction and the storytelling that do a great job of fleshing out the human truth behind Olofsson’s life path.
For instance, in the second episode, Olofsson slowly peels back the layers behind an incident he had as a child that delves into the abusive living environments he grew up in. It’s nice how honest he slowly becomes about the moment, and it feels like a very reflective and real moment. There are more moments like this throughout his life that see him look back on bad times and they do a great job showing deeper parts of Olofsson outside of this gangster persona. There’s even something that one of his many loves Maria (Hanna Bjorn) says about him having the ability to change the world for the better, and you can feel that there could be some truth to that given how pivotal he can be in the crime world, as well as one of his big prison escapes. Olofsson never feels all that simple, and it’s an aspect of his persona that’s brought out excellently by Skarsgard.
While many know Skarsgard for portraying Pennywise in the modern It films, his work here as Olofsson is just as amazing and chaotic. Through every “charming” interaction and wild plan he goes through with, Skarsgard leaves you gripped by his performance that excellently shows off his range and ability as Olofsson continues to up the ante. It’s a performance that’s actually very akin to Adam Sandler’s in Uncut Gems with how Skarsgard makes Olofsson’s inability to resist crime very engaging and thrilling. Even in times when you think he’s about to lead a normal path (well normal for him anyway), he just does something that puts him back on the run. He’s clearly someone that just loves the rush of the chase, and it not only lends his story a good sense of unpredictability and entertaining thrills but also lets Skarsgard off the leash to deliver a can’t-miss performance and make the story live up to its titular criminal’s real-life legacy.
Even in its over-the-top and suspicious retelling of a real-life saga of crime, Clark manages to showcase Skarsgard at his best and delivers a jaw-dropping true story of an infamous celebrity criminal you need to see to believe.
