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Season 1 – Beartown

Play trailer 2:27 Poster for Season 1 – Beartown Oct 2020 Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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93% Tomatometer 14 Reviews 73% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings
A community in Sweden places its dreams of revitalization on the teenage shoulders of its junior ice hockey team; the team finally has a shot at securing a national title until a violent act threatens to destroy Beartown entirely.
Beartown — Season 1

What to Know

Critics Consensus

Acutely observed and coiled with dread, Beartown is an intelligent sports drama that explores how the culture of an insular community can be complicit in a crime.

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Critics Reviews

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Nick Schager The Daily Beast 07/30/2021
Icy and enraged, it's a sobering portrait of tragedy wrought from not only toxic masculinity, but from the equally noxious -- and potentially more deadly -- systems that nurture, amplify, and protect it. Go to Full Review Judy Berman TIME Magazine 02/27/2021
...the show distinguishes itself much earlier-as a patient portrait of a stiflingly small place with a long memory; an investigation into the perils of masculinity; an icy Scandinavian take on Friday Night Lights... Go to Full Review Ashlie D. Stevens Salon.com 02/23/2021
The main cast members are smartly written and deliver powerful, intimate performances that fully communicate the story's complexity. Go to Full Review Jamil David Houston Press 07/30/2021
It's an entertaining teen sports drama with important ideas. It's almost entirely in Swedish with English subtitles. If you can get past the language barrier and embrace the show for what it is, then it is worth checking out. Go to Full Review Katie Baker The Ringer 04/03/2021
The chilly HBO adaptation about a small Swedish town and its hockey team examines what happens to a community when its systems are confronted by the chaos they've helped to create. Go to Full Review Dustin Rowles Pajiba 03/30/2021
I think I got so hung up on the intimate depictions of these characters and the warmth of Backman's writing that I missed the overarching theme of Beartown so successfully distilled by a five-episode HBO series. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Tricia G 09/05/2023 A far cry from the book, lack of character development and too many changes from the book. It missed important elements despite having five episodes to truly do the book justice. A disappointing watch, however I still watched the whole season out of curiosity. If you loved the book like I did, you won't really enjoy the show as much. See more 10/22/2021 Brilliant in so many ways. It's been a long time since a new tv show captured me as quickly as this one did! See more 09/25/2021 It takes you deeper into uncomfortable places than TV usually allows itself to go - uncomfortable places that need the light and exposure that Beartown provides. See more arya s 05/23/2021 Even if you might think you know where the story is going, the excellent production -- acting, script, cinematography, pacing -- make this film gripping and a worthy watch. It's also a fascinating glimpse into Swedish small-town culture, which, despite the happy socialism we hear about, is beset by some of the same problems plaguing American life: racism, sexism, income inequality, class conflict, sports worship. See more 03/22/2021 It was out of line with the story See more 03/21/2021 Made me seethe with anger. See more Read all reviews
Beartown — Season 1

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Cast & Crew

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Oliver Dufåker

Kevin Erdahl

Otto Fahlgren

Benji Ovich

Miriam Ingrid

Maya Andersson

Aliette Opheim

Mira Andersson

Tyler Shamy

Lyt

Ulf Stenberg

Peter Andersson

Episodes

Episode 1 Aired Oct 17, 2020 Peter and his family return to Beartown to start a new life and rejuvenate the town's hockey team and future; however, the team Peter is supposed to take over can't be saved, and he turns his focus to Beartown's hard-training new star, a junior. Details Episode 2 Aired Oct 17, 2020 The junior team starts to win, sparking hope; everyone's hopes rest on Kevin, and the only person who sees him as more than just a hockey star is Peter's daughter, Maya. Details Episode 3 Aired Oct 24, 2020 The backlash from the semifinals party hangs over Beartown like a fog; something happened, but Maya won't talk, and Kevin trains harder than ever -- to forget. Details Episode 4 Aired Oct 31, 2020 Neither the star of the team, Kevin, nor its coach, Peter, come to the crucial final game, and Beartown's future is on the line. Details Episode 5 Aired Nov 7, 2020 Questions about what happened to Maya and who is guilty divide Peter's family and the town. Details
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Beartown — Season 1

Beartown: Season 1 Featurette - The Cost of Winning Beartown: Season 1 Featurette - The Cost of Winning 2:07 Beartown: Season 1 Trailer Beartown: Season 1 Trailer 2:27 View more videos
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Beartown — Season 1

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Season Info

Director
Peter Grönlund
Screenwriter
Fredrik Backman, Linn Gottfridsson, Antonia Pyk, Anders Weidemann
Network
HBO
Rating
TV-MA
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Swedish
Release Date
Oct 17, 2020