40 chilling Nordic noir thrillers that make for perfect cosy viewing
From snow-capped Swedish dramas to icy Danish murder mysteries, these Scandi noirs will have you gripped from the get-go
Whether you’re a long-time fan of the genre or are yet to dip your toes in its frosty waters, now’s the time to discover the best Nordic noirs. Having first burst onto the UK scene at the start of the last decade, instigated by critically acclaimed thrillers like The Killing and The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, Nordic noir thrillers have remained at the top of many best new TV show lists thanks to their captivating plot lines, superb acting and spellbinding scenery. Here’s our pick of the best Nordic noir TV shows to tune into now.
The Glossary Edit
The Best Nordic Noirs
The Åre Murders
Sweden
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Netflix has form when it comes to creating the best Nordic noirs and this Swedish offering has become one of the most talked about new Nordic noir series of 2025 for the streaming giant. Based on a book series of the same name, the five-part series is set in a remote ski town, Åre, where police officer Hanna Ahlander (Carla Sehn) escapes to after being suspended from her job in Stockholm and dumped by her partner.
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As you might expect, it’s not long before she teams up with a local police officer, Daniel Lindskog (Kardo Razzazi), to work on a case about a missing teenage girl. But they soon realise there’s more at play here, as they try to uncover the truth behind a network of human traffickers and devastating family secrets. With stunning snow-covered landscapes, first-class acting and a plot that’ll have you hooked from the get-go, The Åre Murders has all the trappings of a must-watch Nordic noir series.
Streaming now on Netflix
The Asset
Denmark
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This new Danish offering is one of the best Nordic noirs on Netflix for 2025. Directed by Samanou Acheche Sahlstrøm (Carmen Curlers) and Kasper Barfoed (The Chestnut Man), The Asset tells the story of Tea Lind (Clara Dessau), a washed-out police cadet who has one last chance to join the force – by taking part in a high-stakes undercover operation.
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She’s asked to pose as a luxury jeweller so she can get close to the seemingly shallow and materialistic girlfriend of Denmark’s biggest cocaine dealer, in order to gather information on his national operation. But when she realises how much danger her unwitting informant and her informant’s daughter are in, Tea decides to risk it all to help her vulnerable new friend. Gripping and gritty, trust us when we say you’ll want to binge this six-part series in one go.
Streaming now on Netflix
The Case
Sweden
Both the French crime caper Lupin and the Idris Elba-starring Apple TV+ series Hijack were huge hits when they aired, so it’s hardly surprising that creator George Kay’s latest project is proving just as intriguing. This time he’s turned his attention to the world of Nordic noir TV shows with The Case, a Swedish Netflix series that’s been described as “part father-son love story, part criminal thriller”.
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Set in Stockholm, the five-part series follows respected investigator Thomas Berg (Jakob Oftebro), who is caught up in a case hunting down a murderer. But things take a horrifying turn when the serial killer starts targeting Thomas’s police colleagues. Out of desperation, he turns to an ex-detective for help – who just so happens to be his estranged father, Alfred. If they want to protect their fellow officers, the pair must put their differences aside and work together to catch one of the worst killers in Sweden’s history.
Streaming now on Netflix
The Glass Dome
Sweden
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If you’re looking for the best Nordic noirs to sink your teeth into, Netflix is always a good place to start. The streaming giant is home to plenty of brilliant Scandi dramas, including The Glass Dome, which is one of the platform’s most talked-about 2025 releases. The six-part Swedish crime drama explores the dark side of a small Swedish town after a young girl goes missing.
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When criminologist Lejla (Léonie Vincent) returns to Sweden following her adoptive mother’s death, she immediately finds herself caught up in a sinister mystery involving the disappearance of her friend’s young daughter, Alicia (Minoo Andacheh). As she joins the search, she is forced to confront the haunting trauma of her own childhood abduction in the very same town. Eerily tense and gripping, it’s a must-watch for fans of the genre.
Streaming now on Netflix
The Darkness
Iceland
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This 2024 Nordic noir TV series is based on a book by bestselling Icelandic author Ragnar Jónasson – who penned the famed Dark Iceland series – so you know it’s going to be worth a watch. As if that wasn’t enough of a draw it also stars Oscar-nominated Swedish actress Lena Olin, who you’ll recognise from the hit 2000 film Chocolat.
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Olin stars in The Darkness as a dedicated investigator who is being forced into early retirement and takes on a final cold case, which revolves around a young Russian asylum seeker. As is so often the case in these Scandi thrillers, while investigating the shocking murder she’s compelled to come to terms with her own personal traumas. Also starring British actors Jack Bannon and Douglas Henshall, it’s been praised for its brilliant performances and stunning scenery.
Streaming now on Plex
Secrets We Keep
Denmark
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Another Netflix must-watch Scandi Noir, Secrets We Keep is set in Copenhagen and revolves around a wealthy family who become embroiled in a scandal when their neighbours’ au pair, Ruby, goes missing. Close friends with their own au pair, Angel, matriarch Cecilie (Marie Bach Hansen) can’t help but go looking for answers.
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But when Cecilie starts to question her neighbour and friend, Katarina (Danica Curcic), and her husband, Rasmus (Lars Ranthe), she starts to worry that they may have had a hand in whatever happened to her. And as she delves deeper into the mystery, she begins to unravel secrets that shatter her seemingly perfect world.
Streaming now on Netflix
Rebecka Martinsson
Sweden
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This popular Swedish show has been considered one of the best Nordic noirs ever since it first launched in 2017, but it’s now reaching a new UK audience thanks to the fact that both of its critically acclaimed series have landed on Amazon Prime. The show centres around the titular Rebecka Martinsson, a high-flying lawyer who leaves Stockholm and returns to her remote home town in the north after her childhood friend suddenly dies.
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Naturally, once she arrives, she soon discovers that her friend was actually murdered. And what’s more, it seems like everyone in the town is hiding a secret. Based on the series of novels written by lawyer-turned-writer Åsa Larsson, this is hands down the best Nordic noir on Amazon Prime to tune into this season.
Streaming now on Amazon Prime
The Breakthrough
Sweden
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This tense true crime drama has been hailed by critics as one of the best Nordic noirs in years and shot straight into Netflix’s top 10 earlier this year. The Scandi noir series is based on a real murder case in Sweden in 2004 that went unsolved for 16 years, where a child and a woman in her late 50s were stabbed to death in the street in broad daylight. It was left as a cold case until, nearly two decades later, a genealogist entered the fray and changed everything.
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The Breakthrough stars Borgen’s Peter Eggers and The Wife’s Mattias Nordkvist and was directed by The Bridge’s Lisa Siwe, who knows a thing or two about crafting compelling and intense Nordic noirs. Told over just four episodes, it’s a highly emotional and often unsettling watch that is one of the best Nordic noirs on Netflix right now.
Streaming now on Netflix
Oxen
Denmark
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As is so often the case with the best Nordic noir TV series, Oxen is based on a book series of the same name, which centres around the titular character, Niels Oxen, a war veteran suffering from PTSD. The six-part series on Channel 4 uses Jens Henrik Jensen’s novels as its jumping off point, following Oxen after he has been framed for a crime and kicked out of the forces to cover an officer’s dereliction of duty. To keep himself busy he starts helping to investigate mysterious murders.
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Naturally, Oxen soon finds himself embroiled in a particularly troubling series of crimes, which starts with a body being tossed from a grand country house. Before long, he’s drawn into a convoluted web of blackmail and political subterfuge. Fast-paced and action-packed – and with a second season already in the pipeline – you won’t be able to tear your eyes away from the screen for a second.
Streaming now on Channel 4
Prisoner
Denmark
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The fact that The Killing’s Sofie Gråbøl leads the cast of this gripping Danish drama may be what draws many people into Prisoner at first, but it is in no way the only reason to watch this compelling Nordic noir series. You’re thrown into the deep end right from the very start here, with a violent prison riot setting the scene. But it quickly becomes apparent that all is not as it seems.
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Revolving around the complexities of the modern-day prison system in Denmark, the show follows four prison guards who, in order to save their jobs, trigger a battle for survival that reaches far beyond the jail’s walls. Impossibly taut and fraught, it will have you hooked from the get-go.
Streaming now on BBC iPlayer
A Nearly Normal Family
Sweden
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This limited Netflix series was adapted from a book of the same name – as many of the best Nordic noirs are – which sold over half a million copies in Sweden. It centres around a priest and his lawyer wife, who head up a seemingly perfect family. But their lives are suddenly turned upside down when their daughter is accused of murder.
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As they struggle to come to terms with the news, they begin to question how much they really know about each other and realise they’re willing to make desperate moves to protect their family. Above all, can they believe their daughter is telling the truth when she says she’s innocent? With a stellar cast including Lo Kauppi (Modus, Real humans) and Björn Bengtsson (The Last kingdom, Lust), it’s a must-watch.
Streaming now on Netflix
Top Dog
Sweden
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Devoted Nordic noir fans were thrilled when this compelling Swedish drama finally landed on UK screens last year. Based on the novels of Jens Lapidus, the show revolves around an unlikely double act. When Philip Schale (Björn Elgerd), the son of one of the richest men in Sweden, is kidnapped, his father enlists the help of his lawyers, instead of the police, to find him. Emily Jansson (Josefin Asplund) is the ambitious young attorney who’s appointed to track him down.
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Meanwhile, Teddy Maksumic (Alexej Manvelov) has just been released from prison after serving 10 years for kidnapping and murder. Despite living lives that are poles apart, Emily and Teddy’s worlds collide over the mysterious disappearance and they end up working together to solve the riddle. With plot twists aplenty, this one will keep you guessing until the end.
Streaming now on Channel 4
Reindeer Mafia
Finland
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This Finnish drama – which is also known as Poromafia – was one of the best Nordic noirs released in 2024. When matriarch Brita Nelihanka, long-time ruler of the northern Finnish wasteland, dies, her family members arrive to gather whatever inheritance has been left to them. But naturally, things are not that simple, and soon the entire family finds itself embroiled in an internal power struggle.
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The excellent cast features some familiar faces, including Anna-Maija Tuokko, who starred in Bordertown and Onnela, and Mikael Persbrandt, who you’ll recognise as Gillian Anderson’s handsome plumber boyfriend Jakob in Sex Education. With shades of Succession and The Sopranos, it’s one to add to your viewing calendar.
Streaming now on Channel 4
Enemy of the People
Finland
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Walter Presents rarely puts a foot wrong when it comes to their expertly curated showcase of award-winning foreign language dramas. Case in point, one of their latest Nordic noir TV shows: Enemy of the People. The Finnish crime thriller follows Katya (Kreeta Salminen), a young journalist who causes a stir after she writes a scathing article about a local footballing hero.
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That article takes on a whole new meaning when the footballer in question happens to turn up dead a few days later. As Katya begins to investigate the truth and learns the footballer may have been on the verge of uncovering a huge financial scam, she starts to realise it is more than just her reputation at stake – it’s her life.
Streaming now on Channel 4
Rig 45: Murder at Sea
Sweden
When Rig 45 first aired in 2018, viewers were immediately gripped by the gritty Swedish thriller, centred around a group who became trapped on an isolated oil rig in the North Sea with unknown killers on the prowl. In 2023 the show returned for a second season, with Rig 45: Murder at Sea picking up where the last series left off, with lead Petra (Lisa Henni) facing prison.
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But the more the police question her, the more they realise that Petra’s story doesn’t hold up. When a body is washed ashore, another excursion to the damaged rig is required. There, a hard drive is discovered, which may just hold some of the answers they’re looking for. Captivating from the offset, season two of this claustrophobic drama is just as compelling as the original.
Streaming now on Channel 4
Copenhagen Cowboy
Denmark
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Created and directed by Nicolas Winding Refn of Drive fame, this Nordic noir was always going to look and feel a little different. Doing away with the bleak hyper-reality we’ve come to expect from this genre, Copenhagen Cowboy is a neon-saturated adventure that takes us through the Danish capital’s criminal underworld, blending the natural and the mystical.
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Angela Bundalovic takes on the role of enigmatic heroine Miu, who escapes a life of servitude to seek revenge against those who wronged her by using her mysterious supernatural abilities. Lola Corfixen joins as her nemesis, Rakel, in this bold female-driven six-part series, which was also co-written by a team of talented women.
Streaming now on Netflix
Those Who Kill
Denmark
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Fans will be delighted to discover there’s a third and fourth season of the popular Danish drama Those Who Kill, which originated with Darkness in 2019 and followed up with Blinded in 2021. The third instalment, Lost, picks up with criminal profiler Louise Bergstein (Natalie Madueño) once again, as she continues to help the national crime squad solve murders. When a middle-aged couple are brutally killed, she’s pulled into the investigation to assist detective Frederik Havgaard (Simon Sears).
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In season four, Justice, Louise is back, this time to investigate the brutal execution of a young gang member in Copenhagen. Naturally, the case is anything but straightforward and ends up having wide-reaching implications for the entire Øresund region.
Streaming now on BBC iPlayer
The Investigation
Denmark
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This Scandi noir drama tells the real-life story of the Copenhagen police investigation into “the submarine case” – the killing of journalist Kim Wall, who disappeared in 2017 after going to interview a man who built a homemade vessel. Between them, head of homicide Jens Moller (Soren Malling) and chief prosecutor Jakob Buch-Jepsen (Pilou Asbæk) must prove beyond reasonable doubt that Wall was murdered.
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Rather than being a gripping whodunnit, The Investigation feels more like an intriguing puzzle to be solved. Written and directed by the Oscar-nominated Tobias Lindholm (Borgen) and undoubtedly one of the best Nordic noirs on Amazon Prime, the slowly drawn out six-parter goes to great lengths to make sure the crime is not glamourised, purposefully never naming Wall’s killer. Instead, it offers up a poetically shot look at one of the most famous cases of recent years.
Streaming now on Amazon Prime
Woman of the Dead
Austria
When this Austrian Nordic noir was first released in 2023 it quickly garnered a devoted fanbase, with social media alight with theories about the series and its twisty, turny plotline. Woman of the Dead centres around Brünhilde Blum, a funeral parlour director in a small ski resort town whose husband, local policeman Mark, is killed during a hit and run. Brünhilde is convinced this was no accident and sets out to uncover the truth.
Based on Bernhard Aichner’s novel of the same name, the six-part series follows Brünhilde as she digs deeper into the case, finding herself involved in increasingly dangerous situations as she uncovers the dark mysteries of her neighbours and colleagues. On the hunt for justice and revenge, she quickly realises that more than one person was out to silence her husband. The plotline will keep you guessing right up until the very end, while the show’s explosive finale will have you on the very edge of your seat.
Streaming now on Netflix
The Lost
Sweden
This gripping Swedish Nordic noir has viewers captivated right from the start. The series revolves around truck driver Erwin Linnas (Peter Viitanen), who truly believes he’s helping people when he smuggles refugees in the back of his truck. However, during one mission, things all go horribly wrong – with shocking consequences – after a fatal moment of distraction.
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The show can be a harrowing watch and it’s not for the faint of heart, but it does throw up some thought-provoking questions on the tragic issue of people smuggling. Erwin is a good man at heart, but one careless moment leads to disaster. Can he come to terms with his role in that calamity, or will he end up following a path of destruction? Tune in to find out.
Streaming now on Channel 4
The Bridge
Sweden
When a body is found on the bridge between Malmö in Sweden and Copenhagen in Denmark, two detectives from opposing sides are paired up to solve the murder: the socially awkward Swedish detective Saga Norén (Sofia Helin), and the more affable Danish detective Martin Rohde (played in the first two seasons by Kim Bodnia and by Henrik Sabroe in seasons three and four), who quickly becomes one of the few people who actually understands the obstinate Norén.
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Be prepared for grisly details – the first body we’re introduced to has been cut in half at the waist and placed exactly on the border line between the two countries – as well as plenty of moodily atmospheric shots of Malmö bridge encased in fog. While all the performances are superb, Helin stands out as the scene-stealer, and it’s largely due to her portrayal of the complicated Norén that The Bridge remains one of the best Nordic noirs of all time.
Streaming now on Apple TV+
White Sands
Denmark
While Nordic noirs are usually set in gloomy, frost-bitten places, this Danish crime drama moves the action to the beach instead. When a young German man is murdered in the tourist haven of White Sands (or Hvide Sande), Danish undercover cop Helene Falck (Marie Bach Hansen) and Danish-German homicide detective Thomas Beckmann (Carsten Bjørnlund) are sent to the town to solve the mystery. But there’s a twist: they must do so undercover, while posing as a married couple.
It almost sounds more like a plotline for a rom-com than a Scandi drama, particularly when the two strong-headed characters seem to find it more difficult than some to slip into the happily married role. But the village is brimming with suspects, and there are enough potential villains and plausible motives here to keep you guessing throughout White Sands – and push the will-they-won’t-they love story to the background.
Streaming now on Topic
Millennium (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo)
Sweden
No list of Nordic noir TV shows would be complete without The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, the first bestselling book from Swedish author Stieg Larsson’s Millennium Trilogy, which was originally published in 2005 and effectively launched the popularity of Nordic noir novels in America. In 2009 the trilogy was turned into a popular Swedish TV mini-series, Millennium, which catapulted Swedish actress Noomi Rapace into the mainstream. The first book was then given the Hollywood treatment in 2011, with a blockbuster film directed by David Fincher and starring Rooney Mara and Daniel Craig.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo is the first installment of the Millenium series and tells the story of goth hacker/private investigator Lisbeth Salander, who teams up with journalist Mikael Blomkvist (played by Mikael Nyqvist) to solve murders and take down corrupt politicians. Larsson died in 2004, but Swedish journalist David Lagercrantz picked up the mantle with three further books, and there’s a third trilogy from Karin Smirnoff.
Streaming now on BBC iPlayer
Trom
Faroe Islands
The lesser-known Faroe Islands form the location for this Nordic noir series, which follows a topical plot – the brutal slaughtering of wales and dolphins, which the isolated islands are particularly known for. In Trom, the body of a local animal activist is found amid a local whale hunt, piquing the interest of renowned Faroese journalist Hannis Martinsson (played by Danish actor Ulrich Thomsen). He soon becomes embroiled in the case, which is being led by the Islands’ police detective, Karla Mohr (Maria Rich).
Poignantly suspenseful, the tense atmosphere is only heightened by the dramatic cinematography, which makes the most of the Faroe Islands’ rugged and remote landscape. With its steep black cliffs, vibrant green moors, rolling mists and perilous one-track roads, the scenery practically becomes a character in its own right.
Streaming now on BBC Four
The Killing
Denmark
Many critics point to The Killing – or Forbrydelsen, as it’s known in Danish, which literally translates as ‘The Crime’ – as the show responsible for bringing the craze for Scandi noir to our shores. This is arguably the series that catapulted the genre into the mainstream – and even earnt itself an American remake in the process – so it’s no wonder it remains one of the best Nordic noirs around.
The show follows veteran detective Sarah Lund (Sofie Gråbøl) who, on the cusp of her retirement, is lured into the case of a murdered teenage girl. As Lund delves deeper into the mystery, she finds herself wading ever further into the political corruption that plagues chillingly gloomy Copenhagen. Tightly paced and packed with cliff-hangers, you’ll be hooked right from the offset.
Streaming now on Apple TV+
Arctic Circle
Finland
This Finnish series first aired in 2018 but is having something of a resurgence right now, thanks to the fact the fourth season dropped earlier this year. The series follows small-town cop Nina (Lina Kuustonen), who finds the remains of a prostitute in her snow-covered Lapland area near Finland’s Russian border – after further investigation, she goes on to uncover a full sex trafficking ring.
In season three Nina is back on the case, investigating a multiple murder and SUV theft gone wrong. With Nina now promoted to the role of police chief in the town of Ivalo, it’s her job to unravel the mystery and come up with answers. Season four is yet to stream in the UK, but fans are eagerly anticipating its drop. Set against the icily beautiful tundra of Lapland, Arctic Circle makes for fascinating and chilling viewing.
Streaming now on Channel 4
Wisting
Norway
This Scandi noir thriller is a bit more action-packed than some of the others on this list. Sven Nordin plays William Wisting, a weathered Norwegian detective who becomes embroiled in a case involving an American serial killer hiding in Norway. He teams up with an FBI agent sent over from the States – played by The Matrix’s Carrie-Anne Moss – as they try to track the killer down.
Naturally, the case turns out to be more complicated than it first seemed, leading Wisting into a spiral of seemingly unconnected murders, conspiracies and a rising body count. What’s more, his daughter is covering the case for a local newspaper, and soon finds herself in danger. Fans of the show will be pleased to hear there are four seasons to sink your teeth into, with the latest airing in 2024.
Streaming now on BBC iPlayer
Thin Blue Line
Sweden
This Swedish drama is billed as an intimate portrayal of the daily life of four police officers working in crime-ridden Malmö, and bears all the hallmarks of a quintessential cop show: dogged police officers, unbearably taught silences and investigations ranging from domestic violence to a missing child. But the show’s creator and head writer Cilla Jackert has said the show is actually more concerned with how police officers seek to reconcile their personal and professional lives.
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The show revolves around the criss-crossing stories of Sara (Amanda Jansson), Magnus (Oscar Töringe, Leah (Gizem Erdogan) and Jesse (Per Lasson), as they each struggle to keep their personal lives on track while facing the daily hardships of their profession. With atmospheric cinematography filmed with a hand-held camera, Thin Blue Line is imbued with a level of gritty realism that at times makes it feels more like watching an intense documentary than a scripted series.
Streaming now on Viaplay
The Valhalla Murders
Iceland
Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir stars as Katrin “Kata” Gunnarsdottir, a tough, no-nonsense-taking detective on the Reykjavik police force. Having just been overlooked for a deserved promotion, Kata isn’t in the best place when she’s forced to team up with her new Oslo-based partner Arnar (Björn Thors) to investigate a series of ritual murders that are connected to a school for troubled boys on the outskirts of the city.
The two struggle to connect as they work together on the case, as it becomes increasingly clear that Arnar is a man racked with crippling secrets and shame. The tense atmosphere is only heightened by the eerily beautiful Icelandic scenery, which is played up to full effect in The Valhalla Murders, with captivating aerial shots of snow-covered landscapes taking centre stage.
Streaming now on Netflix
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Occupied
Norway
While most Nordic noir TV shows tend to focus on grisly murders as the central theme for their plot, a few of the most popular ones veer into the political realm instead. That’s certainly the case for this highly topical thriller, which is set in the ‘near future’, at a time where America is no longer dependent on foreign oil and the EU is embroiled in an energy crisis. As a result, Russia decides to ‘softly’ invade Norway to take over its oil production, installing a shadow government that controls the country.
Occupied throws up all kinds of fascinating questions as it tackles controversial subjects such as global warming, Russian influence on Europe and national autonomy. Each of the characters is forced to wage a quiet personal conflict, deciding whether to resist the Russians or embrace them out of necessity. The scariest part? Just how plausible it all feels.
Streaming now on Netflix
Bordertown
Finland
This Finnish series takes a step back from the cold, grey cities that feature in so many Nordic noirs and moves the action just north of Helsinki, to Lappeenranta, a land of snowy mountains and spooky forests. The show revolves around detective Kari Sorjonen (Ville Virtanen), another brilliant investigator with more than a touch of social awkwardness about him, who’s known for his photographic memory and unrivalled success at solving mysteries.
The serial killers Sorjonen hunts are some of the darkest we’ve come across – one likes to lock his victims in ice-fishing cages, while another tries to poison an entire city’s water system – and the show is full of twists and turns that will keep you on the edge of your seat. There are three seasons of Bordertown to enjoy, with the first two being hailed as the strongest thanks to Sorjonen’s fiery deputy, Lena, a former secret-police operative based in Russia played by Anu Sinisalo.
Streaming now on Netflix
Cry Wolf
Denmark
Nordic noir favourite Bjarne Henriksen – who lovers of the genre will recognise from such hits as The Killing, Borgen and Trapped – plays Lars, a popular and experienced social worker asked to investigate the case of Holly, a 14-year-old girl who accuses her stepfather of abusing her and her seven-year-old brother, Theo. Worried for their safety, Lars removes the children to a foster home. But how much of Holly’s story is true, and how much of it is just the overactive imagination of a teenage girl?
Cry Wolf is a superb drama driven by its high calibre cast, most notably Henriksen but also Flora Ofelia Hofmann Lindahl as Holly and Noah Storm Otto as Theo, who both put in exceptional performances far beyond their tender years. Has Lars been tricked by the fragile Holly? Or is she truly the victim of horrific abuse? You’ll have to watch to find out.
Streaming now on Channel 4
Trapped
Iceland
Trapped is dark and moody Nordic noir at its finest. Ólafur Darri Ólafsson plays the newly divorced, slightly bedraggled detective Andri Olafssun, while Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir plays his scathing and sarcastic partner Hinrika. When a mutilated and dismembered body washes up on the shore, the pair realise a killer has descended into their small town. And while both actors put in complex, multi-layered performances as they try to solve the case, the real scene-stealer in this show is the Icelandic weather, which is elevated to become a character in its own right.
The first season features a blizzard that rages so fiercely it causes an avalanche, which keeps the townspeople – and the killer – trapped (hence the show’s title) and forces the small local police squad to fend for themselves when reinforcements from the capital aren’t able to reach them. Add into that the brutal Arctic tundra and very little daylight, and you’re onto a haunting winner.
Streaming now on Amazon Prime
Entrapped
Iceland
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The follow up to the first two seasons of the award-winning Trapped aired in 2021 and is just as delightfully dark as the original. Likeable detectives Andri (Ólafur Darri Ólafsson) and Hinrika (Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir) return in Entrapped, this time digging into the murder of a cult member linked to a biker gang’s land dispute in the remote far north of the island, as well as a woman’s disappearance in 2013.
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As with the first two seasons, hidden secrets from the past combine with dysfunctional family relationships to make for captivating viewing, but once again the real scene-stealer here is the stunning Icelandic landscape, showcased in all its snow-capped glory.
Streaming now on Netflix
The Chestnut Man
Denmark
This series was penned by the creators of The Killing, so it’s no surprise that it immediately garnered rave reviews when it was released in 2021. Set in Copenhagen, The Chestnut Man plunges us straight into a harrowing murder investigation – a body has been found in a children’s playground, with one of its hands missing. Hanging above the body is the killer’s calling card: a “chestnut man” doll made of matchsticks and two chestnuts.
The case is assigned to ambitious young detective Naia Thulin (Danica Curcic) and her new partner, Mark Hess (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard). While the pair examine the doll, they make a shocking discovery – one which connects it to the missing and presumed dead daughter of politician Rosa Hartung (Iben Dorner). Gloriously tense, dark and twisted, this one will have you gripped from the very first episode.
Streaming now on Netflix
Borgen
Denmark
One of the original and best Nordic noirs, Borgen has long been a firm favourite among Scandi connoisseurs, with a plotline that eschews murders in favour of politics. Chronicling the scheming ascent of Copenhagen politician Birgitte Nyborg (Sidse Babette Knudsen), it’s been dubbed House of Cards for the hygge set. It was also known for being eerily prophetic – like the fact that Nyborg unexpectedly became Denmark’s first female Statsminister (prime minister), a year before Helle Thorning-Schmidt stepped into that position for real.
After a nine-year break, the show returned to Netflix in 2022 to similarly rave reviews. The latest offering revisits the back-stabbing world of Danish politics, following Nyborg’s story after she’s unseated as prime minister and tackling Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Full of knife-edge tension and plot twists, it’s a must-watch.
Streaming now on Netflix
Caliphate
Swedish
Swedish series Caliphate begins in Syria with the story of Pervin (Gizem Erdogan), a Muslim Swede who is married to Raqqa-based IS member Hasum and gets wind of an impending terrorist attack planned for Sweden. In return for safe passage out of Syria, Pervin is tasked by ambitious Swedish Intelligence Service agent Fatima with finding out more – whatever the cost to her personal safety.
As she desperately attempts to do so – and puts herself in constant risk of discovery – Pervin’s life becomes a living nightmare. Alongside her plight, the show interweaves the stories of The Traveller, a charming students’ assistant in Sweden, who recruits a team there with backup from IS in Syria, including two students, 15-year-old Sulle and friend Kerima. Shot in Stockholm and Jordan, this eight-part thriller makes for real edge-of-the-seat viewing.
Streaming now on Netflix
Chosen
Denmark
Picture the scene: Middelbro is a mundane provincial town on the outskirts of Denmark, and 17-year-old Emma (played by Malaika Mosendane) one of its bored teenage inhabitants. The only exciting thing to have happened in the sleepy shipping town was a meteor crash that took place 17 years earlier, but Emma – who happens to be a tour guide at the crater site – soon discovers that even that isn’t what it seems. Emma is determined to find out the real answers, and when she meets a group of local teens it seems they might have them: according to them, the meteor was in fact an alien spacecraft.
While it might not seem like the two main genres in Chosen – the awkward coming-of-age teen drama and the sci-fi alien invasion – would immediately go together, this atmospheric Netflix series manages to meld them both fairly seamlessly, with a convincing cast of characters, a pacey script and a wry sense of humour.
Streaming now on Netflix
Deadwind
Finland
There are three seasons of this excellent Finnish drama to enjoy, and each one centres around Helsinki police detective Sofia Karppi (Pihla Viitala), who, upon her first assignment mere months after losing her husband, must investigate the murder of Anna Bergdahl, whose body was found on a construction site. She is reluctantly joined by her new partner, detective Sakari Nurmi (Lauri Tilkanen), freshly transferred to the homicide unit.
Season two of Deadwind sees the detectives team up again to work on a sensitive case, after two bodies are found, and the police chief is killed, leaving a cryptic message for the detectives to decipher. While in season three, the pair dive into a case involving a mysterious symbol, pharmaceutical promises and a deeply disturbed murderer. Each season is more gripping than the last, making it the perfect show to binge watch.
Streaming now on Netflix
Outlier
Norway
Set in the fictional town of Nerbygd in the far north of Norway, Outlier revolves around the murder of a young woman. The police are quick to convict a local reprobate, even getting a confession out of him. Case closed, it would seem. But in London, Maja Angell (Hanne Mathisen Haga) is working on a doctoral thesis in criminology – and following events in her hometown of Nerbygd from afar, she thinks the police have the wrong man.
As Maja continues to investigate, she uncovers the possibility that other women who have gone missing from the Nerbygd-Bardufoss area were taken by the same killer and that he’s still at large. The trouble is, not everyone in the community wants to hear this news. Things aren’t quite right around Nerdbygd, and they haven’t been for a while – but can Maja get to the bottom of it all?
Streaming now on Channel 4
Clark
Sweden
You’ve probably heard of the term ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, but it’s less likely you’ll know where that phrase hails from. It turns out it’s connected to Sweden’s most notorious bank robber and gangster, Clark Olofsson, and his infamous crimes, all of which form the basis of this dynamic six-part Netflix series. Bill Skarsgård plays the charismatic career criminal, who splits his life between committing various crimes, prison sentences and being on the run.
Directed by Jonas Åkerlund with an inventive visual style that reflects the lead character’s unorthodox path, and told through Clark’s perspective, Clark starts with his birth in 1947 and ends in the late 1980s, when he was sentenced to 10 years in prison for aggravated drug trafficking. But the key moment happens somewhere in the middle, in 1973, when Clark is involved in a notorious bank heist in Stockholm. It is the experience of the hostages taken during the heist, and their surprising affection for the larger-than-life Clark, that went on to give rise to the now well-known phrase. Fast-paced and darkly comedic, with a star turn from Skarsgård, it’s not hard to see why the Swedish people fell for his charms.
Streaming now on Netflix
