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Nordic noir, also known as Scandinavian noir, has been a popular genre since the 1990s, but it’s the streaming boom of the 2010s that really helped make it an international favorite. Gritty investigative thrillers, these moody crime fiction stories are usually told from the perspective of law enforcement officers, set in bleak landscapes, and explore social criticism, as well as deep emotional struggles in the face of the dark and inexplicable. Netflix’s library is home to a vast collection of Nordic noir shows, including some of the genre’s most popular hits. Read on to discover our handpicked selection of the best Nordic noir shows on Netflix right now.
For more recommendations, be sure to check out our lists of the best movies and shows on Netflix, as well as the best crime shows and true crime shows on Netflix.
Disclaimer: These titles are available on US Netflix.
‘Deadwind’ (2018 - 2022)
Rotten Tomatoes: 84% | IMDb: 7.3/10
Deadwind
Release Date August 23, 2018
Creator(s) Rike Jokela , Kirsi Porkka , Jari Olavi Rantala
Cast Pihla Viitala , Lauri Tilkanen , Mimosa Willamo , Noa Tola , Vera Kiiskinen , Ville Myllyrinne , Raimo Gronberg , Rami Peltonen
Created and directed by Rike Jokela, Deadwind is a Finnish crime drama that stars Pihla Viitala as recently widowed police detective Sofia Karppi. In the first season, Karppi returns to work in Helsinki, investigating the murder of a woman with ties to a construction company. Simultaneously, she struggles with the emotional aftermath of her husband’s death and takes care of her young son and teenage stepdaughter. Besides Viitala, the series also stars Lauri Tilkanen, Jani Volanen, and Tommi Korpela in key roles.
Deadwind was highly acclaimed when it premiered in Finland in 2018 on Yle TV2. Subsequently released on Netflix, the series has managed to find a wider audience, though it’s still relatively underrated. The show aired three seasons in total, the last one released in 2022. Positively compared to shows like The Killing and The Bridge, Deadwind is a well-made and suitably gritty cop procedural with some great performances. The writing can be a bit uneven, and it does get more than a bit unrealistic, but overall, the show is an enjoyable piece of crime fiction.
‘The Chestnut Man’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.7/10
The Chestnut Man
Release Date September 29, 2021
Based on Søren Sveistrup’s eponymous 2019 novel, The Chestnut Man is a Danish crime thriller miniseries created by Dorte Warnøe Hagh, David Sandreuter, and Mikkel Serup. The show follows a decades-spanning mystery that begins in 1987 when an entire family is found dead on a remote farm. Thirty years later, in present-day Copenhagen, several women are found murdered under similar circumstances with a mysterious chestnut figurine found at the crime scenes, kicking off an investigation that uncovers long-hidden secrets. Danica Curcic and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard lead the cast as detectives Naia Thulin and Mark Hess, respectively, with David Dencik, Esben Dalsgaard Andersen, and Iben Dorner in supporting roles.
The Chestnut Man was a highly anticipated show before its premiere in 2021, especially because the source material’s author, Søren Sveistrup, is also the writer behind the hit procedural The Killing. On its release, the series was very positively received by critics and audiences. A dark and gritty series with chilling plot twists and grisly cult horror elements, The Chestnut Man is an intriguing mystery story brought to life with excellent cinematography and strong performances.
‘Equinox’ (2020)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 6.1/10
Equinox
Release Date December 30, 2020
Cast Danica Curcic , Lars Brygmann , Fanny Leander Bornedal , Alexandre Willaume
Created by Tea Lindeburg, Equinox is a supernatural thriller series based on the Danish podcast Equinox 1985. The series stars Danica Curcic as Astrid, a young woman whose sister disappeared over 20 years ago. Haunted by terrible visions ever since, Astrid sets out to discover the truth about what happened, finding herself thrust into the middle of a complex conspiracy spanning decades. Besides Curcic, the show also stars Lars Brygmann, Karoline Hamm, Hanne Hedelund, Viola Martinsen, Fanny Bornedal, and more.
A six-episode mystery, Equinox premiered on Netflix in December 2020, receiving highly positive reviews from critics. The series has received praise for its cinematography, creepy atmosphere, and haunting performances, especially by Curcic in the lead role. The show is especially enjoyable for fans of elevated horror, who may find some similarities with the hit movie Midsommar. Carefully unfolding its spooky plot to maximum effect, Equinox is a captivating thriller inspired by Norse mythology and folk horror that you can’t help but binge all in one go.
‘Katla’ (2021)
Rotten Tomatoes: 100% | IMDb: 7.0/10
Created by Baltasar Kormákur and Sigurjón Kjartansson, Katla is an Icelandic supernatural mystery drama series that kicks off with the eruption of the eponymous volcano. A year later, the town is all but deserted, ravaged by floods and ash clouds. But when people who supposedly died years ago start mysteriously turning up alive, it becomes clear that the natural disaster was just the beginning of a series of strange, inexplicable events. The show stars Guðrún Eyfjörð, Ingvar Sigurðsson, Björn Thors, Íris Tanja Flygenring, Þorsteinn Bachmann, and more.
Originally announced in 2017, Katla premiered on Netflix in June 2021, receiving near-universal acclaim from critics. The series is a bit of a slow-burn, but the story gets increasingly more engrossing once it gets past its first episode. Making full use of its bleak, naturalistic setting, the show is an eerie and atmospheric watch with great performances. Katla balances its ominous mystery with great emotional depth, exploring both the strangeness of its supernatural events and the very natural human emotions triggered by these incidents.
‘A Nearly Normal Family’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 75% | IMDb: 6.9/10
A Nearly Normal Family
Release Date November 24, 2023
Creator(s) Mattias Edvardsson
Cast Christian Fandango Sundgren , Björn Bengtsson , Melisa Ferhatovic , Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors , Lo Kauppi
Based on M.T. Edvardsson’s eponymous novel, A Nearly Normal Family is a drama thriller limited series developed by Hans Jörnlind and Anna Platt and directed by Per Hanefjord. The show follows the story of the Sandell family, whose perfect life is upended when their 19-year-old daughter Stella is accused of murder. The series stars Björn Bengtsson, Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors, Lo Kauppi, Christian Fandango Sundgren, and Melisa Ferhatovic.
A Nearly Normal Family premiered on Netflix in November 2023 to generally favorable reviews from critics, though it was criticized for issues with the plot. The show is a binge-watching favorite, as it's a six-episode miniseries with an engaging narrative and good performances — even if it has its fair share of issues. Ironically, the series could probably have been even shorter despite its barely five-hour runtime. Ultimately, A Nearly Normal Family isn’t quite as good as it could have been, but it’s still an entertaining experience, especially if you’re in the mood for a weekend thriller to binge-watch.
‘Killer’s Shadow — Young Wallander’ (2022)
IMDb: 6.9/10
Young Wallander
Release Date September 3, 2020
Creator(s) Benjamin Harris
Cast Adam Pålsson , Charles Mnene , Leanne Best , Richard Dillane , Ellise Chappell , Sara Seyed , Yasen Atour , Astrid Fox-Sahan
Killer’s Shadow is the second season of the crime drama series Young Wallander, which is inspired by Henning Mankell's fictional Inspector Kurt Wallander and developed by Ben Harris. The series reimagines Wallander as a rookie cop in present-day Malmö, Sweden, and is not based on the original novels. Starring Adam Pålsson as the central detective, Killer's Shadow – Young Wallander follows Wallander’s investigation into a hit-and-run case that turns out to be part of something much bigger. The series also stars Leanne Best, Ellise Chappell, Yasen Atour, Charles Mnene, Lisa Hammond, Kim Adis, and more.
The Young Wallander series wasn’t very well-received by Wallander fans, largely because it changes the setting and supporting characters of the original works. However, the show is still a suspenseful crime drama with interesting mysteries, especially so with Killer’s Shadow. It might not be the Sherlock-esque reimagining it aspires to be, but Young Wallander does deserve a bit more credit than it gets.
‘The Nurse’ (2023)
Rotten Tomatoes: 94% | IMDb: 6.9/10
The Nurse
Release Date April 27, 2023
Cast Fanny Louise Bernth , Josephine Park , Peter Zandersen , Dick Kaysø , Selma Kjær Kuscu , Amalie Lindegård
Based on the eponymous book by Kristian Corfixen, The Nurse is a Danish true crime thriller series that explores the real-life case of nurse Christina Aistrup Hansen. The series follows Pernille Kurzmann, a rookie nurse at her first job who comes to suspect that one of the other nurses may have had a hand in a series of patient deaths. While the premise sounds fairly similar to the 2022 film The Good Nurse, The Nurse is based on a completely different case and explores the story in a very different way. The show stars Fanny Louise Bernth as Pernille Kurzmann and Josephine Park as Christina Aistrup Hansen, with Peter Zandersen, Amalie Lindegård, and Dick Kaysø in significant roles.
The Nurse premiered on Netflix in April 2023 and quickly found its place on the streamer’s Top 10 lists. A four-part limited series, it’s a well-paced, character-driven thriller. As the show develops into more of a whistleblower drama, it also becomes a sharp indictment of officials who inadvertently helped cover up crimes by refusing to believe Pernille’s story.
‘Entrapped’ (2021)
IMDb: 8.0/10
Entrapped
Genre Mystery, Crime
Debut Date October 17, 2021
Entrapped is the third season of Baltasar Kormákur’s Trapped, an Icelandic mystery drama co-written by Sigurjón Kjartansson and Clive Bradley. The series stars Ólafur Darri Ólafsson as detective Andri Ólafsson and Ilmur Kristjánsdóttir as officer Hinrika Kristjánsdóttir, with Björn Hlynur Haraldsson, Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir, and more in key roles. Season 3, released internationally on Netflix as Entrapped, follows Andri and Hinrika on a murder case involving a cult, a biker gang’s land dispute, and a woman’s disappearance years before.
Involving a large number of acclaimed individuals both behind and in front of the camera, Trapped is the most expensive series ever produced in Iceland. The show had its world premiere at the 2015 Toronto International Film Festival and was broadcast on RÚV, receiving critical and audience acclaim. Entrapped, the third installment, is arguably the best story in the series, with a gripping mystery and interesting character arcs, as well as touches of folk horror.
English (US) ·