The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek Review - One Of Netflix's Best Crime Thriller Series Returns In Top Form

The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek shows that the wait for one of Netflix's best crime thriller series was more than worth it. Nearly five years ago, on September 29, 2021, The Chestnut Man season 1 was released on the streaming service. Its main mystery was centered on a killer who had been wronged in his childhood and resorted to punishing mothers for what was done to him. In every crime scene, a creepy little chestnut man was left behind.

That mystery was resolved in season 1, allowing The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek to tackle a completely different case. However, the returning Netflix series still features many connections to its first chapter, as the show's beloved duo of investigators, Mark Hess (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard) and Naia Thulin (Danica Curcic), return to work together, though a lot has happened between them off-screen. The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek's new mystery, as its title suggests, connects to a game of cat-and-mouse.

Its killer preys on its victims' psyches by stalking them, using a nursery rhyme to scare them before they go in for the kill. This gives the Netflix crime thriller series a new edge to it, while also keeping the same disturbing tone of season 1's chestnut men. Hide and Seek proves that not only does the show deserve a spot among the best foreign series on the streamer, but The Chestnut Man is easily one of Netflix's best TV shows of all time.

Mark Hess And Naia Thulin Have Become Even More Interesting

One of the best aspects of season 1 was watching Hess and Thulin slowly warm up to one another. They started the show bickering, as Hess hoped to get back to the Europol, doing as little work as possible, and Thulin did not appreciate his attitude. As the chestnut man mystery unraveled, Hess showed just how apt he really was, and the two got quite close. That led to an emotional goodbye, as Hess went back to his life in the Europol and Thulin returned to her daughter, Le. She moved from a homicide detective to a job in cybercrime.

Hide and Seek does a phenomenal job of deepening what was already a multi-layered dynamic. Instead of taking place right after season 1, the Netflix series uses the real-life gap between seasons to move things around in the show's world, with the viewer soon realizing that a lot has happened between Hess and Thulin off-screen since we last saw them. It is a lot of fun getting to know how these characters have changed over the years and putting together the missing pieces as the season moves along.

Følsgaard and Curcic continue to have sizzling chemistry, with the screen lighting up every time that Hess and Thulin share a scene. While in different roles than in season 1's investigation, the duo continues to work well together, tackling a high-stakes case. Another element that I found very exciting was the bond between Hess and Le (Ester Birch). In season 1, they already had a couple of nice moments, but she was quite young. Now a teenager, Le gets more to do, and her connection with Hess is both heartwarming and complex.

The Chestnut Man: Hide And Seek Is Just As Thrilling As Season 1

After watching The Chestnut Man season 1, I was afraid there was no way that Hide and Seek could quite live up to expectations, as the Danish crime thriller series' first season is near-perfect. Well, Hide and Seek manages to impress anyone who might have doubted its strength. The show's new mystery hits the right notes, being just as creepy and moody as season 1, while providing a deeper exploration of its main characters. Like in The Chestnut Man, the case is slowly unraveled episode by episode.

That said, there is plenty of excitement to be had throughout the whole season, with one episode in particular providing some of the show's most shocking moments, and it is not even the finale. That said, the dark Netflix does stick the landing, with another pitch-perfect killer reveal that makes sense in hindsight and provides an intense final hour. It is good that Netflix chose to wait to bring back the thriller series, as it allowed the source material to be there, providing a strong foundation.

The Chestnut Man season 1 was based on Søren Sveistrup's novel of the same name, which was published in 2018, three years before the show debuted on Netflix. After the crime thriller series delivered one of the streamer's best mysteries, the author would release the second book in the franchise, Hide and Seek, which was published in Danish in 2024 and had its English version released recently, on March 26, 2026. This just solidifies how well-thought-out the Netflix thriller series is, and the sequel's story is quite impactful.

The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek's main mystery should also land well with viewers due to how everyone can feel connected to it in a way. After all, in the modern world, most people leave behind an extensive digital footprint. Hide and Seek takes that and transforms the concept into something out of a horror story. As the killer stalks his victims and gets into their heads with constant threats, the viewer will be able to relate, positioning themselves in the victims' shoes. It is a great way of keeping the audience engaged.

The Chestnut Man: Hide And Seek Makes A Controversial Choice

There is one event in Hide and Seek that completely changes the game for the show, and I can't wait to see how fans of the Netflix crime thriller series react to it. The choice is controversial, but it does not impact the quality of the show. In fact, it fits in with the season's theme, charging the remaining episodes with a lot of emotion and a true sense of purpose. Additionally, while season 1 had some exciting action sequences, I don't think it was nearly as action-packed as Hide and Seek.

The Netflix series not only takes a dark turn in terms of story but also in style, with life-threatening fights, a lot of gun action, and more. The new season feels like the show has evolved in the years it was away, and the result is what I believe to be one of the best seasons for any show on Netflix. After a poignant finale, I could see the story ending here, though I hope there is more to tell after The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek.

All six episodes of The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek release on Netflix on May 7, 2026.