Nordic noir, also referred to as Scandinavian noir, is a subgenre of crime fiction that is typically set in Scandinavia or other Nordic nations and written from the perspective of the police. Dramas from the Nordic region are known for their distinct ambiance, gripping stories, and unexpected turns. What has popularised the subgenre and given shows like The Killing and The Bridge their enormous success are the horrific realities that are disclosed during the investigative course of these films and television programmes.
Due to its immense success, Nordic Noir has transcended its Scandinavian roots while maintaining its chilly, bleak mood. It has inspired renowned remakes and comparable series around the world (Broadchurch being a notable example). Although it is now acknowledged and well-liked throughout a variety of cultures worldwide, the original Nordic noirs are frequently the greatest. Scandinavian crime may give viewers the chills—and not just because of its icy, wintry settings—because it is frequently dark and grim.
February 22, 2023 update: In order to better depict the beautifully complicated but immensely suspenseful world of Scandinavian crime dramas, we’ve revised the substance and quality of this list in light of the recent introduction of Viaplay, a streaming service that specialised in Nordic noir.
Nordic noir fans now have a dedicated streaming service to turn to in Viaplay. Viaplay provides access to Scandinavian programmes that are frequently challenging to locate in the United States, just like Britbox and Acorn offer foreign series focusing mostly on the UK. Let’s take a look at some of the best Nordic noirs before the magnificent Lasse Hallström’s Hilma receives its original premiere on Viaplay.
Deadwind (Karppi)
Following Sofia Karppi, a newly widowed detective of the Finnish police, Deadwind (or Karppi) is a Finnish crime series and contemporary murder mystery in the Nordic noir tradition. She is in charge of the Anna Bergdahl murder investigation. Karppi rapidly understands that everyone has a lot to hide even though it initially appeared that Anna had no adversaries. Who then killed Anna? According to Nordic noir form, both the detectives’ personal lives and the crime they are attempting to investigate are given equal attention. With each Netflix-available series, the intensity increases, and there are many suspenseful turns that keep the audience on the edge of their seats.
Furia
The Emmy-winning director of Mammon, Pakt, and Livstid, Gjermund Stenberg Eriksen, presents Furia, a really original series (and a Viaplay original). Furia dives headfirst into moral relativism in a thrilling fashion, unlike many Scandinavian noir series that explore ethical ambiguity and concealed immoralities.
In order to escape the past, a disturbed cop (played by Actor Sverre Hagen) relocates to a new, picture-perfect small town in Western Norawy. Of course, a horrible murder eventually takes place. He eventually stumbles into a complex terrorist plan by far-right extremists with a woman (a wonderfully captivating Ine Marie Wilmann). It would be a shame to reveal Furia’s secrets and plot twists, but suffice it to say that the Viaplay series is becoming more and more significant, intense, and unique.
The Bridge (Broen)
The Bridge (or Broen), a Nordic noir criminal television series, grabbed viewers right away with its compelling plot and remarkable performances. The dead body is found in the centre of the Resund Bridge, which connects Sweden and Denmark, as the story begins. As is the case with every great thriller, the two investigators assigned to the case—one from each nation—discover that not everything is as it seems.
In a matter of hours, the tension in the plot increases, it grows more enigmatic, and it keeps the audience guessing as they are taken on a voyage through mysteries, murder, and horrific storylines. Around the US-Mexico border, a less successful remake of the programme was produced, but the excellent original is still available on Plex, Prime Video, and YouTube.
The Chestnut Man (Kastanjemanden)
This Nordic noir centres on a Copenhagen serial killer who leaves wooden sculptures carved by hand near each killing scene. The Chestnut Man is based on the same-titled book by Sren Sveistrup, who is also known for penning the popular Danish television programme The Killing. According to Sveistrup, the show was partially inspired by the yearly custom of making chestnut dolls in Denmark.
In the first scene of The Chestnut Man (or Kastanjemanden), a 1987 farm murders a whole family. In Copenhagen, Denmark in the current day, 30 years later, a young woman is discovered dead at a playground with one of her hands gone. The fingerprint of a missing child, politician Rosa Hartung’s daughter, whose whereabouts are being investigated by Detective Naia Thulin and her partner Mark Hess, is shortly found. The Chestnut Man (streaming on Netflix) has all the elements of the ideal Nordic noir: it’s dark and gory from the very first scene, unsettling, with an engaging detective plot and a trail of horrifying killings that viewers can try to piece together for themselves. Equinox and The Forest will scratch that specific twist if you wish to see more programmes like The Chestnut Man.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Nothing compares to the original Swedish Girl With The Dragon Tattoo, despite the excellent Hollywood adaptation directed by David Fincher. This Swedish Nordic Noir defies convention and is sinister, enigmatic, and utterly captivating. If the audience can withstand the ferocity, it rewards them with an exciting, extraordinarily potent, and superbly produced thriller. The narrative centres on two diametrically opposed characters: journalist Mikael Blomkvist and troubled computer hacker Lisbeth Salander.
When they both become engrossed in a 40-year-old mystery, the two are brought together. Blomkvist discovers that a mysterious woman is following him around after being hired to look into an ancient case regarding the disappearance of a young girl over forty years earlier. The movie portrays the danger that many women confront as well as the hidden poison of some males, giving the viewer the opportunity to discover something frightening and new with each viewing. Two sequels, The Girl Who Played with Fire and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest, were released later that same year since it was such a famous example of Nordic noir. The movie is accessible elsewhere for streaming and rental, as well as for free on Tubi and Crackle.
The Killing (Forbrydelsen)
The Killing (or Forbrydelsen), which debuted in 2007 in its native Denmark and 2011 in the UK (before airing on AMC in America), is regarded as one of the most impactful crime dramas of all time. When 19-year-old Nanna Birk Larsen is discovered brutally killed, everything that was supposed to be Detective Chief Inspector Sarah Lund’s last day with the Copenhagen police department changes. Of course, the reason why The Killing was so well-liked was due to the captivating characters.
We were taken aback by the parents of Nanna’s parents’ devastating sadness and found ourselves unable to tear ourselves away from Sarah Lund, the charmingly flawed detective. The show is renowned for its paranoia and mistrust, unexpected plot turns throughout the narratives, grim tone, and emphasis on the stories of the slain victim’s family and how they affect the detective. The show is available for viewing on Topic, a service that can be subscribed to through Prime Video and YouTube.
The Valhalla Murders (Brot)
The Valhalla Murders (also known as Brot), an eight episode police procedural series, debuted in Iceland in 2019 but gained popularity there and was then released to Netflix and BBC Four in the UK in 2020. After being moved back to Iceland from Norway, a police profiler by the name of Arnar is assigned (with senior cop Kata from the neighbourhood) to Iceland’s first-ever serial killer investigation.
As they struggle to connect the homicides, they gradually start to relate them to Valhalla, an abandoned boys’ institution where terrible crimes took place 35 years before. According to reports, the series is partially based on a true account from the late 1940s, when staff members of a state-run facility for problematic adolescents brutally beat and mistreated children between the ages of seven and 14. Although this was a fictional element to the narrative to give viewers a more gritty Nordic noir feel, these events did not entail murder. The semi-fictional series is nevertheless compelling and is available on Netflix.
Trom
The Faroe Islands, a Danish territory, serve as the location for the crime drama Trom, which is available on Viaplay. Ulrich Thomsen, known to US viewers for The Blacklist and Banshee, plays a journalist seeking the truth about an animal rights activist who claims to be his daughter in the Faroese, Danish, and English-language television series. The melancholy mystery derives a lot of gravity from the performances of Thomsen and Olaf Johannessen, and makes excellent use of its distinctive surroundings in whaling and fishing villages including Tórshavn, Velbastaur, Gjógv, and Tjrnuvk (a legend of Nordic television who has starred in The Killing, The Bridge, and Borgen).
Wallander
Wallander centres on a sensitive but driven police officer who is committed to upholding moral standards even if he is aware of the harm it is doing to his personal life. Despite having a number of personal problems, he is able to charm his way into our hearts. A show with many Nordic Noir elements is presented to the audience as Wallander solves a string of brutal and horrific murders in Skne, southern Sweden.
Wallander contains all the typical tropes: tense situations, paranoia, themes of social decay, and an obsessed cop who frequently works alone and puts everything on the line to solve terrible murders. The programme was a huge success in its own nation, even inspiring a Kenneth Branagh-starring British adaptation for the BBC. Both the Swedish and the British versions of Wallander are accessible through MHz Choice, which can be subscribed to Amazon Prime Video and YouTube.
