The Nordic series fever came to us with ‘Bron’ and ‘Forbrydelsen’ (inexplicably absent on platforms, let’s cross our fingers that one of them recovers them soon). The noir genre from these European countries spread from literature to the screen and series were no strangers to it.
In the absence of its two most iconic series, whose success has caused a multitude of remakes such as ‘The Bridge’ or ‘The Killing’, here are some of the best Nordic series that are available for streaming and spanning more genres than just the classic police thriller.
‘Secrets of a marriage’
Along with ‘Fanny & Alexander’, this is another of the great series of Ingmar Bergmann (much better than the abridged version they made to condense into a movie). Starring Liv Ullman (‘Persona’) and Erland Josephson (‘Autumn Sonata’), Bergman presents us with this ruthless portrait of a married couple and analyzes with surgical coldness the network of secrets and lies between two people who supposedly love each other.
in just 6 episodesthe Swedish filmmaker introduces us to this suffocating and at the same time contained story, which had a remake in 2021 for HBO Max, with Jessica Chastain and Oscar Isaac.
‘The Kingdom’
Another great filmmaker who brought his authorial vision to the small screen is Lars Von Trier. The director of ‘Melancolía’ and ‘Dancing in the Dark’ takes us to a sinister hospital where the border between the real and the dreamlike is very blurred, not to say non-existent. Influenced by ‘Twin Peaks’ and shot with the parameters of Dogma 95, Von Trier makes us descend into hell with some tormented characters who symbolize the eternal diatribe between good and evil.
to their 2 seasons of 4 episodes each a third will soon be added: ‘The Kingdom Exodus’ will be the return of the filmmaker 23 years later to one of his most personal works and we will be able to discover it from November 8.
‘borgen’
Probably one of the most popular Nordic series in recent years and, together with ‘The Minister’, one of the most interesting approaches to politics that we have had on screen. It tells us about the rise to power of Birgitte, a candidate for the position of Prime Minister of Denmark, and unravels the ins and outs of that world complex and at the same time tremendously entertaining.
add up now 4 seasons and 38 episodes, the last titled ‘Borgen: Kingdom, power and glory’. If you like ‘The good wife’, the protagonist plays in the same league as Alicia Florrick.
‘TheRain’
There is also room for science fiction in this post-apocalyptic drama in which humanity has been decimated by a dangerous virus transmitted by rainwater. A deadly virus with no cure in sight and that has left very few survivors in its wake. We will follow two brothers who managed to survive by hiding in a bunker.
A story that combines survival and teenage drama and has already 3 seasons and 20 episodes total.
‘The Valhalla Murders’
Iceland He also signed up for police noir with this thriller in which an inspector from Oslo returns to his native Reykjavík to work alongside an inspector in a series of mysterious murders that are taking place on the island. A miniseries of just 8 episodesperfect for marathoning on a weekend.
‘Christmas at home’
Moving on to something more casual, Netflix caught us by surprise with this Swedish series. With a fairly simple premise (the protagonist has to find someone to bring to the next Christmas dinner in order to shut up the pests in her family), we have this light and funny story that plays with Christmas stereotypes and always leaves you with a smile on your face.
2 seasons of 6 episodes each one and with a maximum duration of half an hour. Another ideal proposal to see one after another and not only at Christmas.
‘Caught up’
More Icelandic thrillers from Baltasar Kormakur (‘2 Guns’) and with Olafur Darri Ólafsson (‘True Detective’) leading the cast, we have this crime drama that will begin with a lurid discovery: a mutilated corpse found in the waters of a fjord. The investigation will not skimp on thorny issues, such as human trafficking or political corruption.
Worthy heiress of the best Nordic thrillers, consists of 3 seasons and a total of 28 episodesalthough in Spain at the moment we can only see the first two.
‘everything you love’
We end with one of the Norwegian jewels of this year. A complex romantic drama that part of the infatuation of a couple to talk about rise of the far right today and the power of the Internet in the radicalization of society. With a current speech but introduced in a natural way and with nuances, it is enough to just 7 episodes of 30 minutes to develop everything that has to count.