Here’s a list of my Favorite Scandi Noir and Nordic Noir Series on Netflix and Prime Video, updated for fall and winter 2026! Includes lists of Nordic Noir shows by streamer and by country!
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My Favorite Nordic Noir Series
This post is long, so there is a table of contents just below this new series update!
NEW Nordic Noir Series to watch in 2026 (see the details below)
- A Couple of Lies (October 30, 2026): a holiday house swap turns sinister (Netflix)
- Blood Sacrifice (August 2026): a serial killer targets Stockholm police (Netflix)
- The Secret Woman (August 2026): a woman is told she’s someone who vanished three years ago (Netflix film)
- The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek (May 2026): Hess and Thulin are back (Netflix)
- Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole (March 2026): Harry Hole finally gets a series (Netflix)
- Synden/ Land of Sin (January 2026): a dark murder investigation (Netflix)
TABLE OF CONTENTS
My Top Picks for Nordic Noir Series (immediately above)
Top Nordic Noir Picks by Streaming Platform
Nordic Noir Series by Country:
- Top Nordic Noir Shows Set In Denmark
- Top Nordic Noir Shows Set in Finland
- Top Nordic Noir Shows Set in Iceland
- Top Nordic Noir Shows Set in Norway
- Top Nordic Noir Shows Set in Sweden
Alphabetical List of Nordic Noir Series
I’ve updated as of October 2026, but if any of this has become inaccurate, please let me know in the comments!
As some of these shows are no longer streamable, I’d also check your local library or thrift/charity shop for DVDs (if you still have a DVD player!)
Jen’s Top 2026 Picks for Nordic and Scandi Noir Streaming Series
- Best Female Protagonists: Deadwind (Netflix); Rebecka Martinsson (Amazon for pay) The Åre Murders (Netflix), The Glass Dome (Netflix), The Asset (Netflix)
- Scandinavian with a side of family drama: The Chestnut Man, A Nearly Normal Family (both Netflix)
- Best Scandi-American showdown: The Wisting (AMC)
- Best American Version of a Nordic Noir series: True Detective Season 4
- For the True Crime fans: Breakthrough (Netflix)
Best Nordic Noir Series by Streaming Platform
Netflix 2026
- A Couple of Lies (2026): psychological thriller about a house swap
- Blood Sacrifice (2026): grisly serial killer procedural
- The Secret Woman (2026): identity-twist thriller (film)
- The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek (2026): standalone sequel to The Chestnut Man
- Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole (2026): based on The Devil’s Star
- Synden/ Land of Sin (2026): family feud murder mystery
- The Åre Murders (2025): a gripping procedural
- The Breakthrough (2025): genetic genealogy solves a crime
- The Glass Dome (2025): dark and chilling serial killer story
- A Nearly Normal Family (2023): family drama/courtroom thriller
- The Chestnut Man (2022) : creepy suspense story
- The Lørenskog Disappearance (2022): missing person/domestic suspense
- Bordertown Mural Murders (2021)
- Equinox (2020): Nordic Veronica Mars with supernatural elements
- Quicksand (2019): teen drama
- Deadwind (2018): angry female protagonist
- Young Wallender (2022) Wallender prequel
Amazon Prime (free)
- Darkness: Those Who Kill (2019)
- The Bridge (2011)
- Arctic Circle
Amazon Prime for Purchase
- Frobrydelson: Danish inspiration for the popular American show The Killing
- Rebecka Martinsson: (2017) strong female protagonist
- Beck (1998) an oldie and maybe a goodie (?)
- Trapped (2016) claustrophobic Icelandic pick
Nordic Noir: Danish Crime Series
The Secret Woman (2026 film, Denmark, Netflix)
Based on the book The Secret Woman by Anna Ekberg, which has not been translated into English as far as I have found.
Louise Andersen has a happy life on a tiny Norwegian island. She runs a restaurant and has just gotten engaged. Then a stranger shows up insisting she is actually Helene Söderberg, a woman who disappeared from Denmark three years ago.
Fun fact: “Anna Ekberg” isn’t one woman. It’s a pen name for two Danish men, Anders Rønnow Klarlund and Jacob Weinreich!
The Asset (2025, Denmark, Netflix)
The Asset is a thrilling six-part Danish crime series
When aspiring police cadet Tea goes undercover as a jeweler to infiltrate a brutal criminal enterprise, she must befriend the criminal mastermind’s wife, Ashley, to gather crucial intelligence. As Tea gets closer to Ashley and witnesses the grim reality of her life under her husband’s control and within his criminal cobweb, doubts emerge about where her loyalty truly lies.
The Secrets We Keep (2025, Denmark, Netflix)
This is also being called The Reserve (as the Danish title is Reservatet) but it seems that Netflix is going with The Secrets We Keep.
Cecile, a woman in an upscale Copenhagen neighborhood is alarmed when her neighbor’s au pair vanishes without a a trace. With the help of Angel, her own nanny, Cecile starts to look into the disappearance.
The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek (2026, Denmark, Netflix)
Hess and Thulin from The Chestnut Man (below) are back in this standalone six-part sequel. This time, a killer turns an innocent game of hide-and-seek into a brutal stalking spree, and the murders are tied to a children’s rhyme. The writers say it’s loosely based on Søren Sveistrup’s novel.
If you watched the first season, this is an easy pick. You don’t need to have seen the first series to follow this one.
The Chestnut Man (Kastanjemanden) (2021; Denmark, Netflix)
Based on the book of the same name by Søren Sveistrup.
Hess and Thulin from The Chestnut Man are back in this standalone six-part sequel. This time, a killer turns an innocent game of hide-and-seek into a brutal stalking spree, and the murders are tied to a children’s rhyme. The writers say it’s loosely based on Søren Sveistrup’s novel.
If you watched the first season, this is an easy pick. You don’t need to have seen it to follow this one, though.
This crime series is set in Denmark and features a female detective paired with an Europol agent investigating a series of murders that seems to have a creepy connection to the abduction of a female politician’s daughter.
If you liked this one, you can also try Borgen on Netflix. It’s not really a thriller, but a gripping political drama about a female politician navigating Danish politics. It helped me understand a parliamentary democracy a lot better. The show’s first season dates to 2010, and a new season was just released.
Forbrydelson/The Killing (2007; Denmark; Amazon Prime for purchase)
I have only watched The Killing, the American remake (which is on Netflix). The Killing was fantastic and I have been meaning to watch the original Danish version too!
Darkness: Those Who Kill (2019; Denmark; Amazon Prime free)
Serial killer on the loose in Denmark.
Has a content warning for graphic violence so I’m skipping it! If you’ve seen it, let me know in the comments!
Nordic Noir: Swedish Crime Series
A Couple of Lies (2026, Sweden, Netflix)
Based on the novel by Stefan Ahnhem.
Coming to Netflix on October 30! Hoping to save their marriage, Stockholm couple Carl and Helene swap vacation homes with a couple who live in Sicily. Once they arrive at the gorgeous house, though, something feels off. Why are the neighbors so nosy?
This four-part series stars Fares Fares (Chernobyl), Frida Gustavsson (Vikings: Valhalla), Jakob Oftebro and Emma Appleton. It sounds more like domestic suspense than a police procedural, which makes it a good pick if you like psychological thrillers.
Blood Sacrifice / Blodsoffer (2026, Sweden, Netflix)
A killer is targeting Stockholm police officers, luring patrol teams with emergency calls. Lead investigator Thomas Berg reluctantly turns to his estranged father Alfred, a retired detective who left the force in disgrace.
This five-part series is an original story (not based on a book) from George Kay, who created Lupin and Hijack. Heads up: it is very grim and very graphic, with beheadings. Critics liked it more than viewers did. If you’ve seen it, let me know what you thought in the comments!
Synden/Land of Sin (2026, Sweden, Netflix)
After a teenage boy is found dead at a farmhouse on the Bjäre peninsula in Southern Sweden, quirky but brilliant investigator Dani is paired with new hire Malik to investigate the case.
Dani and Malik must untangle a decades-long family feud to solve the murder.
The Glass Dome (2025, Sweden, Netflix)
Written by famous Swedish crime author Camilla Läckberg (you might know her from the Patrik Hedström series, the Fjällbacka series, or the standalone book The Golden Cage, which I reviewed).
Just a heads up: The Glass Dome is not for the faint of heart. It is CHILLING and dark, with a graphic scene of serious self harm and some disturbing abduction scenes.
The Breakthrough (2025, Sweden, Netflix)
Sixteen years after a shocking double murder, a frustrated cold cast investigator sneakily enlists a genetic genealogist, who finally makes a huge breakthrough in the case.
Based on the book Genom-Brottet by journalist Anna Bodin and genealogist Peter Sjölund. It does not look like this book has been translated, but if you speak Swedish, you are lucky and can read it!
The Åre Murders (2025, Sweden Åremorden, Netflix)
Based on a book by Viveca Sten, this gripping drama set in a small ski town follows the case of a missing teenager. Hanna, a Stockholm police officer who has been suspended from her job, is at her sister’s ski cabin and helps the shorthanded local police with the investigation.
Synden (2025, Sweden, Netflix)
Dani, an odd (but highly intelligent) investigator and her new colleague Malik are looking into the death of Silas, a teenage. Their investigation uncovers a dark generational family feud in the countryside.
A Nearly Normal Family (2023; Sweden, Netflix)
Based on a 2019 Swedish domestic thriller/legal drama, this multi-part series follows a family of three: priest father, lawyer mother, and troubled daughter.
In this post, I go over the differences between the book A Nearly Normal Family and the movie, which were interesting to me. I think each of them have their own strengths.
Quicksand (2019; Sweden; Netflix)
Based on the 2016 novel by Marin Person Giolito, which won the Best Swedish Crime novel in 2016 and the Glass Key in 2017.
Follows the trial of a teenage girl arrested for a shooting at her Stockholm school. This has a high Rotten Tomatoes rating and I want to watch it in 2024!
Rebecka Martinsson (2017, Swedish; Amazon Prime for purchase)
Based on Åsa Larsson’s crime novels.
After a family emergency, a Swedish lawyer leaves her glam life in the city (and her lawyer fiancé) to head to the small town where she grew up and investigate a murder. I really enjoyed this one. Lots of vodka!
The Bridge (2011; Sweden; free on Amazon Prime Video)
I watched the 2021 British-French version of this and wasn’t a huge fan. The Øresund Bridge connects Copenhagen, Denmark and Malmö, Sweden and a body is found on the bridge, one half in each nation. If you’ve watched the Swedish version, let me know your thoughts!
Wallender (Swedish version 2005-10; British version 2008-16; paid streaming of he BBC version available on many sites)
Based on Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander novels
BBC Wallender 2008-16
This British, English language adaptation of Wallender starred Kenneth Branagh. The films were adapted from the novels Sidetracked, Firewall and One Step Behind.
Swedish Wallender (2005-10)
One episode of the first season was taken directly from one of Mankell’s novels and the remainder with new storylines suggested by Mankell. The stories are set in Ystad, Skåne near the southern tip of Sweden.
Young Wallender (2020; Netflix)
Recent police academy graduate Kurt Wallender takes on his first cases.
Beck (1998; Sweden; Amazon Prime for pay; Google Play)
Based on the Martin Beck novels by Maj Sjöwall and Per Wahlöö, this is a long running series with many episodes.
Nordic Noir: Icelandic Crime Series
The Valhalla Murders (2019; Iceland; Netflix)
Based on a true story from the 1940s.
After a series of seemingly unrelated murders around the country, a detective returns home from his post in Oslo to help investigate. What happens next takes him from Reykjavik to the harbor to the wilderness along the Ring Road, and is based (loosely) on real events that occurred in rural Iceland in the 1940s. (It’s a child abuse plot FYI).
Trapped (2016; Iceland; for purchase on Amazon Prime Video)
After a body is found in a remote fishing town, it becomes clear that this murder is not an isolated incident. I haven’t yet tried this one. If you have, please give us your thoughts in the comments!
Nordic Noir: Finnish Crime Series
Deadwind/ Karppi (2018; Finland ; Netflix)
Sofia Karppi, a widowed mom (and stepmother) returns back to work as a detective after her husband’s accidental death.
I really liked this one a lot. It’s a mystery but the characters are also really interesting and well developed.
Equinox (2020; Finland; Netflix)
A supernatural thriller featuring a woman investigating her sister’s disappearance back in the 1990s. Astrid was only nine when her sister, along with a group of students, vanished. Now graduating herself, she finds herself having nightmares and wants to discover the truth.
Bordertown (2016; Finland; Google Play and Netflix)
The main character is a detective with unusual techniques who moves to take a new job in a small town after his wife recovers from a brain tumor. Not my favorite.
There’s a 2021 Bordertown series on Netflix called Bordertown Mural Murders.
All the Sins (2019; Finland; Google TV)
A detective returns to his remote hometown from Helsinki to investigate a murder case — and he uncovers secrets he wishes he hadn’t. Sounds like a familiar plot but maybe I’ll try it.
Arctic Circle (2018; Finland; Available on Prime Video with a free trial)
An attempted murder in a remote wilderness cabin, the crime linked to a deadly new virus. Too soon?
Nordic Noir: Norwegian Crime Shows
Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole (2026, Norway, Netflix)
Based on The Devil’s Star, the fifth book in Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole series.
When a string of ritualistic murders hits Oslo, troubled homicide detective Harry Hole has to catch a serial killer while facing off against his longtime enemy, corrupt detective Tom Waaler.
Nesbø was the showrunner for this nine-episode series, which stars Tobias Santelmann as Harry and Joel Kinnaman as Waaler.
Gangs of Oslo (2024; Norway; Netflix)
A police officer infiltrates a gang in Norway. If you like more of an American-style plot about undercover work, this new in 2024 Netflix show is for you!
Mammon (2014; Norway; Unavailable on Prime Video as of 2024)
This is more a political thriller with religious elements about a reporter investigating some suspicious suicides. I liked this one at first, but then the plot got a bit convoluted for me.
Borderliner (2017, Norway; left Netflix in 2023)
A detective returns to his small hometown from the big city only to realize the crime he’s investigating needs to be covered up to protect his family.
Wisting (2019; Norway; Amazon Prime for purchase OR if you have paid cable with AMC, you might be able to find it on demand)
The first season is based on two Jørn Lier Horst novels from the Cold Case Quartet.
Wisting is about a Norwegian homicide detective trying to apprehend a serial killer with the help of the female FBI agent who has been tracking him for years. I watched this and loved the showdown between the mostly Norwegian law enforcement with the Americans butting in. This series is very well-reviewed and features Carrie-Ann Moss of the Matrix. Love her!
The Lørenskog Disappearance (2022, Norway, Netflix)
Based on a real missing persons case, the most famous in Norway. Anne-Elisabeth Hagen, age 69, vanished from from her Oslo home in 2018. Eventually, suspicion fell on her wealthy husband in a plot that involved cryptocurrency, a weird ransom letter, and more.
The Rotten Tomatoes score for this is only 39%, so I’m passing on it, but if you watched and enjoyed it, let me know!
Fortitude (2015; Norway; Google Play)
This British horror/psych thriller series was set in Norway and features a series of strange deaths on the Norwegian island of Fortitude.
Alphabetical List of Nordic Noir Series
All the Sins (2019; Finland; Google Play)
The Åre Murders (2025, Sweden Åremorden, Netflix)
Arctic Circle (2018; Finland; Available on Prime Video with a free trial)
Beck (1998; Sweden; Amazon Prime for pay; Google Play)
Blood Sacrifice / Blodsoffer (2026, Sweden, Netflix)
Borderliner (2017, Norway; left Netflix in 2023)
Bordertown (2016; Finland; Google Play and Netflix)
The Breakthrough (2025, Sweden, Netflix)
The Bridge (2011; Sweden; Amazon Prime Video)
The Chestnut Man (Kastanjemanden) (2022; Denmark, Netflix)
A Couple of Lies (2026, Sweden, Netflix)
Darkness: Those Who Kill (2019; Denmark; Amazon Prime free)
Deadwind/ Karppi (2018; Finland ; Netflix)
Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole (2026, Norway, Netflix)
Equinox (2020; Finland; Netflix)
Forbrydelson/The Killing (2007; Denmark; Amazon Prime for purchase)
Fortitude (2015; Norway; Google Play)
Gangs of Oslo (2024; Norway; Netflix)
The Glass Dome (2025, Sweden, Netflix)
The Lørenskog Disappearance (2022, Norway, Netflix)
Mammon (2014; Norway; Unavailable on Prime Video as of 2024)
A Nearly Normal Family (2023; Sweden, Netflix)
Quicksand (2019; Sweden; Netflix)
Rebecka Martinsson (2017, Swedish; Amazon Prime for purchase, 2017)
The Secret Woman (2026 film, Denmark, Netflix)
Synden (2026; Swedish; on Netflix)
Trapped (2016; Iceland; for purchase on Amazon Prime Video)
True Detective Season 4 (2023; Alaska; HBO) No, it’s not really Nordic but has that feel!
The Valhalla Murders (2019; Iceland; Netflix)
Wallender (Swedish version 2005-10; British version 2008-16; paid streaming of the BBC version available on many sites)
Wisting (2019; Norway; Amazon Prime for purchase)
Young Wallander (2020; Sweden; Netflix)
Do you have opinions on these? Please tell me in comments!
I didn’t when know Scandavian Noir was a genre but now it makes sense! I haven’t watched any but The Chestnut Man caught my attention a while ago.
I don’t know the history of it, but the books came onto my radar with the Girl With the Dragon Tattoo and with Netflix branching out a lot into content from outside the US, there are a lot of great options to watch now.
I watched The Chestnut Man and really liked it.
It was really good!
The Bridge is very very good. Sofia Helin is staggeringly good as Saga. By far the best interpretation of the character so far. I cannot recommend it enough. I miss watching it.
Thanks, Simone! I’m so glad you told me this and I will give it a try!!
Just finished Wisting which had the added benefit of Carrie Ann Moss! Pretty good show, would recommend.
Thanks so much! I was not aware of this one and will add it to the list!
Enjoyed this list! Thank you for adding the streaming services also. Wallander is also decent (Swedish)—Apple TV I believe. Fjällbacka Murders (also Swedish) and was in my Hoopla library and is based off Camilla Läckberg’s books.
what about scandinavian noir novels? Would you have suggestions for those?
Hi Lori, Hope you are doing well! I have not read as many as I’d like but I am working on it and hope to do a post soon!
Hi Lori,
So sorry, I didn’t see this. My site doesn’t notify me of the regular commenters’ comments as they are automatically approved.
I am working on a Scandinavian noir novel post that should be up in early 2024!
I have a few to add to your list . . .
Black Sands–Amazon Prime through Viaplay
Veronika ” ”
Murder in Sweden/Maria Wern–PBS Masterpiece/later seasons on Viaplay
Thanks – I am going to check those out and add them to the post!