“Scandi Noir” is a genre of crime fiction often written from the point of view of a police officer, set in either Scandinavia or the Nordic countries (Norway, Sweden, Iceland and Finland). These shows are usually screen adaptations of books that have been best-sellers around the world. One of the best examples of this is, of course, Stieg Larsson’s Millenium Trilogy (The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo, The Girl Who Played with Fire, and The Girl Who Kicked the Hornets’ Nest), which, sadly, only became successful after the author’s death.
But Scandi or Nordic Noir has evolved and grown, so, read on for a list of shows you can stream right now that will make you feel in the steppes of cold, bleak, northern Europe, where gruesome murders apparently happen in even the calmest of towns. Also, if you want the full experience, go one step further and experience the Finnish version of Netflix and chill: päntsdrunk, which means, more or less: drinking at home, alone, in your underwear, while you binge TV. (I knew I should have copyrighted that idea!)
So, here they are, 8 Nordic Noir shows you can watch right now and, you know, get päntsdrunk…
Wallander
This is a British-Swedish television series adapted from the Swedish novelist Henning Mankell’s Kurt Wallander novels starring Kenneth Branagh as the police inspector. This isn’t the first time Mankell’s work has been adapted for TV. A previous version was filmed in Sweden (where else?), but the Branagh performance really brings to life Kurt’s depressive and dark personality.
The Lava Field
This one has it all: a depressed -and frankly, depressing- detective who returns to his old stomping grounds after a stint in the big city (Reykjavik) to face the demons he tried to leave behind. Crime detective Helgi Marvin Runarsson is called in to investigate a suicide case on Snaefellsnes Peninsula. After following a sinister trail of evidence, Helgi’s own deeply hidden secrets become a matter of public interest.
Deadwind
One of the most refreshing characteristics of Nordic Noir is how well-balanced the male and female stars are. About half -if not more- of the stars are female, and we are not talking about ditzy, hot female detectives: their characters are written with every bit of depth and as their male counterparts. As one critic said: perhaps this is because the countries these shows are produced rank at the top of the gender equality index.
Deadwind follows Sofia Karppi, a female detective of the Finnish police in her 30s, recently widowed and with two kids, who returns to work in Helsinki. Her first case together with rookie detective Sakari Nurmi is the murder of Anna Bergdahl, a social affairs consultant. Mix corporate misdoings and crimes of passion, and you get a tried-and-true formula that is nonetheless engaging and will keep you glued to your seat.
Borderliner
Nikolai, a police officer, investigates the suicide of a local man named Tommy, but his partner, Anniken, suspects foul play. Nikolai follows a trail of evidence that leads him to believe his own brother had something to do with the apparent murder, but later he discovers the truth, which is even more sinister.
Case
The Rain
In this postapocalyptic dystopia from Denmark, a virus wipes out almost all humans in Scandinavia. The virus is carried by rainfall, and the only survivors are those who managed to take shelter in a bunker. Siblings Simone and Rasmus emerge from a shelter six years after the rain-caused holocaust and begin searching for their father, a scientist who left them in the bunker but never returned. Finding him might be the only way of finding the cure.
The Keeper Of Lost Causes
After a botched raid, Carl Mørck is demoted to Department Q, the cold case unit. There, he becomes interested in an apparent suicide: he thinks there is more to it. Along with his colleague, Assad, he presses on the investigation, even though he is ordered to stop once it’s evident powerful actors have a lot to hide, and a lot to lose, if he uncovers the truth.
Dicte
When crime reporter Dicte Svendsen moves back from Copenhagen to her home town of Aarhus with her teenage daughter after a messy breakup, things look pretty bleak for her. Things get worse when her own family turns her back on her. But her investigation skills are on point: she helps uncover the truth behind the grisly murders she writes about.
This is only a small sample of this cool trend in crime TV and police procedurals, which one is your favorite?
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