This article was originally published February 28, 2022. It has been updated with additional series, including Netflix’s new Nordic noir The Åre Murders.
If you’re a fan of mysteries and are looking for something to sink your teeth into that provides not only twists and turns but also allows you to travel to atmospheric locales, you might want to escape into the world of Nordic noir.
The genre is known for cerebral, complex murder-mystery plots that are often entwined with political corruption, understated performances, and subtle, efficient writing, which packs an emotional punch. There aren’t a lot of car chases, explosions, or fight scenes. The violence is often more psychological in nature, which makes it even more haunting.
The scenery is just as captivating as the storytelling: Think snowcapped mountains, sweeping aerial shots of frozen fjords, pristine snowy forests, and ice shards floating in dark rivers. The sort of places where you’ll find a frozen body, a blizzard complicating an investigation, or snow covering up footprints.
Now might be the perfect time to jump right into the genre. Come on in, the water’s frozen solid.
Sweden
The Åre Murders (2025)
Based on a series of novels by Viveca Sten, this Swedish series is set in the tranquil ski-resort town of Åre. It’s gorgeous and windswept with pine-dotted slopes and wide-open spaces covered in snow, but the crimes are pretty dark. The show features two detectives, both struggling with personal issues. Hanna is on leave from her post in Stockholm while she’s the target of an internal investigation, and, to make matters worse, she’s reeling from a breakup. Daniel is the local top cop who can’t — or won’t — find any semblance of work-life balance, jeopardizing his current relationship. The two are thrown together when a local girl goes missing and continue an uneasy partnership when a man is found dead near the train tracks. The backdrop is romantic, as is the tension between these two tormented souls, and the twisty-turny mystery is first-class.
The Breakthrough (2025)
Based on the second-longest investigation in Swedish history, this is a fictionalized account of the 2004 double murder of a small boy and a 50-year-old woman in the small town of Linkoping. It went unsolved for nearly 20 years until a genealogist working with the police was able to find a DNA match. The dogged detective is played by Peter Eggers, Sweden’s answer to Michael Fassbender (no bad angles), and is directed by Lisa Siwe, director of the OG Nordic thriller series The Bridge (see below). It’s well paced and best when showing the long-lasting effects of a tragedy on a community.
The Bridge (2011–2018)
Another Nordic hit that was remade in the U.S., The Bridge is shot between Malmo, Sweden, and Copenhagen, Denmark. When a body is found on the bridge between Malmo and Copenhagen, Swedish detective Saga Norén (Sofia Helin) — who is socially awkward and emotionally distant — is paired with a Danish detective to solve the case. Saga’s lack of emotion allows her to focus solely on details in a logical, no-frills manner. That style has its disadvantages — she often seems dismissive and unsympathetic to people experiencing sadness or grief. In the first two seasons, her partner Martin (Kim Bodnia) served as a buffer and became one of the few people who actually understood her. (He was replaced by new partner Henrik Sabroe in seasons three and four, who helps Saga discover she truly does have feelings.) The scenes of the Malmo bridge enshrouded by fog and the performances by the cast, especially Helin, are the standouts here.
Beck (1997–)
The longest-running series in Sweden isn’t a true noir — it’s more of a police procedural — but it’s such a classic thriller we had to include it. Peter Haber plays Martin Beck, a middle-age, world-weary cop who suffered a great tragedy early in his career. He’s paired with the dashing but volatile Gunvald Larsson (played by Mikael Persbrandt, who is also Jakob in Netflix’s Sex Education) and a host of ambitious cops, corrupt bureaucrats, and criminals. There are snowy scenes galore as well as a great glimpse of multiple neighborhoods in Stockholm and its surrounds. A highlight is Beck’s relationship with his quirky, neck-brace-wearing next-door neighbor, Grannen, with whom he often shares a drink at the end of the day and regales with tales that may or may not be true.
Finland
Arctic Circle (2018–2023)
Set in the northern corners of Finland, known as Lapland, where the only season seems to be winter, this (so far) three-season series features spunky small town cop Nina Mautsaulo dealing with major, international crimes. Some of the cases are totally over the top, from the virus created to make prostitutes sterile or the billionaire vigilante hunting club to the Elon Musk-like villain secretly testing self-driving cars in the middle of a fjord. But, the snowscapes are breathtaking, it has good humor, eccentric characters and hijinks like reindeer going missing or neighbors showing up at the cop’s house to report crimes. It also features several familiar faces from other Finnish series including Deadwind and Bordertown.
Bordertown (2016–2019)
Set just north of Helsinki, in Lappeenranta, Bordertown is full of snowy fjords and spooky forests, and everyone seems to live in a swanky house or apartment with minimalist Scandinavian-chic interiors. The series centers around another brilliant but socially awkward detective, Kari Sorjonen (Ville Virtanen), known for his nearly photographic memory and success at solving impossible cases. And this series does have some twisty-turny, nearly implausible plotlines, including a serial killer whose weapon of choice is anesthesia, a supervillain who attempts to poison a city’s water system, and a killer who locks victims in an ice-fishing cage. The show is strongest in seasons one and two, when Kari’s kick-ass deputy Lena (a former Secret police operative based in Russia played by Anu Sinisalo) is featured prominently, though season three is by far the snowiest; Kari’s deputy turned boss and series eye candy, Nikko, consistently has ice embedded in his goatee.
Deadwind (2018)
In season one, detective Sofia Karppi (Pihla Viitala) returns to chilly Helsinki from Hamburg, Germany, two months after the unexpected death of her husband. She is faced with a new, inexperienced (but not at all unattractive) partner named Nurmi (played with anguished restraint by Lauri Tilkanen) and the murder of a woman linked to a high-profile development company. As she gets deeper into the case, she forms an unlikely bond with Nurmi, who has demons of his own, and finds a web of adultery and political corruption. Set against the muted palette of harsh winter months, Viitala plays the part of a newly widowed single parent who chooses to throw herself into work as a way to cope with her loss. But the star of the show is the complicated relationship between Karppi and Nurmi, which starts with animosity and develops into something achingly deep — perhaps even love — over time.
Denmark
The Killing (2007–2012)
While The Girl With the Dragon Tattoo, David Fincher’s movie based on the best-selling books by Swedish author Stieg Larsson, catapulted Nordic noir into the Zeitgeist, the series that set the blueprint for television was Denmark’s The Killing. Veteran detective Sarah Lund (Sofie Gråbøl) is getting ready to retire and relocate to a quieter life in Sweden when she’s snarled into a case involving a missing teenager, later found murdered. The investigation reveals a connection to a powerful politician’s inner circle, with the influence to cover things up. Set in dreary Copenhagen with a cast of characters who all could be suspects, there are red herrings galore. The tight pacing and cliff-hangers will keep you guessing to the very last moment. (An American remake, centered in the moody, rainy Pacific Northwest, starred Mireille Enos.) The Danish version was never available to stream until last summer, when Topic got exclusive rights.
Iceland
Trapped (2015–)
The weather is a character in Trapped. Season one features blizzard conditions resulting in an avalanche, keeping the townspeople trapped (hence the title) and forcing the small police squad to fend for itself when reinforcements from Reykjavik aren’t able to reach town. The brutal Arctic tundra, rare glimpses of sunlight, and eccentric small-town characters are the draw here. Olafur Darri Olafsson plays the rumpled, newly divorced detective Andri, while Ilmumur Kristjansdottir plays his sour-faced and sardonic partner Hinrika. Entrapped, a “series sequel” with the same cast, is less snowy but has sweeping shots of Iceland’s desolate volcanic cliffs that will still give you a chill.
The Valhalla Murders (2019–2020)
Nína Dögg Filippusdóttir, who also has a small but important role in Trapped, stars as Detective Katrin “Kata” Gunnarsdottir, a tough, no-shit-taking star on the Reykjavik police force. Snubbed for a deserved promotion, she seethes through an investigation of a series of ritual murders that are connected to a school for troubled boys on the outskirts of the city and struggles to connect with her new, Oslo-based colleague. Filippusdóttir’s woman-on-the-edge portrayal of Kata is gripping, but the scene-stealer is her partner, Arnar (Björn Thors), a man racked with secrets and shame. The outdoor shots are amazing, too, from Kata’s routine of swimming laps outside in a pool surrounded by snow to aerial scenes of lonely country highways that cut through snowbanks like gray snakes.
Norway
Occupied (2015–2020)
This very topical political thriller with an ensemble cast is set in the “near future” where the U.S. is no longer dependent on foreign oil and the E.U. is in an energy crisis. Russia “softly” invades Norway by taking over its oil production and begins to install a shadow government that controls the country. The show is set in numerous locations throughout Norway (and Lithuania, subbing in for Russia), from the brutalist architecture of Oslo to quaint villages in the Norwegian countryside. The writing and character development on this show is stellar, especially as the characters wrestle with the conflict of “choosing” to resist the Russians or embrace them out of necessity. The most sinister part about this well-crafted series is how eerily plausible it all feels.
Wisting (2019–)
Forever stomping through snow, William Wisting (Sven Nordin) is the epitome of a stoic, weatherworn Scandinavian. Still grappling with his new life as a widower and trying to connect with his grown children, he becomes embroiled in a case involving an American serial killer hiding in Norway. Wisting teams up with FBI agents (including one played by The Matrix’s Carrie-Anne Moss) sent from the U.S. to track the killer down. The case complicates his life on many levels, especially as his daughter is covering the case for a newspaper and finds herself in danger. This show is a bit faster paced and more action packed than others on this list — it’s known as the most expensive show ever made in Norway – but still feels more Nordic than Hollywood.
Not Nordic But Still Chilly
Shetland (2013–)
Set in the remote, windswept islands of Scotland, where the elements are so harsh there are no trees, the first seven seasons revolve around Detective Jimmy Perez, a lonely and oft-exasperated widower played by Douglas Henshall. With the help of a scrappy team and his beloved second-in-command, Alison “Tosh” McIntosh (Alison O’Donnell), Perez solves crime on Shetland from his home base in Lerwick while struggling with life in an isolated small town where everyone knows everyone’s business. Henshall departed after season seven, but the show restructured without missing a beat with a female lead in Ashley Jensen as DI Ruth Calder. The recent eighth season stayed true to the show’s knack for red herrings and smart humor. Shetland is based on the mystery series by Anne Cleeves and is a sister show to the U.K.’s long-running series Vera.
19-2 (2014–2017)
Another oldie but goodie, this award-winning French Canadian series was recently acquired by Netflix. It features two beat cops who are assigned to be partners but can barely tolerate each other. Nick Beroff is mourning his former partner, who was shot on duty and might have some underworld ties, while his partner, Ben Chartier, is known as a by-the-book “Boy Scout.” Yet over time, they develop a deep loyalty — not to be mistaken for a friendship. This series spans beyond winter, but there is still a lot of parka-wearing, boot stomping, and visible-breath scenes of Montreal in the snow. The humor and camaraderie of this fictional precinct is also a real treat.
The Wall (2019)
This Quebec-based thriller stars Isabel Richer as the keen DS Céline Trudeau who acts on intuition and often independently — to the chagrin of her colleagues — but is given leeway by top brass for delivering results. Her character is refreshingly uninhibited, easily seducing a fellow cop 20 years her junior early in the series. The first season finds Trudeau working the complicated murder of a stripper in a mining town buried in snow and secrets. The second season is based in and around the famous Château Frontenac hotel in Quebec City, while the third is a solid mystery, but a warmer one, set in the countryside in spring.
Detective Forst (2024–)
Brand-new to Netflix, this detective series is set in the Tatras Mountains of Poland (and the show reminds you by noting the sea level in each scene) and features a free-wheeling investigator who isn’t, shall we say, a team player and might also be a drug addict. Borys Szyc’s plays Detective Forst, who is fired from a high-profile ritualistic-murder case and seeks to solve it offline with the help of an intrepid journalist. The scenes of the Alps-like region are gorgeous, featuring tall pine trees and snowcapped slopes. The story is rife with twists and turns and Austin Powers–like villains, including an eyepatch-wearing former Nazi who lives in a lair at the top of a mountain. Forst’s rugged-man good looks and romantic entanglements provide some heat in the chilly atmosphere. The series is based on the popular Detective Forst novels in Poland, so it’s very possible future seasons are on the horizon.