15 Must-Watch Scandinavian Shows on Netflix
Some of Netflix’s best TV series are Scandinavian ones and there’s certainly no shortage of them. With Netflix’s announcement last year about their upcoming 26 new Nordic titles, we can expect a lot more content on the way. Next month for example, the Swedish mystery series The Åre Murders will make its debut on the streaming platform.
From true crime, legal drama, sci-fi, mystery, thriller, dramedy, and more, there are so many different kinds of series available to binge from the Nordic countries. Here are 15 must-watch Scandinavian shows on Netflix you can start streaming right now.
The Breakthrough (Swedish: Genombrottet) (2025 miniseries)
Genre: True Crime Drama
Cast: Peter Eggers, Mattias Nordkvist, Jessica Liedberg, Jonatan Rodriguez, Karin de Frumerie, Annika Hallin
Synopsis: “When a shocking double homicide goes unsolved for 16 years, a detective teams up with a genealogist to catch the killer before it becomes a cold case.”
Billionaire Island (Norwegian: Milliardærøya) (2024 – )
Genre: Satirical Dramedy
Cast: Trine Wiggen, Svein Roger Karlsen, Ragne Grande, Kåre Conradi, Hanne Skille Reitan, Tor Ivar Hagen, Vetle Røsten Granås, Nemi Storm, Oddgeir Thune, Benjamin Bakkeid
Synopsis: “Julie Lange, the head of Marlax, plans a hostile takeover of a local competitor to become the world’s largest salmon producer. Billionaire Island is a drama portraying the rivalry between two families, pitting old traditions against new ambitions.”
The Chestnut Man (Danish: Kastanjemanden) (2021 – )
Genre: Mystery Crime Drama
Cast: Danica Curcic, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Iben Dorner, Esben Dalgaard Andersen, David Dencik, Lars Ranthe
Synopsis: “At a grisly murder scene sits a figurine made of chestnuts. From this creepy clue, two detectives hunt a killer linked to a politician’s missing child.”
Deadwind (Finnish: Karppi) (2018-2021)
Genre: Crime Drama
Cast: Pihla Viitala, Lauri Tilkanen, Mimosa Willamo, Ville Myllyrinne, Vera Kiiskinen, Raimo Grönberg, Noa Tola
Synopsis: “Just months after a tragic loss, detective Sofia Karppi investigates the murder of a woman with ties to a Helsinki construction company.”
Equinox (Danish) (2020 miniseries)
Genre: Supernatural Mystery Thriller
Cast: Danica Curcic, Karoline Hamm, Viola Martinsen, Lars Brygmann, Hanne Hedelund, August Issac Carter, Fanny Leander Bornedal
Synopsis: “Haunted by visions after her sister vanished with her classmates 21 years before, Astrid begins an investigation that uncovers the dark, eerie truth.”
The Helicopter Heist (Swedish: Helikopterrånet) (2024 miniseries)
Genre: True Crime Thriller
Cast: Mahmut Suvakci, Ardalan Esmaili, Dejan Milacic, Wim Elfwencrona, Erik Svedberg-Zelman, Johanna Hedberg, Iskra Kostić, Vic Carmen Sonne
Synopsis: “The Helicopter Heist is a reality-based and character-driven suspense series in eight parts about the drama behind one of the most spectacular heists in history, a grand and fast paced Icarus tale about winning or losing it all”
Katla (Icelandic) (2021)
Genre: Sci-Fi Mystery Thriller
Cast: Guðrún Eyfjörð, Íris Tanja Flygenring, Aliette Opheim, Ingvar Sigurðsson
Synopsis: “The catastrophic eruption of subglacial volcano Katla turns a nearby community’s world upside down as mysteries begin to emerge from the ice.”
Midsummer Night (Swedish: Midtsommernatt) (2024 miniseries)
Genre: Drama
Cast: Pernilla August, Dennis Storhøi, Amalia Holm, Peiman Azizpour, Sofia Tjelta Sydness, Eirik Hallert, Kim Falck, Fanny Klefelt, Christopher Wollter, Linn Skåber
Synopsis: “Carina brings her family together for a traditional Swedish midsummer, but the happy occasion goes awry when long-held secrets start to come to light.”
A Nearly Normal Family (Swedish: En helt vanlig familj) (2023 miniseries)
Genre: Mystery Thriller
Cast: Alex Karlsson Tyrefors, Lo Kauppi, Björn Bengtsson, Melisa Ferhatovic, Christian Fandango Sundgren, Håkan Bengtsson, Emilia Roosmann, Sara Chaanhing Kennedy, Pablo Leiva Wenger, Cedomir Glisovic
Synopsis: “The world of a seemingly perfect family shatters when a shocking murder proves that they’re willing to make desperate moves to protect one another.”
The Nurse (Danish: Sygeplejersken) – (2023 miniseries)
Genre: True Crime Thriller
Cast: Fanny Bernth, Josephine Park, Peter Zandersen, Amalie Lindegård, Dick Kaysø
Synopsis: “A new nurse at a hospital begins to suspect her colleague’s desire for attention may be tied to a series of patient deaths. Based on a true story.”
Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes (Norwegian: Post Mortem: Ingen dør på Skarnes) (2021)
Genre: Black Comedy Horror
Cast: Kathrine Thorborg Johansen, Elias Holmen Sørensen, André Sørum, Kim Fairchild
Synopsis: “Live Hallangen is found dead in Skarnes, but all of the sudden she wakes up on the autopsy table and the questions begin: No one (really) dies in Skarnes – do they?”
Ragnarok (Norwegian) (2020-2023)
Genre: Fantasy Drama
Cast: David Stakston, Herman Tømmeraas, Theresa Frostad Eggesbø, Danu Sunth, Jonas Strand Gravli, Emma Bones, Henriette Steenstrup, Gísli Örn Garðarsson, Synnøve Macody Lund, Ylva Bjørkaas Thedin
Synopsis: “In a Norwegian town poisoned by pollution and rattled by melting glaciers, the End Times feel all too real. It’ll take a legend to battle an old evil.”
The Rain (Danish) (2018-2020)
Genre: Post-Apocalyptic Sci-Fi Thriller
Cast: Alba August, Lucas Lynggaard Tønnesen, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Lukas Løkken, Sonny Lindberg, Clara Rosager
Synopsis: “Six years after a rain-borne virus wipes out most of Scandinavia’s population, two siblings join a band of young survivors seeking safety — and answers.”
Tore (Swedish) (2023)
Genre: Drama
Cast: William Spetz, Sanna Sundqvist, Hannes Fohlin, Lotta Tejle, Per Svensson, Victor Iván, Peter Haber, Carlos Romero Cruz
Synopsis: “An immature and aimless 27-year-old throws himself into an unknown world of sex, drugs and self-discovery after his closest companion’s death.”
War Sailor (Norwegian: Krigsseileren) (2023 miniseries)
Genre: War Drama
Cast: Kristoffer Joner, Ine Marie Wilmann, Pål Sverre Hagen, Henrikke Lund Olsen, Téa Grønner Joner, Siv Torin Knudsen Petersen
Synopsis: “When WWII erupts, two sailors on a Norwegian merchant ship face brutal conditions as they fight to survive a conflict they were never asked to join.”
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