Thriller fans have been devouring a hidden gem Nordic noir that has been hailed as a ‘refreshing take’ on the genre.
Forget classics like The Bridge or The Killing, viewers have been binge-watching Finnish-German show Arctic Circle after all three seasons were added to Channel 4.
Set in Finnish Lapland, the first season follows police officer Nina Kautsalo (Iina Kuustonen), who finds a nearly dead sex worker in a cabin in the wilderness.
However, the case takes a surprising turn when a deadly virus is found in the sex worker’s body, leaving Nina investigating the most exceedingly unusual crime of her career.
On Google, Arctic Circle fans have raved about the crime drama, which they described as ‘gritty’, ‘intense’, and ‘quirky.’
Among them was Mika Haikonen, who said: ‘One of the best TV series recently! Exciting, current and intense plot. Very good production, scenes, colour design and acting. I truly can recommend this!’
Roger Harris commented: ‘A refreshing change from many other cop detective offerings on mainstream TV. The scenery, environment & culture give an insight into a different way of life (Lapland), especially as it’s often set on the border with Russia and highlights the strained relationship with the Russians. The stories & plots are excellent, and the personal relationships between work & family characters are tastefully portrayed. Well worth watching.’
Agreeing, Michael Briffa wrote: ‘Halfway through & I’m loving it. What can go wrong next? The photography is outstanding. Don’t know whether I’d like to get lost in the wilderness, especially in the middle of winter, but I’d love to fly over the area being photographed just to get a perspective of frozen snow-bound empty tundra. I love the acting of the main characters. Can’t wait to get into the nitty-gritty of the series nearing its end. Highly recommended.’
Echoing their sentiment, Sharon Pratscher added: ‘A really different quirky series set in the frozen landscape of the Arctic Circle. Very interesting storyline, good acting, and the setting is stunning!’
Arctic Circle is not the only Nordic noir gripping fans as Swedish thriller The Åre Murders has been doing huge numbers on Netflix.
After it was released, the show stormed the streamer’s most-watched charts with 11,000,000 views in just one week.
The crime drama follows Hanna Ahlander (Carla Sehn), a Stockholm detective suspended from duty, who seeks solace in the idyllic but eerie ski resort town of Åre.
Her plans for relaxation in the five-episode limited series are disrupted quite severely when she becomes involved in investigating the mysterious disappearance of a young woman named Amanda.
Teaming up with local detective Daniel Lindskog (Kardo Razzazi), they delve into the case, uncovering hidden secrets within the tight-knit community.
Among the fans raving about The Åre Murders on X was Tammy Martin, who enthused: ‘Just finished watching #TheÅreMurders on @Netflix_CA So good!!! Well done!!! Story, filming, cast are all excellent. Loved this series!!!’
Debeshi Gooptu also weighed in: ‘The Åre Murders (Åremorden/Swedish) on Netflix was good. I hope there is a second season soon.’
‘I enjoyed it. Could have used a couple more episodes per case, but better than to have it drag and feel slow,’ wrote Electrical-Map-1500 on Reddit.
Arctic Circle is available to stream on Channel 4.
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