Nights in with Nordic noir

Home to a host of critically acclaimed Nordic noir box sets, Viaplay offers the perfect winter watchlist

As the nights draw in and the weather gets colder, there’s nothing better than cosying up on the sofa with a pile of blankets, a mug of something warm and a chilling new TV series. If heart-stopping Nordic noir is your thing, then you’ll love Viaplay, the brand-new streaming service.

So, what is Nordic noir? It’s a unique genre of crime fiction, set in Nordic countries and usually written from a police perspective. These Scandi thrillers are known for their dark narratives, brutal crimes, bleak settings and troubled protagonists. Many are also intertwined with threads of social critique to shed light on society’s flaws.

Far removed from the usual Hollywood glitz and glamour, Nordic noir is ice-cold, harsh storytelling that’s perfect for satisfying your craving for chills and twisted thrills this winter. Thanks to Viaplay’s Film & Series package, you can experience authentic Nordic noir at its finest for just £3.99 a month. Here are just a few of the highlights…

Exit

Based on true stories from Norway’s financial underworld, this dark drama series follows four 30-something friends from Oslo’s wealthy elite as they try to escape their everyday lives and obligations through drugs, prostitutes and their own set of morals. Directed by Øysten Karlsen (Dag, One Night), the series stars Pål Sverre Hagen (Valkyrien), Tobias Santelmann (The Last Kingdom) and Simon J Berger (Hidden).

Fenris

(Viaplay Original) Starring Jan Gunnar Roise, Ida Elise Broch and Jonas Strand Gravli, this six-part Viaplay Original centres around a spate of mysterious disappearances in the remote town of Østbygda. When biologist Emma Salomonsen arrives there, she finds that her wolf researcher father has gone insane. Meanwhile, a local boy has disappeared, and rumours are swirling. Could he really have been taken by a wolf?

Cell 8

(Viaplay Original) This nail-biting mini-series follows police inspector Mariana Hermansson (Mimosa Willamo) and her boss Ewert Grens (Leonard Terfelt) as they investigate the case of the mysterious John Swartz (Freddie Wise). When John is arrested for assault on a Swedish ferry, the pair discover he was once a death row inmate who was close to Mariana – and he should have died ten years ago. As his story begins to unravel, the threads lead across the Atlantic, and up to the highest political spheres, to reveal the truth about who murdered the daughter of Governor Edward Finnigan (Richard Lintern).

To sign up to Viaplay for just £3.99 a month, with a sevenday free trial, visit viaplay.com