Culture

The 16 biggest Scandinavian Netflix releases to look out for in 2024

By Linnéa Pesonen

Photo: Netflix

From the Swedish iteration of Selling Sunset to a reimagining of Ronja The Robbers Daughter, these are the upcoming Scandinavian Netflix releases that we're the most excited about

The new year means new Nordic Netflix releases to look forward to. With smash-hit titles like Barracuda Queens, One More Time and A Nearly Normal Family, it’s fair to say that 2023 was a bumper year for the streaming service, with this year looking equally as juicy. The biggest fans, including everyone at the Vogue Scandinavia office, have already bookmarked the March release of Young Royals' last season; however, Netflix has many more treats stored for us in its pocket.

Advertisement

Below, we’ve gathered the nine biggest Scandinavian Netflix releases set to drop this year that we can’t wait to binge-watch.

Warning: Spoilers ahead.

1

Simon (Omar Rudberg) and Crown Prince Wilhelm (Ryding). Photo: Netflix

Young Royals season three

It's time to dive back into the scintillating, tangled romances that blossom amongst the fictional Hillerska high school students –  for the last time. As Young Royals returns to our screens for the third and final season, we have questions. After Crown Prince Wilhelm’s (Edvin Ryding) heartfelt public speech, will he and Simon (Omar Rudvig) be end-game? Will the menacing August (Malte Gårdinger) finally get what he deserves? And what about Sara (Frida Argento) and Felice (Nikita Uggla)? Will they find new love interests, or will Sara rekindle her infatuation with August?

Without giving away any spoilers, we can safely say there is major drama, plot twists and no shortage of emotional moments involved (Ryding has urged viewers to have tissues at the ready). Tune in yourself to see if the cult-status drama has a happy ending...

2

The show's creators Amalie Næsby Fick (left) and Nikolaj Feifer with lead actor Josephine Park. Photo: Netflix

Baby Fever season two

Beloved Danish rom-com series Baby Fever makes a comeback this year with the much-anticipated second season. Season one left us with quite a cliffhanger: fertility doctor Nana (Josephine Park) finally went to confront her on-off ex Mathias (Simon Sears) about the truth of her pregnancy (she had drunkenly inseminated herself with Mathias’ sperm). However, it seems Nana chickened out, as the second season still sees Mathias unaware that he’s a father to a two-month-old baby.

While Nana loves her newborn, she despises being on maternity leave. Her boss agrees to reinstate Nana in her previous position at the clinic, with the condition that there will be no mistakes or lies this time (given what happened with Mathias). As Nana returns to work, her estranged mother takes care of the baby – an arrangement Nana isn’t thrilled about. Nevertheless, she is determined to excel in her career, even as significant obstacles continue to arise.

3

Photo: Netflix

An Honest Life

Adapted from Joakim Zandler’s novel of the same name, the Swedish thriller An Honest Life follows Simon (Simon Lööf), a young man who moves to Lund to pursue his dream of attending law school. However, his excitement soon wanes as university life fails to meet his expectations. A positive turn occurs when Simon meets Max (Nora Rios), an anarchistic young woman, during a protest march, and the two fall fiercely in love. Max introduces Simon to a fast life of excess, lies, and big risks, and when Simon finally realises the damage he has done, it might already be too late...

4

Main cast of Stolen. Photo: Netflix

Stolen

The latest addition to Netflix’s Sami line-up is the feature film Stolen, based on the critically acclaimed eponymous novel by Ann-Helén Laestadius. The story revolves around Elsa (Elin Kristina Oskal), a young woman grappling to preserve her indigenous heritage in a world where xenophobia is escalating, climate change threatens reindeer herding, and the youth face despair, leading to suicide. Despite its seemingly bleak themes, Stolen delves into the significant issue of how modern ideas clash with a traditional culture deeply entrenched in patriarchal structures.

5

Mahmut Suvakci and Ardalan Esmaili in the Helicopter Heist. Photo: Netflix

Helicopter Heist

Based on one of the most spectacular heists in Swedish history and inspired by Jonas Bonnier’s book, Helicopter Heist is a suspense series that delves into the shocking events that unfolded in Stockholm in 2009. On an early September morning in an unassuming Stockholm suburb, a helicopter landed on the roof of the country’s safest cash depot. What transpired next was mind-boggling, as the police looked on helplessly while the robbers made off with millions of dollars.

Starring Mahmut Suvakci and Ardalan Esmaili, Helicopter Heist is not just a narrative about one of the most epic robberies in the Nordics; it’s also a tale of betrayal and vindication, of fear and fatherhood. Will they emerge victorious or end up losing it all?

6

The main cast of Billionaire Island. Photo: Netflix

Billionaire Island

The salmon business can be highly competitive, and that’s precisely what the upcoming Norwegian series Billionaire Island explores. Centred around two feuding families in a small coastal community in Norway involved in the global salmon industry, the show presents a humorous yet dramatic portrayal of the inner workings of the fish farming industry, tapping into the contemporary zeitgeist. “Over the past few decades, fish farming has not only transformed the Norwegian coast but also influenced international food culture. The time feels ripe for a television drama depicting the players in the industry,” stated the show’s creators and writers, Anne Bjørnstad and Eilif Skodvin, in a statement for Netflix.

7

Photo: Netflix

Ronja the Robber’s Daughter

One of Astrid Lindgren’s most iconic stories, Ronja the Robber’s Daughter, receives the small screen treatment this year as Netflix releases a series based on the cult book. Written by Hans Rosenfeldt, the mastermind behind blockbuster shows such as The Bridge and Marcella, the series follows the adventures of Ronja (Kerstin Linden), a young girl born into a gang of robbers residing in a medieval Scandinavian castle.

As Ronja matures, she explores the surrounding forest with all its magic and danger, inhabited by strange creatures. When a dark family feud is sparked, Ronja befriends Birk, a boy of the same age, even though he hails from a rival gang. The threat intensifies with the arrival of an ominous bailiff set to rid the forest of robbers once and for all. Ronja and Birk decide to flee to the woods, determined to survive on their own…

8

La Palma leading actors Bernard Storm Lager, Anders Baasmo, Alma Günther, Ingrid Bolsø Berdal. Photo: Netflix

La Palma

The Canary Islands are a widely popular holiday destination for many Scandinavians. However, what if a dream getaway turns into a nightmare? The Norwegian miniseries La Palma provides a glimpse of a vacation gone awry.

It’s Christmas and the high season in La Palma as a Norwegian family checks into their favourite hotel. Little do they know that danger is looming as a young Norwegian scientist discovers alarming signs of the volcano located in the middle of the holiday paradise. She alerts her colleagues, stating that if the volcano erupts, a mountain mass the size of Manhattan might plunge into the sea, causing the biggest tsunami the world has ever seen. Will the family escape the disaster in a gruelling fight for their lives?

9

A Part of You stars Edving Ryding, Felicia Maxine and Zara Larsson. Photo: Netflix

A Part of You

One of the most hotly-anticipated releases of 2024 is the Swedish coming-of-age drama film A Part of You, featuring a star-studded cast that includes pop phenomenon and former Vogue Scandinavia cover star Zara Larsson, along with our Young Royals crush Edvin Ryding. The film explores the nuances of life and death, beautifully capturing the essence of being 17, living life to the max with the full spectrum of emotions.

Agnes (Felicia Maxine) would give anything to be like her older sister Julie (Larsson). Julie is the epitome of cool at school, the life of every party, and is dating the equally popular and attractive Noel (Ryding). However, Agnes’ world gets shattered by a devastating event, turning her life upside down and forcing her to reinvent herself. Suddenly, all her wishes seem within reach, but it all comes at a cost.

10

The main cast of Maybe Baby 2. Photo: Netflix

Maybe Baby 2

The Danish hit film returns to our screens with a sequel that dives back into the world of the two families: Cecilie (Mille Dinesen) and Andreas (Lars Ranthe), along with their son Leo, and Liv (Katinka Lærke Petersen) and Malte (Kasper Dalsgaard), along with their daughter Sille, whom we met in the first film. Despite leading distinct lives, the families have managed to stay in touch and become even closer as a shocking turn occurs during a medical examination. It turns out the babies were never swapped. To manage this unthinkable situation, the families decide to move in together, which might just be a recipe for disaster.

11

Julian (Mudit Gupta) and Hedvig (Celina Meyer Hovland),. Photo: Francisco Munoz

The Snow Sister

Based on a book of the same name by Maja Lunde and Lisa Aisato, The Snow Sister is a different kind of Christmas story. 11-year-old Julian (Mudit Gupta) has always loved Christmas: its warm and cosy atmosphere and all the festivities. However, this year, everything seems different. A fog of sadness has engulfed the joyous period, and Julian thinks it’s better to call off the holidays. But just when he is about to lose hope, he meets charming, Christmas-loving Hedvig (Celina Meyer Hovland), who could pull him out of the darkness.

12

Olle Strand and Yasir Hassan. Photo: Netflix

Deliver Me

Have a Snabba Cash-sized hole in your life? Fret not; Netflix’s upcoming Swedish series, Deliver Me, will quench your thirst for a gripping show on the dangerous world of gang violence and drug dealing.

When one of two teenage friends (Yasir Hassan and Olle Strand) tries to break away from a local gang, their bond is shattered. Meanwhile, fueled by a determination to shield his community from gang-related harm, a detective pursues a drug dealer whom he blames for the killing of a witness. The series raises the question: Who is to blame when children commit horrible crimes?

13

Photo: John Fornander

Making it in Marbella

If you love Netflix’s Selling Sunset, then its Swedish iteration, Making it in Marbella, is the reality show for you. Following young Swedish realtors from Homerun Brokers in Marbella, the series sees the budding agents trying to navigate their personal and professional lives while earning millions by selling jaw-dropping homes to the rich and famous. Get your popcorn ready; there will be plenty of drama to binge…

14

The main cast of Midsummer Night. Photo: Netflix

Midsummer Night

A Norwegian series launching in April, Midsummer Night follows the married couple Carina (Pernilla August) and Johannes (Dennis Storhøi) as they prepare to spend the magical summer solstice with their loved ones. However, the pair, who have been married for 30 years, harbour a big secret that could turn the celebrations upside down when revealed to their family.

15

Henriette Steenstrup as Pørni. Photo: Monster

Pernille season four

The beloved Norwegian series Pernille returns with its fourth season this summer. Pørni (Henriette Steenstrup) has just entered a new relationship, and her life seems relatively stable and uneventful – at least for Pørni. However, when her old friend and love interest Bjønar (Gunnar Eiriksson) relocates to Oslo to start a new job, things become tricky.

16

Filip Berg as Conny. Photo: Martin Wichardt

Trouble

Trouble is a Swedish drama flick landing on Netflix this autumn. The film follows Conny (Filip Berg), a divorced young man leading a relatively ordinary life working as a salesman at a major electronics chain. The highlight of his week is hanging out with his daughter, Julie. Nevertheless, Conny’s life takes a dramatic turn when he is wrongly convicted of murder. While in jail, he befriends criminals who involve him in a mad-cap escape plan that requires Conny to fly a plane – something he has never done before.