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South Korea has undoubtedly dominated when it comes to non-English-language TV and movies on Netflix in recent years, and you only have to look at the success of Squid Game and KPop Demon Hunters to know that.
But, there's a new competitor emerging, and they've already been responsible for some of the biggest watches of 2025: Scandinavia.
The region in the north of Europe, comprising of Norway, Sweden, and Denmark, is quickly emerging as a hotspot for great watches - with The Girl With The Needle scooping both Academy Award and Golden Globe nominations this year.
According to Netflix's mid-year 'What We Watched' report, the biggest Scandi shows and movies are Secrets We Keep (watched 34,000,000 times) from Denmark, Number 24 (watched 24,000,000 times) from Norway and The Åre Murders Season 1 (watched 33,000,000 times) from Sweden.
Nothing says 'hygge' quite like getting cosy on the sofa with Netflix, after all.
Ready to find your next watch? These are the Scandinavian TV shows and movies everyone is watching on Netflix...
The Glass Dome
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Swedish six-episode series, The Glass Dome, was released in 2025, and follows "a criminologist who returns to her small hometown and becomes wrapped up in the investigation of a missing girl and its haunting similarities to her own childhood abduction."
The crime show is set in Granås, in the Dalarna region of central Sweden, and despite speculation, isn't based on a true story.
The show was created by Swedish screenwriter and author Camilla Läckberg, who’s best known for the Fjällbacka series of crime novels, starring Léonie Vincent, Johan Hedenberg, Johan Rheborg, and Minoo Andacheh.
Secrets We Keep
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Secrets We Keep has become one of the most-talked-about shows of 2025, and the mystery thriller actually hails from Denmark.
If you've not watched it yet (its 100 per cent Rotten Tomatoes rating suggests you should), the show follows families in a wealthy neighbourhood in Copenhagen. Cecile and Mike hire an au pair from the Philippines, with the young girl's friend going to work for their neighbours. However, the neighbours' au pair goes missing, and Cecile becomes suspicious they may have had a hand in whatever happened to her.
It stars Marie Bach Hansen, Simon Sears, Lars Ranthe, and Danica Curcic in the main cast.
Unfortunately, as binge-worthy as it is, the show was billed as a limited series, so it's unlikely we'll see a season 2.
The Breakthrough
Netflix
Based on a true story, heartbreaking crime drama series, The Breakthrough, recreates one of the biggest criminal investigations in Sweden's history.
As told through the official synopsis: "In the early 2000s, the small city of Linköping was rocked by a double homicide in broad daylight. Two people — a child and a woman in her late 50s — were stabbed to death. But with no motive or suspect, the case eventually grew cold. Nearly two decades later, the police made headway after a genealogist entered the fray."
“Though this is a fictional drama series about a crime, it is, above all, a depiction of a human tragedy — where we place our focus on the victims and the investigation rather than the perpetrator,” director, Lisa Siwe told Netflix. “It’s a story about the compassion and care for one another that is needed to move on when terrible things happen.”
The Breakthrough is now available to stream.
The Åre Murders
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Swedish crime drama, The Åre Murders, is based on the books Hidden in Snow and Hidden in Shadows by Swedish author Viveca Sten.
The official plot reads: "After Stockholm police officer Hanna gets dumped by her partner and takes a leave of absence from her job, she moves into her sister’s vacation home in a Swedish ski resort town called Åre. While Hanna’s restlessness becomes unbearable, a young woman goes missing on the eve of the Swedish holiday, Lucia. Luckily for Hanna, the local police department is understaffed, so officer Daniel (Razzazi) reluctantly accepts Hanna as his new partner. But as the case intensifies, the two officers struggle to gain each other’s trust."
Whether there'll be a second season remains to be seen, as it hasn't yet been renewed, but there's been no confirmation of cancellation either - however, it does have some pretty good reviews since its release in February 2025.
Number 24
Netflix
Norwegian World War II resistance film, Number 24, gets its name from the codename given to Gunnar Sønsteby, a young apprentice from Rjukan, who decides to step up to fight Nazi-Germany on the day of the invasion - and later become the leader of the Oslo-gang.
"The director crafts a mostly patriotic picture of a man solely dedicated to duty. It’s an uncompromising approach that often makes for a stirring watch even through a narrow lens", a top critic penned.
What's more, it's based on a true story, so a great watch for any history enthusiasts.
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