Horses and Hangmen – Review | HBO Max

HORSES AND HANGMEN on HBO Max is a Danish true crime documentary series told in four parts. We’re dealing with a brutal murder case where no less than four people were convicted. What I really appreciate here is that we mostly hear from people who actually knew the victim. Read our Horses and Hangmen review below!

HORSES AND HANGMEN is a new HBO Max documentary series about the murder of Frank Dan Nørgaard Jørgensen. While it’s a Danish true crime case, the series is produced by BBC Nordic for HBO Max, so the production quality has an international edge.

Fortunately, it never feels over-dramatized. After all, we’re dealing with a murder case – that’s dramatic enough on its own. Instead, the focus is on telling us about the victim through interviews with the people who loved him. I genuinely liked that approach.

Continue reading our Horses and Hangmen review below. Streaming on HBO Max from August 29, 2025.

A deeply loved man

Since this is a true crime case, the victim and the convicted are already known. Horses and Hangmen focuses on the murder itself, told through the eyes of the victim’s family and friends, along with perspectives on the four perpetrators.

The victim, Frank Dan Nørgaard Jørgensen, suddenly disappeared on a summer day in 2022. He was 40 years old, had children with different women he still got along with, and had recently started dating Rikke, who first flagged him as missing when he didn’t show up as planned.

And no, pointing out that Frank had kids with several women isn’t a negative remark. Quite the opposite. Both in the docuseries and here, the intention is to highlight that he maintained good relationships with his ex-partners.

They all describe him as a loving and present father as well as a man they trusted.

Overall, the portrait we get of Frank is that he was simply a good guy who always helped those around him. And yes, women seemed to fall for him – and care for him, even after breakups. That says a lot about his character.

One murder, four convicted

Because Frank was so kind and reliable, everyone immediately knew something was terribly wrong when they couldn’t reach him. His girlfriend, best friend, exes, and kids – nobody could get in touch with him.

Still, it took some time before the case fully unraveled.

His disappearance only lasted a few days before dark discoveries were made. His car was found burned in a forest in northern Djursland, which was obviously alarming. Not long after, his body was found wrapped in plastic in the same area.

Besides Frank’s loved ones, we also hear from people who knew the perpetrators, as well as two crime journalists, Christina Ehrenskjöld and Camilla Marie Nielsen.

The journalists provide the factual framework, while the others add the personal and emotional layers. As a result, we get the facts of the case while never forgetting the emotional impact of such a heinous crime.

Watch Horses and Hangmen on HBO Max

With Horses and Hangmen, we get a Danish Max Original series telling the story of a planned murder carried out by four people. This was a group of friends who conspired to murder a person they all knew – and who trusted them.

One seems an apparent ringleader, but they all went along with it, and everyone seemed ready to party shortly after. Yes, there is video footage of this, which they recorded themselves.

The original Danish title of the true crime docuseries is Hestepigen fra Helvede, which translates directly to “The Horse Girl from Hell”. I am not a fan of this title. Sure, it’s catchy, but it also has an odd, almost demonizing tone. These brutal acts are very human!

Also, loving horses (which “horse girl” refers to) has nothing to do with the murder. Not as the facts of the case are presented, nor in any other way.

Obviously, Horses and Handmen is not the best representation of small-town Denmark. But it is a very realistic one. I mean, this is a true crime documentary, so, unfortunately, it happened. With its mix of tragic details and reckless characters, it’s fascinating in a sad way.

The production itself is strong, well-structured, and focuses on facts that are compelling enough on their own. Most importantly, it keeps the victim at the center – reminding us who he was and how much he is missed.

The series consists of four episodes, each around 40 minutes, and it’s absolutely worth watching. Don’t miss it!

Horses and Hangmen premieres on HBO Max on August 29, 2025.