The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek (Season 2) – Review | Netflix

HIDE AND SEEK on Netflix is season 2 of THE CHESTNUT MAN. It’s based on the second book in the series but isn’t a direct adaptation. The serial killer in season 2 begins as a stalker, but with the end goal of killing the stalked victim. Read our The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek S2 Review here!

THE CHESTNUT MAN: HIDE AND SEEK is a Netflix series from Denmark (org. title: Kastanjemanden: Tælle til en, tælle til to). Just as it was the case in season 1, the crime thriller series deals with a serial killer. In this second season, the serial killer cyberstalks the intended victim before they meet their brutal end.

It’s a psychological cat-and-mouse game, where the intended victim always suspects their ex of being the stalker. Before long, it becomes obvious that all the victims have gone through (or are in the middle of) awful divorces and brutal custody battles. With just six episodes, this is a quick watch and very addictive.

And yes, all six episodes were watched for this review, though you only need to get about halfway to know that all bets are off in season 2.

Want the Ending Explained?

Read our spoiler-filled article about The Chestnut Man Season 2 >

Continue reading our The Chestnut Man Season 2: Hide and Seek review below. Find it on Netflix from May 7, 2026.

Season 2 based on book 2 – but not entirely

With the huge success of The Chestnut Man, it was only a matter of time before season 2 would come along. Not least due to the author of the first book already actively writing the second book in the Naia Thulin series. However, that book was not written when this season 2 was.

As a result, they differ in a few key areas. Obviously, some of these differences will serve as huge plot twists and shocks, so I won’t get into them here. No spoilers for Hide and Seek in this review.

In season 2 of The Chestnut Man, titled Hide and Seek, we’re still following Naia Thulin (the amazing Danica Curcic), and she will soon be joined by her partner from season 1, Mark Hess (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard). When the Hide and Seek season opens, he is working for Europol, but personal matters draw him back to Denmark.

From Stalking to Killing

The main villain of The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek first gets attention when a 41-year-old woman is reported missing. The police soon discover that she had a stalker, who was active right up until the moment she went missing.

And apparently, she wasn’t the first victim – nor will she be the last!

When the woman is finally found, she has been murdered, and evidence from the murder case can be linked to the unsolved murder case of a 17-year-old high school student, Emma Holst. However, Emma Holst was found murdered two years ago. Could the killer have been active all along?

And who will be the next victim when the perpetrator wants to “play” hide and seek again?

Naia Thulin and Mark Hess are back

In roundabout ways, Naia Thulin and Mark Hess will yet again lead the investigation. Due to events that happened in between the two seasons, their relationship is very complicated. Fortunately, their acknowledgement of one another’s investigative talents is not, so they work well together.

Along with stars Danica Curcic (The Mist, Secrets We Keep, Equinox) and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard (The Rain), we also still have Anders Hove (Hell Hole) on board.

Of course, Hide and Seek also has plenty of new characters for this new serial killer plot. You can look forward to Sofie Gråbøl (Attachment) as the mother of murder victim Emma Holst. Plus Ida Cæcilie Rasmussen (Baby Fever), Allan Hyde (True Blood, Heart of Stone), Cyron Melville (The Borgias), Esther Birch, and Katinka Lærke Petersen (Loving Adults).

Also, the shiny, new Mercedes that Danica Curcic’s character drove in Secrets We Keep makes a comeback in Hide and Seek. This time around, it’s driven by a husband who finds it very difficult to accept that his wife left him for another woman.

That car was almost a character in and of itself in Secret We Keep, so I couldn’t help but notice.

Watch season 2 of The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek on Netflix

Season 2 is still based on a novel by Søren Sveistrup, just as it was the case with the first The Chestnut Man. Also, Dorte W. Høgh (The Nurse) is still the creator alongside the author. For Hide and Seek, she shares the credit of creator and writer with Emilie Lebech Kaae (Borgen, Ragnarok).

What these two writers have accomplished is both shocking and amazing.

We also have new directors on board, and I, for one, really enjoyed the style of conceptual director Milad Alami (Opponent). From the opening scene of Hide and Seek episode 1, you’ll see some gorgeous shots that draw you in… and keep you there. Also directing three episodes is Roni Ezra (Elves).

I binge-watched all episodes in one sitting and can highly recommend that you do the same. I certainly found it very difficult to stop watching the sequel series The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek (original Danish title: Kastanjemanden: Tælle til en, tælle til to). Enjoy and keep guessing, even as you start getting it right.

The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek premieres globally on Netflix on May 7, 2026.

Details

Key cast: Danica Curcic, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Sofie Gråbøl, Katinka Lærke Petersen
Based on: A novel by Søren Sveistrup
Main writers and creators: Dorte W. Høgh and Emilie Lebech Kaae
Directors: Milad Alami (conceptual) and Roni Ezra