THE CHESTNUT MAN on Netflix is a new Danish thriller series about a brutal serial killer. The six engaging episodes should keep you hooked. Great pacing, realistic characters, and gorgeous visuals make this a must-watch on Netflix. Read our full The Chestnut Man series review here!

THE CHESTNUT MAN is a new Netflix thriller series with a crime plot. The production is Danish so we’re dealing with a classic Nordic Noir. However, with a much better color palette than the usual blue and grey tones. Also, the characters and plot work remarkably well. So much so that this is the best Netflix series from Denmark so far.

Actually, it’s one of the strongest thriller crime series on Netflix. Full stop.

Right up there with the very best of the Harlan Coben adaptions. With just six episodes, this one is very easy to binge-watch (and virtually impossible not to), so just go for it and enjoy watching this play out. We’ve watched all six episodes for this review and it is, of course, spoiler-free.

Continue reading our The Chestnut Man series review below.

Nordic Noir at its finest – and most beautiful

It has almost become a joke of sorts that the Nordic Noir subgenre is all about color-drained imagery. Somehow, it’s always raining (or at the very least overcast) and every shot has a blue or grey tint to it. Well, not in The Chestnut Man which highlights the gorgeous colors of Fall in Denmark.

It’s a virtual tourism advertisement. Well, if it wasn’t for the whole serial killer plot, obviously.

And the serial killer plot is an excellent one. Right from the strong opening scene of episode 1 to the final moments of episode 6, you’ll experience a tightly told thriller. Also, The Chestnut Man offers brutal murder scenes. Or rather, you’ll see the results of the murderer but not the actual murders, which is exactly how it should be.

And you can rest assured, all questions will ultimately be answered. Also, the pacing works perfectly for the six episodes in this limited series.

The Chestnut Man – Netflix Review

Perfect and familiar Netflix casting

Along with having a solid plot, The Chestnut Man wins by having realistic characters and an excellent cast. Well, alongside those gorgeous visuals of Fall in Denmark that I mentioned earlier, of course.

In case you didn’t know, this is the third Danish Netflix series to be produced. Interestingly, the two main characters in The Chestnut Man are portrayed by actors who starred in the previous two. The first series was The Rain which starred Mikkel Boe Følgaard and then came Equinox which starred Danica Curcic.

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Our review of the Danish Netflix series Equinox here >

In this series, Danica Curcic (The Mist TV series) portrays Naia Thulin who works as a police detective in the Copenhagen area. Mikkel Boe Følsgaard plays Mark Hess who has been sent home from Interpol to work in his native Denmark for a while. The two have perfect chemistry as two very capable detectives that don’t immediately trust one another.

Also, in the core cast are Lars Ranthe from the Oscar-winning Another Round (2020) and iconic horror actor Anders Hove from Subspecies (1991). Finally, I have to mention David Dencik (Mikhail Gorbachev in Chernobyl) who plays a key role in the upcoming James Bond movie No Time To Die which will release almost alongside The Chestnut Man on Netflix.

Watch The Chestnut Man on Netflix!

This Netflix series is based on a novel by Søren Sveistrup who is also a writer on this adaption alongside Dorte W. Høgh. They have both worked on several TV series in the past. In fact, while Søren Sveistrup is now an author, he was first a writer for movies and TV. He co-wrote The Snowman screenplay and created the original Danish version of The Killing series.

All six episodes are directed by just two different directors Kasper Barfoed and Mikkel Serup, who have both worked on various TV series and movies in Denmark for many years. If this Netflix series becomes the huge success it deserves to be, then they can look forward to many new opportunities in the feature.

The six engaging episodes in this new Danish thriller series about a brutal serial killer should keep you hooked from start to finish. If you felt Mike Flanagan’s latest Netflix series Midnight Mass was too slow, then The Chestnut Man should definitely be more your speed. An absolute must-watch on Netflix.

The Chestnut Man is out on Netflix from September 29, 2021.

Details

Based on: The Chestnut Man by Søren Sveistrup
Key cast: Danica Curcic, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Iben Dorner, Lars Ranthe, David Dencik, Esben Dalgaard, Morten Brovn, Jens Jørgen Spottag, Camilla Lau, Peder Thomas Pedersen, Marie-Lydie Melono Nokouda, Anders Hove
Director: Mikkel Serup, Kasper Barfoed
Created for the screen by: Søren Sveistrup, Dorte W. Høgh, David Sandreuter & Mikkel Serup
Head writers: Søren Sveistrup, Dorte W. Høgh & David Sandreuter

Plot

The Chestnut Man is set in a quiet suburb of Copenhagen, where the police make a terrible discovery one blustery October morning. A young woman is found brutally murdered in a playground and one of her hands is missing. Next to her lies a small man made of chestnuts. The ambitious young detective Naia Thulin (Danica Curcic) is assigned to the case, along with her new partner, Mark Hess (Mikkel Boe Følsgaard). They soon discover a mysterious piece of evidence on the chestnut man – evidence connecting it to a girl who went missing a year earlier and was presumed dead – the daughter of politician Rosa Hartung (Iben Dorner).

I write reviews and recaps on Heaven of Horror. And yes, it does happen that I find myself screaming, when watching a good horror movie. I love psychological horror, survival horror and kick-ass women. Also, I have a huge soft spot for a good horror-comedy. Oh yeah, and I absolutely HATE when animals are harmed in movies, so I will immediately think less of any movie, where animals are harmed for entertainment (even if the animals are just really good actors). Fortunately, horror doesn't use this nearly as much as comedy. And people assume horror lovers are the messed up ones. Go figure!
Karina "ScreamQueen" Adelgaard
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