As we edge closer and closer to the end of what has been an utterly dreadful year, one thing we can get excited about is new shows, movies, and music coming in January!

If you have exhausted all the Nordic shows you can possibly find during the endless months of lockdown then we have some good news for you, as Walter Presents will be releasing three, that’s right THREE, new Nordic shows in January! What a way to kickstart the year!

Here at Nordic Watchlist we have managed to catch an early glimpse at all three shows’ opening episodes and below we have described what to expect and when.

Roll on 2021 and god bless Walter Presents!

MONSTER

Boxset available on Walter Presents via All 4 on Friday 1^st January

Well what better way to kick off 2021 than by jumping straight into a seriously dark and mysterious Norwegian thriller. Monster was released in Scandinavia back in 2017 but it has finally found its way to our UK shores thanks to Walter and his team. The series is directed and created by Anne Sewitsky whose directing credentials include an episode of Black Mirror and Castle Rock amongst others.

So what do we have here? Missing murder victims turning up dead – check. Rain soaked female police detective who clearly has some skeletons in her closest – check. Handsome detective to assist her but being a bit of an asshole – check. Lots of creepy potential suspects – check. Sweeping gorgeous Nordic landscapes – check.

Yet despite having so much of what we look for in our Nordic Noir hits, it feels like there is something even more dark and sinister going on here. The cast seem engaging and capable with the opening episode ending in complete carnage. If this is how Walter is opening up the year for us we really are about to be be spoilt!

ALL THE SINS

Boxset available on Walter Presents via All 4 on Friday 22nd January

The team at Walter Presents are very excited to bring you one of their first ever Finnish series with All The Sins. Originally released in 2019, it will be available to UK viewers via Walter Presents from Jan 22.

Rather than being set in the dark and cold winter, this series is set during the long summer nights in Varjakka in Northern Finland where a body has been found within the local community. A usual investigation ensues, but the story is complicated further with the fact that the population follow Laestadianism, which can be best described as an extreme form of conservative religion.

In our detectives we have the mismatched pairing of Sanna and Lauri. Sanna being an older and more experienced detective, who certainly has a wild side to her as we find in the opening minutes when we are introduced to her. Lauri is the one bearing the mystery – an angry individual we learn from the offset, who has been assigned to this case due to his upbringing in Varjakka. Of course that will always trigger warning signs and as he arrives it’s clear he’s not comfortable with being there – but why?

The first episode plays out like any in this genre but it is clear that we have a really fascinating pair of leads and we are excited to see where their stories go and how well their chemistry works – it is a factor that works so well with Nordic TV Shows. Further to that, it’s a different location and setting with the midnight sun, and then there is the introduction of Laestadianism. If that is not enough to entice you then just you wait until you see the title sequence – we are baffled and sold!

BULLETS

Boxset available on Walter Presents via All 4 on Friday 29th January

Following with another Finnish drama, the award-winning Bullets started in Finland in 2018 and comes to Walter Presents at the end of the month. I don’t think we need to say too much to make this show something you are going to get VERY excited about! It’s from the producers behind The Bridge and The Killing – that should really be enough to get it marked in the diary right away!

But to add to this we have the cast, consisting of one of our favourite Finnish actresses Krista Kosonen, who won an award for her role in the series. She is managing to appear everywhere at the moment and we can’t get enough of her. Alongside her is another popular Finnish actor, Tommi Korpela, who many Nordic Noir fans will recognise from Deadwind. Finally, there is Sibel Kekili who many Games of Thrones fans will recognise as Shae from the show.

So a strong cast with a slightly different focus from your average Nordic Noir, as it focuses more on espionage and politics. An ex-terrorist, played by Sibel Kekili, appears out of the blue looking to seek political asylum – only she has been presumed dead.

We are really excited about this one and can’t wait to catch it!