We all know that for some reason when summer comes round things slow down when it comes to Nordic series and film releases and nothing has changed as we get hit by a heatwave and begin to dream of those cold icy locations. But we still managed to catch up on a couple of series’ and also some exciting previews.

Here is our Nordic Watchlist for June 2023:

TV SERIES

Barracuda Queens | Sweden | Netflix

Barracuda Queens followed in Netflix’s fresh new Nordic series with a young cast and thumping soundtrack (this time from the 90s) as we follow a group of girls who decide to start breaking into rich people’s houses and stealing expensive items to help fund their lavish lifestyle – which naturally doesn’t go all according to plan.

The series was great fun with a vibrant cast who kept it entertaining. The short episodes made it easy to get through quickly and a cliff-hanger suggested that we might get more time with the gang.

Nordic Watchlist also got to speak to some of the cast and you can read that interview here

The Congregation | Sweden | Viaplay

We have admittedly slept on this one a little too long, but after watching Riding in Darkness, we got swept up into yet another series ‘based on true events’ – this time around a religious cult from the town of Knutby in Sweden.

Much like Riding in Darkness, you get fooled into thinking this is all a bit light and fluffy following the arrival of Anna (Alba August fromThe Rain) as she joins a religious group headed by Aliette Opheim’s Eva.

Just wait for it all to kick off and witness Aliette Opheim go pure bat shit crazy mode – we assure you that you will be hooked from there!

FILM

We were very lucky to get to preview a number of films in June which we would like to highlight to you.

First up was The Gullspång Miracle, a documentary that we caught at Sheffield Doc Fest. This one really blew our minds and we are hoping that the film will get a wider release in the future as the way this plays out leaves your jaw on to the floor saying: ‘What the hell?!’ Not to mention the late-night theorising it will leave you with after watching it.

Find out more about the documentary by reading our interview with the film’s director Maria Fredriksson

Next up was Milad Alami’s The Opponent. Milad is famous for his work on the excellent TV series When The Dust Settles and Follow The Money, plus his previous (and debut) film The Charmer.

The film focuses on a family who have escaped from Iran to start a new life in Northern Sweden – but what have they exactly escaped from and will the past catch up with them? We hope to hear news of the film’s release later this year and will be keeping a close eye on it.

We got to speak to Milad on a hot sunny day in Malmo and you can read that interview next month and watch out for news on a potential UK release too.

Another new talent we discovered was William Sehested Høeg, who premiered his new short film ‘The Complaint’ (Danish poster below) in June.

The film features a fantastic cast including the likes of Simon Sears (Shorta), Natalie Madueño (Those Who Kill), Dulfi Al-Jabouri (The Investigation), and Mikael Birkkjær (Borgen) – not to mention his sister Emma Sehested Høeg (Killyjoy) too!

You can read our interview with the director here.

It has been a slow month for releases but don’t worry we are certain of some new and exciting content to watch in the upcoming months!