You’ll be pleased to hear that December has brought a host of exciting new releases, as we gear up for the festive period! From classic Finnish directors to killer barn elves, musical documentaries, and more of Sanna Sandqvist (last seen in recntTore) which is what the world needs! Here are new Nordic releases coming in December.
CINEMA & DIGITAL ON DEMAND
There’s Something in the Barn | 1st December | Cinemas and DOD
For those who might prefer a detour from their Hallmark Christmas movies then look now further than Magnes Marten’s nostalgic and bloody Christmas comedy – There’s Something in the Barn. Dim the lights, get you popcorn on, forget about Will Ferrell’s Elf and head to Norway where an American family upset a bunch of Norwegian barn elves with comedic (and violent) consequences.
Look out for our interview with the director which is out next week.
MUBI
Fallen Leaves | 1st December | Cinemas
You will soon see why MUBI are in our good books this Christmas, starting with them acquiring the fantastic Aki Kaurismäki’s feature Fallen Leaves and releasing this today, 1st December, to kickstart a wonderful month of Nordic features!
Here, the brilliant Alma Pöysti returns in yet another feature this year, and another wonderful performance. Alongside her is Jussi Vatanen as we follow the story of their lives and how their worlds collide and bounce into another direction.
Read our interview with the two stars.
A Tiger In Paradise | 8th December | MUBI Streaming Platform
We are so delighted to see MUBI bring this documentary to a UK audience. Nordic documentaries are plentiful if you attend a film festival such as CPH:DOX but when it comes to actually physically seeing them in the UK, it is near impossible. We hope that trend will change soon and to help start that MUBI are exclusively screening this feature on Jose Gonzalez, one of Sweden’s other famous artists.
Rare Exports: A Christmas Story | 15th December | MUBI Streaming Platform
If anyone mentions a Nordic Christmas movie to you it will be 100% likely be this movie, brought to you by the same director as Sisu (which is also being released this month) this is the perfect movie to pair with There’s Something in the Barn if you are planning a night of Christmas movies that bring mayhem rather than schmaltz.
NETFLIX
Thank You, I’m Sorry | Sweden | 26th December
We are excited by the fact that we get another performance from the incredibly talented Sanna Sandqvist who we last saw in the series Tore. Here she takes centre stage in a film that has been described as a ‘heart-warming tale of forgiveness, family and sisterhood’. Her character finds herself left all alone after her perfect family falls apart, only for her immature sister to arrive and help out, leading to moments of comedy and emotions.
SKY MOVIES / NOW TV
Sisu | Finland | 30th December
We are delighted to see Sisu getting a release on Sky Movies/Now TV – perhaps because most of it is in English or maybe because it was a big hit this year. Either way, if you haven’t seen this yet then buckle in and get ready for pure bloody carnage when a group of Nazi’s upset the wrong guy.
BOOKS
Our resident Nordic book guru gives us an update on what book releases to look out for!
Despite the Icelandic tradition of Jólabókaflóð (book flood) where people gift books to each other on Christmas Eve and then spend the day reading them, here in the UK new releases in December are thin on the ground, with most publishers having already launched books to maximise pre-Christmas sales.
There are though a couple of books to look out for – ok, one is technically a November release but only just!
Dead Sweet – Katrín Júlíusdóttir
Icelandic politicians have been a theme this year, current Prime Minisiter Katrín Jakobsdóttir hit the writing scene Reykjavik earlier this year, written in partnership with Ragnar Jónasson, and now former Icelandic Member of Parliament Katrín Júlíusdóttir makes her writing debut with the English translation of her 2020 novel Dead Sweet.
The first in a new series, Dead Sweet draws on Júlíusdóttir’s Government background as a young police officer investigates the death of a top government official found dead after a surprise birthday party. Financial crime, cults and secret lives feature in this award-winning debut.
Dead Sweet by Katrín Júlíusdóttir, translated by Quentin Bates is released by Orenda Books on 7 December 2023
Snow Fall – Jørn Lier Horst
Ok, this was released in the last week of November, but one definitely to savour in the pre-Christmas period. A new Wisting novel is a major event in Nordic Noir land as the 10 million copies of previous novels worldwide attest.
Wisting is brought crashing into to modern world, as online sleuths all try to solve the death of a backpacker in Spain. As a Norwegian sleuth prepares to go online and reveal the killer she vanishes, leaving the professional investigator to try and solve the mysteries before anyone else becomes victim.
With fans of both the original books and the TV adaptation, Snow Fall is an eagerly awaited instalment that will be on many Christmas wish lists.
Snow Fall – Jørn Lier Horst, translated by Anne Bruce, was published by Penguin on 23 November 2023,
Which are you most excited about? We are would love to hear – share in the comments below and if you don’t follow us on Instagram please do give us a follow @NordicWatchlist
