We’ve compiled a list of 12 Nordic films we’re eager to see released in 2024. More often than not, many of the films we hear and read about don’t make it to UK screens, or even much beyond Europe. This curated list represents the future releases we’re most hopeful to see!
Films
Copenhagen Does Not Exist | Denmark
It feels crazy that we saw this at the of end of January in 2023, and here we are in 2024 with still no sign of the film getting an international pick up. We heard from some people that if a film is performing well on the film festival circuit then it will continue doing festivals before a distributor picks it up and we are truly hoping that someone has been smart enough to recognise this film’s brilliance and open it up to a wider audience.
Martin Skovbjerg’s work still haunts us with questions and thoughts, a year later, and the central leads performances are still so stellar they have to be been seen – we will not rest until it gets a UK release!
You can read our interview with the director and learn more abotu the film (without it being spoiled).
Shame on Dry Land | Sweden
The fact that Axel Petersen’s “Shame on Dry Land” was screened at the BFI London International Film Festival should have been a strong indication of its potential to get picked up here in the UK, and we’re still keeping our fingers crossed.
This film emerged as one of our favourite discoveries in 2023, featuring an incredible performance by its lead, Joel Spira (Top Dog), and boasting one of the most frenetic soundtracks we’ve experienced since “Uncut Gems.”
Why not read our interview with the film’s director Axel Petersen to find out more about the film?
Paradise is Burning | Sweden
If you haven’t caught us already jumping up and down, screaming and singing about how utterly brilliant this film is, then you clearly need to spend more time with us at Nordic Watchlist.
Mika Gustafsson’s debut feature is nothing short of absolute perfection, especially when it comes to its three leads, each making their debut in this movie. We totally adored this film and are eagerly awaiting its international release in 2024!
Find out more about about the film in our interview with the films creators Mika Gustfasson and Alex Öhrstrand.
Cold | Iceland
With an absolutely ridiculously stacked Icelandic cast, including the great Jóhannes Haukur Jóhannesson (recently seen in Season 4 of “Succession”), and directed by the seriously exciting talent Erlingur Thoroddsen, we’re brimming with anticipation for this movie’s release.
The screenplay is by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir, whose recent book, “The Prey,” won our vote as the best Nordic novel of 2023. It kept our writer, Glen, awake for nights, thoroughly creeped out. Yrsa also penned “I Remember You,” which was brilliantly adapted, so all signs point to this upcoming film being absolutely fantastic. We’re all eagerly waiting to see it—now, please!
Read our interview with the films director Erlingur Thoroddsen.
The Hypnosis | Norway
We’re still feeling a bit sore about missing the recent screening at the London International Film Festival. Despite our best efforts to contact everyone involved with the film, we weren’t successful and thus missed its limited showings.
Although we haven’t seen the film, we are very confident in its brilliance, given the cast and what we’ve heard of director Ernst De Greer’s work. In simple terms, if someone can put us out of our misery and get hold of the film we would be immensely grateful!
The film stars Herbert Nordrum and Asta August, centring on a conference that spirals unexpectedly. August’s character undergoes hypnosis to quit smoking, only to find the treatment has effects far beyond what she bargained for.
Handling The Undead | Norway
With Herbert Nordrum of “The Worst Person in the World” starring in “The Hypnosis,” it makes sense to pair this excitement with another film we are truly bubbling with excitement about: Thea Hvistendahl’s “Handling The Undead.” This film reunites Renate Reinsve and Anders Danielsen Lie onscreen—whether together or not, we’re not entirely sure yet.
A far cry from the trio’s previous movie, this one is based on a horror novel by John Ajvide Lindqvist and unfolds the story of one hot summer’s day in Oslo when the dead begin to wake up.
Look out for our interview with director Thea Hvistendahl next month!
Hygge! | Denmark
Discover more about “Hygge!” from our interview with one of its stars, Nicolai Jørgensen, who shared insights into the film and his role in the acclaimed “Carmen Curlers”. Boasting a stellar cast and directed by Dagur Kári (“Noi the Albino”), the film itself might be one of the most remade movies in history, with numerous adaptations around the globe!
An autumn release, as we cozy back into our own hygge mode, would be absolutely perfect.
Stockholm Bloodbath | Sweden
A huge cast, a historical medieval event, and everything speaking English – so why haven’t we had a release of Stockholm Bloodbath? There is the likes of Claes Bang, Adam Palsson, Ulrich Thomsen and Alba August (to name a few)!
A Viaplay funded film might mean that we could potentially end up seeing this if it comes to Viaplay in the future – which is entirely possible now that the streamer’s movies and series has found a new home on Amazon Prime.
Four Little Adults | Finland
We spoke with director Selma Vilhunen back in June last year about her feature film, “Four Little Adults,” which has been taking its time to be released here in the UK. Modern Films had initially set April as the release date, but we’ve seen that they have since moved it back to June.
So, let’s cross our fingers, because this was one of our favourite Nordic films we saw last year, with some incredible performances from its stellar cast. The film follows a married couple who explore a polyamorous relationship, revealing its pros and cons.
Kalak | Denmark
Director Isabella Eklöf is back with her next feature film after “Holiday,” which she released back in 2018. We are excited to see what her next feature will be like, although currently, we don’t know a great deal about it at this stage. Those of you familiar with “Holiday” will remember how the film flipped with a shocking moment that left some viewers quite upset. For us, it introduced us to Vic Carmen Stone, who delivered an incredible performance and has been a favorite of ours since seeing her in this role. You can next see her in Cannes selected The Girl with the Needle which we are also incredible excited about!
Feed | Sweden
This is something a bit wild and out there—a Swedish horror movie set on an island where an ancient witch is unleashed on a group of social media experts. The film, directed by Johannes Persson, came out in 2022. It stars the likes of Sofia Kappel (“Pleasure”), Molly Nutley (“Thicker Than Water”), and Joel Lutzow (“The Playlist”). The film also won the Guldbagge Audience Award in 2023, so it was a pretty big hit in Sweden.
Shudder is usually our favourite go-to when it comes to Nordic horror, as they have a fantastic collection there. We are relying on them to hopefully get hold of this in the future—fingers crossed it might arrive in time for Halloween.
Sons | Denmark
Another Danish prison drama, but this time starring the excellent Sidse Babett Knudsen and directed by Gustav Möller (The Guilty). With the success of Denmark’s “Prisoner” over on the BBC this year, we are excited to see another thriller come our way, telling the story of people behind and in front of the bars.
Sidse Babett Knudsen plays a prison warden who finds out her son has been put into the same facility as her. How will she react, and what trouble might it bring? Director Gustav Möller did an amazing job with “The Guilty,” and we are really excited to see what he does with this.
There are plenty more films out there that we hope to see – what are some of your picks? We would to hear your thoughts in the comments below.
