Discover 8 new Nordic releases with our June Monthly Guide and find out which titles to add to your Nordic Watchlist this month, across film, TV and books.
Look out for the likes of Paradis City on Amazon Prime, a second season of Barracuda Queens (pictured below), and much more.
FILMS & TV SERIES
Paradis City | TV Series | Amazon Prime (UK) | Out Now
Once again, Amazon has added a great Swedish series, following on from The Fortress last month and Stockholm Blackout a couple of months before. Based on the bestselling novel by Jens Lapidus (Easy Money), Paradis City is a tense political thriller set in a near-future Sweden teetering on the edge of collapse. When a government minister disappears inside the sealed-off urban zone known as Paradis City, Home Security agent Fredrika Falck turns to Emir – a former MMA fighter serving a life sentence – with a stark ultimatum: go undercover and find the minister, or never see his daughter again.
The series stars Alexander Abdallah (Snabba Cash, Love & Anarchy) as Emir and Julia Ragnarsson (Top Dog, Midsommar) as Fredrika, delivering a gripping blend of action, high-stakes drama, and moral tension.
Barracuda Queens | Sweden | Netflix (Globally) | 5th June
Set in the year 2000, the Barracuda girls are back – older, bolder, and just as hungry for independence. Lollo returns from Paris to find her friends stuck in the routines of early adulthood, still living at home and craving something more. Her arrival sparks a new sense of urgency: it’s time to move out and take charge of their lives.
But funding that freedom won’t be easy, especially with promises made to stay out of trouble. Still, the allure of the high-stakes art world proves tempting, and for this crew of former teen robbers, the line between right and wrong begins to blur once again. After all, once a Barracuda Queen…
Expect more of the usual hijinks from this group of chaotic girls as they chug champagne, wear dazzling outfits, and get themselves in a heap of trouble – all to another banging 90s soundtrack.
Families Like Ours | TV Series | Netflix (USA) | 16th June
Families Like Ours, a new Nordic drama directed by Thomas Vinterberg, arrives on Netflix in the USA. The series plunges viewers into a near-future Denmark facing an unprecedented crisis. As rising water levels force a nationwide evacuation, the series intimately portrays the interconnected lives of several families grappling with this unimaginable upheaval. The narrative unfolds with a deliberate pace, carefully constructing emotional connections before erupting into moments of intense drama.
The series masterfully explores themes of desperation, family bonds, and the profound impact of a large-scale catastrophe on personal relationships. Characters are forced to make impossible choices as their lives are irrevocably altered, revealing the strength and fragility of the human spirit in the face of overwhelming odds. Families Like Ours has been lauded for its realistic and unsettling depiction of a society on the brink, featuring outstanding performances that draw the viewer deeply into the characters’ experiences.
Read our review of the series and our interview with its lead star Amaryllis August
Mafia | TV Series | Viaplay UK and USA | 19th June (USA) 23rd June (UK)
Inspired by real events, Mafia is a gripping six-part crime drama that traces Sweden’s shift in the 1990s from relative calm to a country rocked by gang violence and organised crime. At the heart of the story is Radovan “Jakov” Jakovic, a sharp-minded gangster rising from poverty to power, and Gunn Thörngren, a determined police officer who’s one of the first to recognise the growing criminal threat.
As their paths cross, an uneasy connection forms between the two – one that blurs the lines between manipulation and trust, and threatens to consume them both. Spanning nearly a decade, this high-stakes drama explores ambition, corruption, and how history shapes the criminal world from the shadows.
The Last Journey | Film | UK Cinemas | 20th June
Swedish presenter and filmmaker Filip Hammar sets off on an emotionally charged road trip with his elderly father Lars, hoping to lift him from a deep depression by retracing the family’s childhood holidays to the south of France. Joined by close friend and collaborator Fredrik Wikingsson, the trio attempts to recreate a sense of joy and connection from years past – but the journey doesn’t go as planned.
Blending humour, heartache, and raw honesty, this poignant documentary became Sweden’s highest-grossing of its kind, offering a powerful reflection on ageing, memory, and letting go.
The Sommerdahl Murders | TV Series | Walter Presents/Channel 4 (UK) | 20th June
Set against the picturesque backdrop of Elsinore, Denmark, DCI Dan Sommerdahl returns to tackle a new series of intricate murder cases. As he delves deeper into the investigations, Dan grapples with personal turmoil, particularly the complexities of his estranged relationship with his wife, Marianne. The dynamics become even more strained with the involvement of his best friend and colleague, Detective Flemming Torp, leading to a tense love triangle that mirrors the complexities of the cases they face.
This season presents a number of compelling mysteries: from the enigmatic murder of a world-renowned musician to unsettling events at a local folk high school, a devastating restaurant fire, and a chilling case in a nursing home. Each episode unravels layers of secrets and hidden motives, challenging Dan and his team to navigate both their personal entanglements and the dark undercurrents of their seemingly serene town.
BOOKS
Death Of A Diplomat by Eliza Reid | Sphere | 5th June
Iceland’s First Lady, Eliza Reid, grew up in Canada but moved to Iceland in 2003. As First Lady, she championed Iceland’s rich literary scene. An acclaimed writer herself, her latest novel, Death Of A Diplomat features both of her nations. When the deputy Canadian Ambassador is poisoned at dinner on a trip to a remote Icelandic island, suspicions soon begin to circulate and hidden secrets soon see the list of suspects grow. This scandic twist on Agatha Christie uses all of the former First Lady’s diplomatic insight to add a sense of realism.
Broken by Jón Atli Jónasson | Corylus Books | 20th June
In a strong month for Iceland – Jón Atli Jónasson’s first novel to be published in English, Broken, takes us to a darker side of Reykjavik that tourists rarely see and centres on two police officers broken by their work. When a troubled youngster vanishes on a school trip, the pair take an increasingly dark path to try and find them.
With a background as an award-winning screenwriter, Jon Atli Jonasson is used to drawing vivid work, and Broken is the first of a trilogy filled with black humour.
