Nordic films on BFI Player offer UK cinema lovers an exceptional gateway into Scandinavian film. Whether you want to revisit iconic masterpieces or discover recent festival favorites, the platform provides a rich selection of cinema from Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. Here are 10 essential Nordic films on BFI Player to add to your streaming watchlist today.
10 Essential Nordic Films on BFI Player to Stream Right Now
1. Ultras (2025) | Dir. Ragnhild Ekner (Sweden / Denmark / Finland)
Moving past traditional sensationalized headlines, Swedish filmmaker Ragnhild Ekner delivers a perceptive, global deep-dive into football’s infamous ultra culture. Spanning terraces from Eastbourne to Casablanca, this expansive documentary uncovers a world built as much on artistic passion, solidarity, and political resistance as it is on rivalry and machismo.
Watch out interview with the director Ragnhild Ekner below:
2. Sebastian (2024) | Dir. Mikko Mäkelä (UK / Finland)
Finnish director Mikko Mäkelä (A Moment in the Reeds) delivers an audacious, sex-positive character study. Max (Ruaridh Mollica), a 24-year-old aspiring novelist in London, begins working undercover as a male escort named “Sebastian” to gather material for his debut novel. As his secret life deepens, the boundary between research and authentic self-discovery begins to blur.
3. Insomnia (1997) | Dir. Erik Skjoldbjærg (Norway)
A foundational stone of modern Nordic Noir, Erik Skjoldbjærg’s psychological thriller stars Stellan Skarsgård as Jonas Engström, a disgraced Swedish detective sent to northern Norway to solve a teenager’s murder. Bathed in the oppressive, unyielding glow of the midnight sun, the relentless daylight unravels the detective’s sanity and moral compass.
Read our review of Insomnia HERE
4. Persona (1966) | Dir. Ingmar Bergman (Sweden)
Widely regarded as one of cinema’s greatest achievements, Bergman’s avant-garde psychological drama stars Liv Ullmann as an acclaimed stage actress who suddenly falls mute, and Bibi Andersson as the chatty nurse tasked with her care on the isolated island of Fårö. As the two women isolate together, their identities, secrets, and psyches begin to merge in unsettling ways.
You will also find a number of other works by Berman including Wild Strawberries and Summer with Monika.
5. Breaking the Waves (1996) | Dir. Lars von Trier (Denmark)
Lars von Trier’s emotionally raw, Grand Prix–winning drama follows Bess (Emily Watson), a deeply religious young woman in a remote Scottish village whose devotion to her paralyzed husband (Stellan Skarsgård) leads her down a harrowing path of self-sacrifice, faith, and tragedy.
You will find other classics by the director including Dancer in the Dark and Nyphomaniac Vol 1 and 2.
6. A New Kind of Wilderness (2024) | Dir. Silje Evensmo Jacobsen (Norway)
Winner of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance, this intimate documentary follows the Payne family, who live completely off-grid in a Norwegian forest seeking freedom and harmony with nature. When a sudden tragedy shatters their paradise, the family is forced to navigate grief and adapt to modern societal expectations.
Read our interview with director Silje Evensmo Jacobsen and also our review HERE
7. Godland (2022) | Dir. Hlynur Pálmason (Denmark / Iceland)
Set in the late 19th century, Hlynur Pálmason’s visually stunning epic follows Lucas (Elliott Crosset Hove), an idealistic Danish priest dispatched to a remote Icelandic settlement to build a church. Framed in a vintage 1:33 aspect ratio, the grueling journey across volatile landscapes pits colonial pride against nature and local hostility.
8. Force Majeure (2014) | Dir. Ruben Östlund (Sweden)
Before Triangle of Sadness and The Square, Ruben Östlund crafted this biting dark comedy set in the French Alps. When a controlled avalanche triggers panic at an outdoor restaurant, a father instinctively runs away—abandoning his wife and children. Though everyone escapes physically unharmed, his split-second act of cowardice leaves his marriage and sense of masculinity in complete ruin.
9. Girls Girls Girls (2022) | Dir. Alli Haapasalo (Finland)
Originally premiered as Girl Picture, Alli Haapasalo’s refreshing, energetic queer coming-of-age story captures three teenage girls over three consecutive Fridays in Helsinki. As they navigate figure-skating pressures, sexual identity, and the search for pleasure, the film delivers an authentic and joyful portrait of youth.
10. Fanny and Alexander (1982) | Dir. Ingmar Bergman (Sweden)
Bergman’s lush, semi-autobiographical masterpiece views the world through the eyes of young siblings Fanny and Alexander in early 20th-century Uppsala. Moving from the warm, theatrical joy of their large family household to the bleak, austere home of their strict new stepfather, it remains an extraordinary testament to imagination and resilience.
Upcoming Nordic Films on BFI Player: Dag Johan Haugerud’s Trilogy
Keep an eye out on BFI Player for one of the most celebrated contemporary Norwegian projects in recent years. Acclaimed writer-director Dag Johan Haugerud’s ambitious Oslo Stories trilogy explores modern human connection, desire, and identity across three interconnected feature films:
Sex (2024)
Follows two married male chimney sweeps in Oslo whose unexpected personal encounters prompt deep reconsiderations of sexuality, gender roles, and marital norms.
Love (2024)
Examines intimacy and unconventional relationships, focusing on a doctor and a nurse seeking warmth outside societal boundaries.
Dreams (2024)
A major festival success—including winning the Golden Bear at the 2025 Berlin Film Festival—focusing on a high-school student whose secret crush on her female teacher sets off an emotional ripple effect.
Discover these Nordic films and much more over on the BFI Player
