How do you hide a microphone on an actor when they aren’t wearing any clothes? We sat down with director Eirik Tveiten to discuss the making of his Oscar-qualified short film, Camping in Paradise. Continue reading Director Eirik Tveiten Discusses Humour and Nudity in Cinema
Nordic Watchlist speaks to Swedish director Isabella Eklöf about working on the adaptation of The Death of Bunny Munro. Continue reading How Isabella Eklöf Transforms The Death of Bunny Munro
Nordic Watchlist reviews The Quiet Mother by Arnaldur Indridason The past often comes back to haunt us, but in the case of Arnaldur Indridason’s The Quiet Mother, the past returns not only to haunt but to exact vengeance. In a … Continue reading The Quiet Mother by Arnaldur Indridason – Book Review
Sisu is back with its sequel; Sisu – Road to Revenge which hits UK cinemas from the 21s November. Who is ready to see more chaos with our Finnish action hero? Continue reading Sisu: Road To Revenge – Film Review
Nordic Watchlist reviews the Isabella Eklöf-directed series The Death of Bunny Munro When news arrived earlier this year that Nick Cave’s The Death of Bunny Munro was headed for a screen adaptation, we were immediately excited – largely thanks to … Continue reading The Death of Bunny Munro – A dream combination of a Nick Cave book adaptation, directed by Isabella Eklöf and starring Matt Smith
Check out Nordic Watchlist’s The Winter Warriors book review. Churchill once said: “Those that fail to learn from history are doomed to repeat it.” Readers would do well to heed that advice when reading Olivier Norek’s The Winter Warriors, a … Continue reading The Winter Warriors by Olivier Norek – Book Review
Johana Gustawsson’s Scars of Silence is a chilling, atmospheric crime novel set against the snowy backdrop of Lidingö, Sweden. When a Lucia Day tradition turns deadly, detectives Storm and Rehn must unravel secrets buried for 25 years. With vivid characters and a masterful blend of past and present, this story grips from the first page – a crime thriller that’s as human as it is haunting. Continue reading Scars of Silence by Johana Gustawsson – Book Review
Nordic Watchlist caught up with Swedish actor Edvin Ryding during a break in filming his upcoming Hunger Games film. The Young Royals star, who has recently appeared in the 28 Years Later, is back on our screens in Viaplay’s A Life’s Worth which is available now on both Viaplay UK and USA. Continue reading Actor Edvin Ryding on His Role in ‘A Life’s Worth’
Egghead Republic hits the Trieste Science+Fiction Festival. Discover the craziest Nordic sci-fi satire: centaurs, exploitation, and gonzo journalism in an alternate 2004. Continue reading Trieste Sci-Fi Festival Unveils Nordic Weirdness: Egghead Republic
Nordic Watchlist reviews The Shadow of The Northern Lights by Satu Rämö. Book 3 of Hildur series sees the Detective Hildur investigate murders tied to Iceland’s Yule Lads legend. Continue reading The Shadow of The Northern Lights by Satu Rämö – Book Review
Nordic Watchlist’s newest writer, Jes Gislason, recently interviewed famed Icelandic author and poet Sjón. Sjón will be in the UK next month for a special event hosted by the Cinecity 23rd Brighton Film Festival. The event features the author in conversation with writer Amy Raphael, followed by a screening of an episode of Louis Feuillade’s Les Vampires (France, 1915–1916) Continue reading From Mary Poppins to The Northman: Sjón’s Cinematic Evolution
Danish director Emilie Thalund is another Nordic talent to look out for. Her debut film Weightless had its UK premiere at London Film Festival this month, off the back of her winning a prize at the San Sebastián Film Festival. … Continue reading London Film Festival: Emilie Thalund Discusses Weightless
Read our review of Antti Tuomainen’s The Winter Job – a darkly comic road trip through frozen Finland, where a desperate dad, a mysterious sofa, and a cast of bizarre characters collide in a whirlwind of mayhem. This unconventional adventure will keep you glued to your seat. Continue reading The Winter Job by Antti Tuomainen – Book Review
Intense is very much the go-to word for Nordic Noir, the entire genre known for its deep, brooding storylines, but in Bordertown Season 3 (its final series), intensity is taken to a whole new level. Those who have followed the … Continue reading Bordertown Season 3: Intense Finale Review
Emilie Thalund’s poignant film “Weightless” makes its UK premiere at the London Film Festival, and we’ve got the full review for you. Continue reading Danish Cinema Shines: ‘Weightless’ at London Film Festival
In Ultras, director Ragnhild Ekner transforms what could easily be a cacophony of shouting men into a visually intoxicating spectacle of collective passion. The documentary embarks on a journey that subverts expectations, moving beyond mere football obsession to explore the more beautiful, dedicated, and often spiritual prospect of the global Ultras subculture. Continue reading Ultras Review: A Journey to the Beating Heart of Football Fandom
In The Wake, the gripping second novel in Yrsa Sigurðardóttir’s Black Ice series, five old university friends reunite on Iceland’s Westman Islands for a funeral — but a chilling note and a rising body count suggest their past is far from dead. With masterful twists, dual timelines, and a creeping sense of dread, Sigurðardóttir delivers a slow-burning thriller that chills to the bone. Continue reading The Wake by Yrsa Sigurðardóttir – Book Review
John Skoog’s debut feature Redoubt has its UK premiere at this year’s London Film Festival. Inspired by the true story of Karl-Göran Persson, a farm worker in southern Sweden who, at the height of the Cold War, began fortifying his … Continue reading Redoubt Review: John Skoog’s Monochrome Ode to a Cold War Dreamer
Ever wondered what secrets are hiding in a quiet Icelandic farmhouse? In Guđrún Guđlaugsdóttir’s A Lethal Legacy, journalist Alma Jónsdóttir dives into a family mystery after an elderly farmer’s death. Forget fast-paced action, this story is all about slow-burning drama, sibling rivalry, and secrets that refuse to stay buried. Continue reading A Lethal Legacy by Guđrún Guđlaugsdóttir – Book Review
A decade ago, English readers got to read Snowblind, the first of Ragnar Jónasson’s six-book Dark Iceland series. Now finally we also get to read Fadeout, the prequel that started it all back in Iceland in 2009 with a tenth anniversary special edition of both Fadeout and Snowblind. What set Ari Thór Arason on his path as a police officer? Fadeout reveals all! Continue reading Snowblind/Fadeout by Ragnar Jónasson – Book Review
It says much about geopolitical tensions in the world that many Nordic TV shows, films, and books now include a Russian-threat subplot. So, it is with the eight-part Finnish TV series Isolated, now showing as part of the Walter Presents strand on Channel 4. Continue reading Unravel the Mystery of ‘Isolated’ on Walter Presents
With the upcoming adaptation of Miakel Niemi’s book To Cook A Bear coming to Disney+ in October Nordic Watchlist revisit the famous Swedish novel. Continue reading To Cook A Bear by Mikael Niemi – Book Review
The Hebrides International Film Festival is in full swing now and Nordic Watchlist got the opportunity to have a quick catch-up with the festival’s director Murial Ann about its connections to all things Nordic and some of the films selections she has at the festival. Continue reading Exploring Nordic Cinema at Hebrides International Film Festival
In Black As Death, the much-anticipated final instalment of Lilja Sigurđardóttir’s Áróra Investigates series, we finally get answers to the disappearance of Áróra’s sister. Sigurđardóttir though never takes the obvious route and this gripping tale takes a contemporary tale of financial crime and interweaves it with flashbacks that finally solve this five-book long mystery. Continue reading Black As Death by Lilja Sigurđardóttir – Book Review
With a top director, well known cast and an international best seller as source material, the screen adaptation of Ragnar Jónasson’s The Darkness was always going to be highly anticipated. It’s a surprise, therefore, to find that the end result is something less than its constituent parts promise. Continue reading The Darkness – TV Series Review
If you were to think of Nordic Netflix, you’d think of grisly noir thrillers, police procedurals, series based on a true story or Christmassy stories straight out of a postcard. But its latest Scandi offering, Diary of a Ditched Girl, has absolutely nothing in common with these genre favourites. It’s vibrant; it’s unapologetic; it’s bold. Continue reading Netflix Must Watch: Diary of a Ditched Girl Review
A famous crime writer vanishes, her friends at a loss to know where she is. Her books are an international sensation, but secrets in her personal life haunt the author – could these have driven her to do something reckless? … Continue reading The Mysterious Case of the Missing Crime Writer by Ragnar Jónasson – Book Review
A good thriller is often described as ‘the stuff of nightmares’ but in Lars Kepler’s The Sleepwalker that is literally the case. For seventeen-year-old Hugo, sleep is a troubled thing. He suffers from severe somnambulism, or sleepwalking. When undergoing an … Continue reading The Sleepwalker by Lars Kepler – Book Review
The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo was an international phenomenon on both page and screen. Stieg Larsson’s original trilogy of novels has continued to grow after his death, with Karen Smirnoff now adding the eighth installment = The Girl With Ice In Her Veins. The question is though is it now time to call time on Lisabeth Salander? Continue reading The Girl With Ice In Her Veins by Karin Smirnoff – Book Review
Former Icelandic First Lady Eliza Reid’s debut novel, Death Of A Diplomat, draws heavily on her knowledge of ambassadorial receptions, but this modern take on Agatha Christie is no pastiche. A debut that proves Reid can stand proudly alongside the masters of the genre while bringing something distinctly her own to the table. Continue reading Death Of A Diplomat by Eliza Reid – Book Review
