Reviews

• “Nine episodes lean toward the longer side of streaming offerings these days, yet Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole wisely utilizes its generous time. Equal parts psychological character study and plot-driven brain-twister, the show largely maintains its momentum throughout; bursts of graphic violence and meditative investigations interrupt the pervasive coiling tendrils of dread, before speeding into propulsive overdrive once hero and villain find the walls closing in around them. A roundhouse-kick of a thrill ride that lives up to the promises baked into the thriller subgenre’s name, Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole delivers virtually everywhere it should — which is nothing less than what a modern legend deserves.”

• “Jo Nesbø’s grizzled antihero gets the adaptation he deserves. /…/ Tobias Santelmann embodies [Harry Hole] — described by Nesbø as a cross between Frank Miller‘s Batman and Norwegian soccer coach Nils Arne Eggen — with a committed intensity that compels from his opening scene, one which establishes his default state of shirtless, sleep-deprived, and obsessing over a crime that’s haunted him for aeons.  /…/ Detective Hole sounds great, too, and not just for the well-chosen needle drops which range from local alt-pop (Susanne Sundfør, Gundelach) to American classic rock (The Doors, Ramones). In perhaps its biggest coup, the show managed to bag the talents of the Prince of Darkness Nick Cave and his regular Bad Seeds cohort Warren Ellis, with their nervy, atmospheric score proving once again that few are better at conjuring suspense. Karlsen — who’d previously worked with Nesbø on Leonard Cohen biopic “So Long, Marianne” — and Zackrisson also showcase a strong visual flair.”

• “A Thrilling and Chilling Nordic Noir. /…/ Kinetic, suspenseful, and with some true jaw-dropping twists, this Nordic Noir is a masterclass in Norwegian crime sagas. The series uses Osla as a backdrop, filling cold and chilly silences with breathtaking visuals that make the performances introspective, thoughtful, and restrained. /…/ A classic detective thriller, it spends time in the shadows between predator and prey, filled with grisly murders, corrupt cops, and an icy chill in the air that keeps it firmly edge-of-your-seat entertainment. /…/ Karlsen and Zackrisson do a remarkable job of bringing Nesbø’s vision to life. The aesthetic is sterile, clean, and coldly ominous. The pacing is slow, even melancholic, and the plot is fascinating and multi-layered, coming together while still leaving you pondering ones left unanswered. Dark, moody, and atmospheric. /…/ [Tobias Santelmann’s] performance is electric. Multilayered, three-dimensional, and always interesting, Santelmann brings to life a character who is magnetic, despite being consistently unlikable. Which is the key to Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole: a morally ambiguous antihero made irresistible by the sheer force of Santelmann’s presence. It’s a knockout. Paird with Kinnaman’s menacing turn, the series is full of style, grit, and wit, action-packed, suspensful, and layered with thrills, this is a Nesbø Nordic Noir done right.”

• “Joel Kinnaman delivers a career-best performance to display Waaler’s chilling pragmatism, making him seem both magnetic and menacing. Tobias Santelmann​​​ is no less compelling as the show’s lead, especially during moments when Harry is consumed by his alcoholism and extremely loving and vulnerable around his romantic interest, Rakel Fauke (Pia Tjelta), and her son. /…/ If given the opportunity, Tobias Santelmann also seems to have the screen presence and acting forte to lead a full-fledged detective franchise that could eventually rival giants like Reacher, Bosch, and True Detective.”

• “Led by Tobias Santelmann and Joel Kinnaman, the series leans fully into Nordic noir, pairing a chilling procedural with a deeper dive into a tragic man whose sharp, obsessive mind is both his greatest asset and his greatest liability. The result is a thriller steeped in atmosphere, examining the cost of chasing darkness without being consumed by it.”

• “A dense Nordic noir with standout performances. /…/ Nordic noir is presented here with cinematic ambition: brooding landscapes, carefully lit interiors, and a score that underlines dread without signaling every twist. The show is credited to creators and executive producers with strong industry ties, and it benefits from collaborative direction under Anna Zackrisson and Øystein Karlsen. Viewers will see how serialized television allows for a gradual unveiling of evidence, motive, and moral compromise. With that scope comes a challenge: balancing intricate plotting with believable character beats.”

• “Santelmann is perfectly cast as Harry, with a grizzled, tough exterior that makes him utterly believable as this determined man who has been beaten down by life, while also retaining a tenderness, particularly in scenes with his girlfriend Rakel and her son Oleg. No matter how poorly he behaves or how one-track his mind is, he is always an empathetic character who you can’t help but root for – in direct contrast to Waaler. Speaking of Waaler, Kinnaman has never been better than he is here. A truly twisted, slimy and thrillingly complex figure, Waaler is the show’s most interesting asset and the perfect foil for Harry in this first season. Kinnaman goes to some extreme places here, and it’s never anything less than captivating to watch. The battle between these two forces is easily the best aspect of the nine-part series, which also (of course) features an overarching serial killer storyline. This storyline leans into everything you’d expect from this sort of series, and in doing so brings the tense, chilling atmosphere the genre is synonymous with, even if it is set during the sun-dappled height of summer.”

• “A rollicking Scandi-action ride. /…/ One may feel nervous about Netflix getting its brash American hands on another beloved Scandi-detective property. But Nesbo has scripted this, deftly weaving canonical backstory into his adaptation of The Devil’s Star, the fifth book in the series, while cleverly maintaining the frenetic pacing of his prose.”

• “Nordic noir with everything turned up to the max. /…/ Netflix’s Norwegian big-budget Harry Hole production is a lavish, well-acted, unsettling and very hard-boiled descent into the characteristic Nordic darkness that once set the standard. /…/ You can see that money has been spent—it looks really, really good. The script is skillfully written, and the music plays a crucial role in the atmosphere, with a mix of old classics and newly composed darkness by Nick Cave and Warren Ellis. And the casting is excellent throughout. /…/ Santelmann and Kinnaman own this series together. They are truly outstanding, both individually and as a duo.”

• “Joel Kinnaman delivers the best role of his career. Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole is the Nordic Noir we’ve been missing. /…/ Harry Hole is an alcoholic, a brilliant detective, and right now a human being with just the right amount of flaws to make him impossible to stop watching. Tobias Santelmann portrays him with a worn-down and honest heaviness which never turns into self-pity. He’s difficult, he makes bad decisions, he’s still in therapy, and he actually tries. It’s that combination that makes him human rather than a tortured, cliché of a genius in a trenchcoat. /…/ Joel Kinnaman plays Tom Waaler and it’s without exaggeration his strongest performance in years. /…/ The dynamic between Santelmann and Kinnaman is the absolute backbone of the show, and it holds for nine episodes without ever slipping. They are two sides of the same coin, something that the show is smart enough to show, not tell. When they share scenes, there’s a tension in the air that is hard to put into words but easy to feel. /…/ The photography is beautiful in a way that surprises. The show provides Oslo with dual faces, the summer nights with its shimmering lights and the ragged everyday life in the darkest corners of the city. But it’s in the private moments where the series really show what it’s all about. When Harry is with Rakel, when his protective walls are down and he’s allowed to be something else other than investigator. /…/ Genuinely well-done. And if you, like me, happens to start watching it on a weekday morning with your coffee in hand, make sure that you don’t have anything important planned that day.”

• “The toughest cop series from Netflix so far. Jo Nesbø’s books about Harry Hole have become an impressive and hard-hitting police series on Netflix—among the best the streaming giant has released from the Nordics. /…/ A series I truly can’t turn off. It feels more like a new American, global blockbuster production from Netflix than something from a Nordic country. There are bank robberies, gang crime, conspiracies, secret societies, corrupt police officers, and serial killers—all unfolding at a furious pace. It’s also beautifully shot, with detailed props and settings as well as ambitious action sequences. /…/ I also want to highlight Joel Kinnaman, who takes on one of the leading roles as Harry’s possibly corrupt colleague Tom Waaler. There is never any doubt that he has other priorities than his colleagues, yet he also appears to be a genuinely skilled investigator. The role itself offers considerable depth, and it’s the best I’ve seen Kinnaman in an action production in a very long time.”

• “Netflix hasn’t just made a crime series; they’ve managed to capture the essence of why we can never get enough of Harry Hole. /…/ It’s raw, it’s stylish, and it’s just as uncomfortable as good crime should be. Harry Hole has found its place in the streaming giant’s library, and although Oslo has never looked worse, a Norwegian crime series has rarely looked better. We’re looking forward to season two. Jo Nesbø is a really good crime writer. Now he’s also a really good screenwriter for TV series.”

• “Hole in one. If you’re going to make a TV series of Jo Nesbø’s Harry Hole, you first have to meet Harry. That’s what Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole does. But this is not for the faint of heart.”

• “Nesbø’s pitch-black crime triumph. With the adaptation of Jo Nesbø’s dark crime universe, Netflix confirms once and for all how good the crime genre can be. /…/ After spending over seven hours in Oslo’s dark backstreets, we can happily conclude that Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole is one of the best Nordic series ever produced, and definitely the most successful crime series – with the potential to reach a wide international audience. /…/ Nesbø’s sharp pen is characterized by his psychological insight into the multifaceted characters, a colorful cast of characters, and novels that do not shy away from explicit and gross violence. A style that the series certainly preserves and expands. /…/ Kinnaman is brilliant as the icy, cynical psychopath – who is only out to get his own share of the pie, regardless of the consequences for those around him. He goes from smooth-talking, seemingly jovial to completely rabid lunatic with delightfully playful ease at the snap of a finger. /…/ With the slightly sleepy expression of a retired boxer who has gone a little too many rounds in the ring, the versatile Santelmann is a perfect match as the investigator who is struggling with his inner demons, ailing private life, and the search for justice for the victims. /…/ The interplay between Santelmann and Kinnaman sparkles. /…/ Most certainly one of the best we’ve seen on the crime front. In terms of police work, we get a touch of Harry Bosch, but in a far more brutal, complex and fascinating universe. With exceptional production quality in every aspect and a cast that all outperforms, Netflix has hit the bullseye with Nesbø’s work.”

• “World-class Norwegian crime. Netflix’s Harry Hole series delivers unparalleled drama. /…/ To say that Netflix’s new TV series is simply ‘riveting’ is an understatement – at its best, this is world-class crime fiction. /…/ Tobias Santelmann takes on the lead role with utmost ease and has both the weight and charisma needed. He is credible as a drunkard, and even better when Hole clears his head and butts in. The investigator is sharp and observant, but also fallible, full of personal flaws. /…/ It’s simply very good craftsmanship, and you quickly notice that the author himself has several hands in it. This is Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole, after all, and Nesbø is both series creator and screenwriter. This means that the characters, their characteristics and development throughout the series closely align with the source material, and the script is of a high, high class. /…/ The series is characterized by powerful, excellent acting: Tobias Santelmann is Harry Hole, Joel Kinnaman is a great actor as his dark, genuinely threatening counterpart, and to top it all off, none of the supporting characters lose out during the season. Let’s hope that Netflix realizes what they have here and is already well underway in adapting Nesbø’s remaining crime books.”

• “Tobias Santelmann excels as Harry Hole. /…/ Here, Santelmann and screenwriter Nesbø bring out what makes Harry Hole such an interesting character. /…/ He has deeply human traits that Nesbø carefully builds in his stories.”

• “Nordic noir at its best. Series creator Jo Nesbø and director Øystein Karlsen hit the mark with stylish and captivating noir entertainment. /…/ Rough, hard-boiled, witty. /…/ In Tobias Santelmann’s charismatic title-role, Hole is just as sharp, vulnerable, thirsty, witty, disheveled and self-sacrificing as a vicious investigator should be. /…/ An energetic series that plays confidently and smartly with the Nordic noir landscape. The series is bursting with drama, edge-of-your-seat suspense, and some topical social commentary.”

• “The new Harry Hole has all the ingredients to become the next Nordic TV hit – and features Netflix’s best soundtrack.”