Better Than Shetland?! Douglas Henshall’s Dark Nordic Noir Thriller Is the New Free-to-Binge Obsession

If you’ve been feeling a void in your watch-list since Douglas Henshall hung up his signature coat as DI Jimmy Perez in Shetland, we have excellent news. The beloved actor has traded the rugged coasts of Scotland for the freezing, breathtaking landscapes of Iceland in a chillingly brilliant Nordic Noir: The Darkness.

Co-starring Academy Award nominee Lena Olin (Hunters) and Jack Bannon (Pennyworth), this atmospheric crime thriller is officially available to stream for FREE, and viewers are already calling it “captivating,” “gripping,” and utterly impossible to turn off.

A High-Stakes, Chilling Mystery

Based on the best-selling book series by Icelandic author Ragnar Jónasson and directed by Lasse Hallström, The Darkness follows the brilliant but troubled Detective Inspector Hulda Hermannsdóttir (Lena Olin). Facing a forced early retirement and quietly suffocating under the weight of her own personal traumas, Hulda is handed one final, shocking murder case: the frozen body of a young woman discovered on a glacier.

To make matters more complicated, she is forced to work with an ambitious new partner, Lukas (Jack Bannon), who has recently relocated from England. Meanwhile, Douglas Henshall delivers a masterclass performance as Petur, a widower and neighbor whose unexpected connection to Hulda adds a profound emotional layer to the unfolding mystery.

As Hulda delves deeper into a terrifying web of secrets and paranoia, she realizes she must find the killer at any cost—even if it means putting her own life directly in the crosshairs.

Why Viewers Are Hooked

While Shetland fans will immediately flock to the screen for Henshall’s commanding presence, The Darkness dials up the psychological suspense and leans heavily into the claustrophobic survival elements that make the Nordic Noir genre so incredibly addictive.

Audiences who have discovered this hidden gem are taking to social media to share their praise:

“Absolutely captivating from the very first minute. I meant to watch just one episode and ended up finishing the whole season in a single weekend!” > “Suspenseful, dark, and beautifully shot. The twists kept me guessing until the very last frame.”

“Lena Olin is a force of nature, and seeing Douglas Henshall back in a tense crime drama is exactly what I needed.”

Why You Need to Add It to Your Watchlist Today

  • The Haunting Atmosphere: The isolated, icy Icelandic backdrop acts as its own sinister character, providing a hauntingly beautiful yet terrifying setting for a locked-in murder mystery.

  • The Dynamic Cast: The interplay between Olin’s hardened veteran detective and Bannon’s fresh-faced newcomer makes for an engaging central dynamic, while Henshall provides grounded, emotional depth.

  • The Perfect Pace: With a tight 6-episode run, the series is engineered for binge-watching. It perfectly balances emotional character studies with edge-of-your-seat, heart-pounding thrills.

If you are a fan of gripping “whodunnit” mysteries that erupt into mind-bending twists, The Darkness is your next mandatory binge.

How to Watch: The Darkness is currently rolling out globally and is available to stream for free on select ad-supported platforms (such as SBS On Demand in specific regions). Check your local streaming listings to dive into the mystery today!