‘Brilliant’ Nordic noir thriller drops 8 new episodes to UK streamer

Both season of this gritty Nordic thriller are streaming now for free (Picture: Channel 4) There is a brand new season of a grim thriller for viewers to sink their teeth into for free. Nordic noir crime drama Black Sands follows ‘a police officer who returns to her hometown and estranged mother just as the body of a woman is found, leading her into the dark abyss of her past as she looks for a killer.’ When officer Aníta Elínardóttir (Aldís Amah Hamilton) comes home after 14 years, the murder of a woman will force her to confront difficult truths about her own past. In a nutshell, it’s a widely praised addition to the nitty-gritty hometown murder mystery crime thriller fans know and love, this time set in Iceland. First released in 2021, the second eight-episode series came out in 2024, once more following Aníta’s life in the village. When the father of her child, Reykjavík police officer Gústi, moves nearby, once more she is thrust into an investigation after another mysterious death. Together, she and Gústi look into the abuse of girls at a foster home from years prior. The second series investigates abuse of girls at a foster home (Picture: Channel 4) With both binge-worthy seasons now on the free streaming site U in the UK, fans are filled with praise for the series. IMDb user totts123 called it a ‘brilliant’ noir, adding: ‘Not sure why this isn’t rated higher. I loved it. A slow burn that pays off at the end. Dark and atmospheric. Interesting and highly flawed characters. Beautiful location.’ Other Nordic thrillers to watch next If you race through Black Sands, then there’s plenty more where it came from. The Åre Murders The synopsis for the five-episode series explains: ‘A Stockholm detective under internal investigation heads to a ski resort to unwind, until a young girl’s disappearance compels her back to work.’ Deadwind Hitting screens in 2018, it followed Sofia Karppi, a recently widowed police detective who upon returning to work after time off is given the task of investigating the murder of Anna Bergdahl, a social affairs consultant. The Chestnut Man The 2021 series The Chestnut Man kicks off with an unsettling figurine made of chestnuts being found at the scene of a grisly murder, leading two detectives to start the hunt for a killer that’s also been linked to a politician’s missing child. All three are streaming on Netflix now. You can read a full list of recommendations here. There’s been plenty of praise for the show (Picture: Channel 4) Another user, steven-222, compared it to BBC ’s hit thriller The Fall, adding: ‘it is a decidedly earnest and in some ways fearless work. And very, very grim.’ ‘Brilliant, black and bleak like the Icelanders (and Nordics) do best,’ grasshopper2021 shared. ‘Yes, the landscape is as stunning and haunting as you’d expect, but I really enjoyed the story, characters and acting too,’ AndyPi