5 Minutes
Netflix has quietly added a new entry to its growing slate of international crime dramas: The Case, a five-part Swedish series created and written by George Kay, the British showrunner behind Lupin and Hijack. Set in Stockholm and directed entirely by Kristoffer Nyholm, the show promises a compact, intense run that blends procedural investigation with a family drama at its core.
What the series is about
At the center of The Case is Thomas Berg (Jakob Oftebro), a neat, disciplined lead investigator who finds himself up against a chilling serial killer. The twist — and the engine of the drama — is that the murderer appears to be targeting members of Thomas’s own police force. Desperate to protect colleagues and solve the killings, Thomas turns to an unlikely ally: his estranged father, Alfred (Peter Andersson), a once-respected detective whose career — and temperament — fell into disrepute. Forced to set aside deep grievances, father and son must cooperate or risk losing more lives.
Cast, crew and production notes
Alongside Oftebro and Andersson, the supporting ensemble includes Electra Hallman, Alexander Abdallah, Henrik Norlén, Lisette T. Pagler, Magnus Krepper, Irina Björklund, Anders Mossling and Anna Maria Käll. The series comes from B-Reel Films and Observatory Pictures in association with New Pictures, with Johannes Åhlund and Ulf Synnerholm producing and Kay, Kristoffer Nyholm, Willow Grylls and Matt Sandford executive producing. Aron Levander and Emilie Robson are credited as episode writers. All five episodes will be directed by Nyholm and are scheduled to launch globally on Netflix in 2026.
How it sits in the wider TV landscape
The Case arrives during a sustained appetite for tightly written, character-led crime drama. While George Kay made his name with the suave heist reinvention of Lupin and the high-stakes real-time thriller Hijack, The Case shifts into darker Nordic territory. It leans into hallmarks of Nordic noir — moral ambiguity, atmospheric settings, and a brooding moral center — while retaining Kay’s knack for crafting a propulsive, character-first narrative.
Compared with Lupin’s stylish capers and Hijack’s claustrophobic immediacy, The Case appears to favor slow-burn psychological tension and procedural grit. Fans of Scandinavian crime series like The Bridge or Wallander will likely find familiar pleasures here: detailed police work, chilly Scandinavia aesthetics, and emotional stakes that extend beyond the crimes themselves.
Why the father-son angle matters
The show’s emotional weight comes from the fraught relationship between Thomas and Alfred. This isn’t just a gimmick: it reframes the hunt for a serial killer as a reckoning with legacy, trust and generational failure. The familial dynamic gives The Case a human center often missing from straight procedural fare and may broaden its appeal beyond true-crime enthusiasts to viewers drawn to complex character studies.
Early expectations and critical notes
Industry observers are curious to see how Kay recalibrates his voice for a Swedish setting. Kristoffer Nyholm’s direction — known for atmospheric tension and a clear visual language — should complement Kay’s writing, creating a claustrophobic, melancholic Stockholm that can feel both sunlit and sinister (recall how long Nordic summers sometimes feature in crime storytelling). Production partners B-Reel Films and New Pictures bring a pedigree in both Nordic and international projects, signaling Netflix’s continued investment in high-quality non-English drama.
Film critic Anna Kovacs on The Case: "George Kay takes a familiar crime template and deepens it with family trauma and institutional pressure. The series promises both procedural momentum and emotional complexity — the kind of hybrid that works well on global streaming platforms."
Trivia and final thoughts
A few production details to watch: The all-in-one directorial approach (Nyholm directing every episode) often yields a consistent tone and visual coherence, which is a smart move for a short-form, five-episode story. Also notable is Netflix’s continued strategy of pairing international creators with local talent to produce regionally authentic yet globally resonant series.
If you follow Scandinavian crime, enjoy meticulous police drama, or are a fan of Kay’s previous work, The Case is poised to be a must-watch in 2026. Expect a compact, atmospheric thriller that balances tense investigation with a simmering family melodrama — a recipe that could make The Case both a critical favorite and a streaming draw.
Source: hollywoodreporter
Leave a Comment