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| 17 Shows Like The Chestnut Man That Will Absolutely Ruin Your Sleep Schedule. (Credits: Netflix) |
Netflix’s ‘The Chestnut Man’ did not quietly arrive and disappear into the streaming void. The Danish thriller hit viewers with creepy chestnut dolls, emotionally exhausted detectives, and enough icy tension to make everyone suspicious of literally every character onscreen. Built around a serial killer case that keeps twisting deeper into political secrets and personal trauma, the series became one of those crime dramas people binge in one sitting while pretending they are “just watching one episode before bed”. Spoiler: nobody stops at one.
What made ‘The Chestnut Man’ stand out was not just the murders. It was the atmosphere. The rain-soaked streets, the silence between conversations, the exhausted cops trying to hold themselves together while chasing someone terrifyingly methodical. Nordic noir really said, “What if we gave you emotional damage and stunning cinematography at the same time?” and audiences clearly ate it up.
For viewers now hunting for the same unsettling feeling, there are plenty of crime dramas ready to drag you into another spiral of paranoia, secrets, broken detectives, and serial killers with way too much free time.
Top 17 Shows Like The Chestnut Man
Some are inspired by real events, others dive into psychological horror, while a few practically make gloomy weather part of the cast.
1. The Valhalla Murders (2019–2020)
‘The Valhalla Murders’ feels like the spiritual cousin of ‘The Chestnut Man’ in the best possible way. The Icelandic series follows profiler Arnar and investigator Kata as they uncover murders connected to a deeply disturbing boys’ home from decades earlier.
The snowy isolation, buried trauma, and painfully tense detective work make every episode feel heavy in the best way possible. Iceland somehow manages to look beautiful and terrifying at once. Tourism boards probably hate these shows.
What really lands here is the emotional exhaustion. Nobody looks glamorous solving crimes. Everyone looks like they desperately need therapy and eight hours of sleep. Which, honestly, makes it feel more believable.
2. The Monster of Florence (2025)
Netflix’s ‘The Monster of Florence’ digs into one of Italy’s most infamous unsolved murder cases, and it does so with chilling precision. The series follows investigators tracking a killer targeting young couples over several decades, creating a tense cat-and-mouse atmosphere packed with dread.
Unlike flashy true crime dramas obsessed with shock value, this one leans heavily into psychological unease.
Every lead feels fragile, every suspect suspicious, and every revelation somehow makes the mystery even darker. Fans of layered investigations and emotionally draining storytelling will absolutely get hooked here.
3. The Fall (2013–2016)
If there is one show that mastered the “serial killer hiding in plain sight” formula before everyone else copied it, it is ‘The Fall’. Gillian Anderson delivers an ice-cold performance as detective Stella Gibson, while Jamie Dornan plays killer Paul Spector with genuinely unnerving calmness.
The terrifying part is how ordinary Spector appears. One moment he is being a family man, the next he is stalking victims. It turns the entire series into a slow-burning nightmare where tension builds from conversations alone. No dramatic soundtrack needed. Just awkward silence and dread.
4. Deadwind (2018–2021)
Finnish thriller ‘Deadwind’ brings grief, corruption, murder, and emotionally unavailable detectives together in one bleak package.
Detective Sofia Karppi returns to work shortly after losing her husband and immediately finds herself wrapped up in a murder investigation that keeps spiralling.
Like ‘The Chestnut Man’, the show thrives on emotional realism rather than flashy action. Karppi looks permanently exhausted, the weather looks permanently miserable, and somehow that makes everything better. Nordic crime dramas truly understand that happiness is overrated.
5. The Killing (2011–2014)
Before streaming platforms flooded viewers with moody detectives in oversized coats, ‘The Killing’ helped define modern crime television. Following detectives Sarah Linden and Stephen Holder, the series turns one murder case into a devastating exploration of grief, politics, and obsession.
The brilliance lies in how every character becomes emotionally tangled in the case. Nobody escapes untouched. Also, if you enjoy staring suspiciously at every side character for four seasons straight, this show practically invented that experience.
6. Wisting (2019– )
Norwegian thriller ‘Wisting’ balances emotional family drama with serial killer horror surprisingly well. Detective William Wisting investigates interconnected crimes while trying to protect his journalist daughter from becoming collateral damage.
There is a quiet intensity throughout the series that mirrors ‘The Chestnut Man’ beautifully. The pacing never rushes, which somehow makes every discovery hit harder. It is one of those shows where even opening a file folder feels dramatic.
7. Trapped (2015– )
Iceland’s ‘Trapped’ throws viewers into a snowstorm where everyone becomes a suspect after mutilated remains wash ashore. Detective Andri Ólafsson leads the investigation while the town remains physically cut off from the outside world.
The isolation is what makes the series brilliant. Nobody can leave, tensions rise instantly, and paranoia spreads like wildfire. Small-town crime dramas always hit differently because every neighbour suddenly starts looking suspicious for simply existing.
8. The Åre Murders (2025– )
Netflix’s ‘The Åre Murders’ proves snowy ski resorts are apparently incapable of staying peaceful in crime dramas. Officer Hanna Ahlander arrives for rest and instead walks directly into a missing persons case packed with secrets.
The atmosphere carries the show. Quiet forests, isolated cabins, emotionally guarded characters — it is basically a Scandinavian crime drama starter pack, and somehow it still works brilliantly. Fans of female-led investigations with emotional depth will absolutely connect with this one.
9. Black Spot (2017–2019)
French-Belgian thriller ‘Black Spot’ adds supernatural tension into its murder mystery setup, creating something stranger and eerier than your average detective series.
Set in an isolated forest town with an absurdly high murder rate, the series constantly makes viewers question whether the danger is human, supernatural, or both.
The forest itself feels alive. Every scene carries this oppressive sense that something terrible is waiting just outside the frame. Watching it alone at night is probably not the smartest decision, but people will do it anyway.
10. Mindhunter (2017–2019)
David Fincher’s ‘Mindhunter’ remains one of Netflix’s most frustrating cancellations because it was genuinely brilliant. Following FBI agents interviewing imprisoned serial killers to understand criminal psychology, the show turns conversations into psychological warfare.
Instead of focusing on gore, the series digs into behaviour, manipulation, and obsession. Every interview scene feels tense enough to stop your breathing for a second. Also, few things are scarier than watching intelligent people realise they are slowly understanding monsters too well.
11. The Serpent (2021)
Based on real crimes, ‘The Serpent’ follows killer Charles Sobhraj, who preyed on tourists travelling through Asia during the 1970s. Tahar Rahim delivers a chillingly charismatic performance that somehow makes the entire show even more disturbing.
The series captures manipulation brilliantly. Sobhraj rarely raises his voice or behaves dramatically. He simply controls people quietly, which makes him infinitely more terrifying. The tropical setting also gives the story a unique atmosphere compared with the colder Nordic noir aesthetic.
12. Des (2020)
David Tennant disappears completely into the role of serial killer Dennis Nilsen in ‘Des’, and the result is deeply unsettling television. The series focuses less on mystery and more on the horrifying normality surrounding Nilsen’s crimes.
Instead of sensationalising violence, the show examines institutional failures, media attention, and psychological detachment.
Tennant’s calmness throughout is genuinely chilling. It is impossible not to feel uncomfortable watching him casually discuss horrific acts like he is talking about grocery shopping.
13. Broadchurch (2013–2017)
While less focused on serial killings, ‘Broadchurch’ delivers the same emotional devastation and investigative intensity that made ‘The Chestnut Man’ so addictive. Detectives Alec Hardy and Ellie Miller investigate the death of a young boy in a small coastal town where everyone suddenly becomes suspicious.
The real strength is how the series explores grief and community collapse. Nobody trusts anyone, secrets surface constantly, and the emotional damage spreads far beyond the central crime.
14. Marcella (2016–2021)
British noir thriller ‘Marcella’ follows a former detective returning to work while struggling with memory blackouts and personal instability. Naturally, she also ends up investigating a serial killer case because television detectives are apparently never allowed peaceful lives.
The show gets increasingly chaotic in later seasons, but that unpredictability becomes part of its appeal. Marcella herself feels emotionally fractured, making every investigation more psychologically messy.
15. Bordertown (2016–2020)
Finnish detective Kari Sorjonen is brilliant at solving crimes and absolutely terrible at maintaining normal family life, which makes him fit perfectly into the world of dark European thrillers. ‘Bordertown’ mixes bizarre murders with psychological depth and strong emotional storytelling.
The crimes here often feel deeply uncomfortable because they are rooted in ordinary human desperation rather than theatrical villainy. It keeps the tension grounded and disturbingly believable.
16. Top of the Lake (2013–2017)
Created by Jane Campion, ‘Top of the Lake’ blends mystery, trauma, and social commentary into a haunting detective story set against stunning landscapes. Detective Robin Griffin investigates the disappearance of a pregnant girl while confronting her own past.
The atmosphere is hypnotic. Beautiful scenery constantly clashes against deeply disturbing subject matter, creating an emotional imbalance that lingers long after episodes end.
17. True Detective Season 1 (2014)
Yes, everyone recommends ‘True Detective’ Season 1, but honestly, there is a reason. Detectives Rust Cohle and Marty Hart investigate ritualistic murders across Louisiana in one of television’s most gripping crime stories.
The philosophical dialogue, bleak worldview, and hypnotic tension make it essential viewing for anyone who loved the psychological layers of ‘The Chestnut Man’.
Also, few television detectives have looked more emotionally exhausted than Rust Cohle staring into the void while chain-smoking through existential despair.
Fans online remain divided over which of these series truly captures the same feeling as ‘The Chestnut Man.’ Some viewers argue ‘The Killing’ still delivers the strongest emotional storytelling, while others insist ‘Mindhunter’ is unmatched for psychological tension.
Nordic noir fans continue pushing ‘Trapped’ and ‘The Valhalla Murders’ as underrated masterpieces, while newer viewers have recently become obsessed with ‘The Åre Murders.’
One thing almost everyone agrees on, though, is that once you fall into this genre, normal crime dramas suddenly start feeling weirdly cheerful.
And honestly, that may be the biggest problem here. You start with one gloomy Scandinavian murder mystery, then suddenly it is 2am and you are googling “best emotionally devastating detective dramas” while questioning why every detective on television seems one bad coffee away from a breakdown.
If you have your own favourite series that deserves a spot beside ‘The Chestnut Man,’ viewers are already debating it loudly online, so there is definitely room for more chaos.