Norway’s most famous fictional detective has finally arrived on Netflix. But does this long-awaited adaptation live up to the hype?
For years, fans of Jo Nesbø have been waiting for a screen version of Harry Hole that truly works.
Now, with Detective Hole quickly rising to the top of Netflix in Norway, that moment may finally have arrived. But popularity alone is not a guarantee of quality. So, should you watch it?
A Darker, Sharper Oslo
One of the most compelling reasons to watch Detective Hole is its portrayal of Oslo.
This is not the polished, fjord-front capital often presented in travel marketing. Instead, the show leans into something more stylised. Jo Nesbø has described it as “Oslo plus ten percent”, a version of the city where everything is pushed slightly further.
The result is a capital that feels both familiar and unsettling.
Industrial backdrops, shadowy streets, and stark winter light all play a role. For viewers who know Oslo well, there is an added layer of intrigue in recognising real locations reimagined through a noir lens.
For everyone else, it’s simply a striking setting that helps define the tone of the series.
A Harry Hole That Finally Feels Right
Casting has always been a challenge for Harry Hole. The character is complex, flawed, and deeply internal.
Previous attempts, most notably ‘The Snowman’, struggled to capture that balance. Here, Tobias Santelmann steps into the role with confidence. Early reviews consistently highlight his performance as one of the show’s biggest strengths.
Alongside him, Joel Kinnaman delivers a compelling and unpredictable Tom Waaler, while Pia Tjelta provides emotional grounding as Rakel. Together, the cast gives the series a credibility that earlier adaptations lacked.
It Feels Like Proper Nordic Noir
If you enjoy Scandinavian crime drama, this series delivers exactly what you expect. The pacing is deliberate. The tone is heavy. The crimes are unsettling.
In other words, it embraces the conventions of Nordic noir rather than trying to reinvent them.
For fans of the genre, that is a strength. The atmosphere is immersive, supported by a brooding score from Nick Cave and Warren Ellis.
For others, especially those looking for something faster or more original, it may feel overly familiar.
What Critics Are Saying
Early reviews suggest a clear consensus: Detective Hole is well-made, well-acted, and visually striking, but not without its flaws.
Writing for RogerEbert.com, Richard Roeper praised the production values and performances, calling it an “effectively grisly and beautifully mounted effort” with “superb performances.”
He added that Tobias Santelmann is “perfectly cast.” However, he also noted that if the series had been trimmed to “five or six episodes, it might well have been masterful.”
At the Radio Times, James Hibbs awarded the show three stars, writing that it “plays the grim hits but fails to stand out.” He praised the cast, particularly Joel Kinnaman, but argued that the story feels stretched, with a “perfect six-episode story” expanded into nine episodes, leading to repetition.
The The New York Times offered a more critical perspective. Reviewer Mike Hale wrote that the series leans into “sadism, sensationalism and crescendoing gore over plausibility,” and described Harry Hole himself as “kind of a drag,” despite acknowledging the show’s polished production.
Meanwhile, The Hollywood Reporter struck a more positive tone, describing the show as a “moody adaptation” and noting that it is “better than The Snowman,” a comparison that underlines how this series succeeds where the 2017 film struggled.
In the UK, The Times called it a “rollicking Scandi-action ride,” suggesting a more entertaining and accessible take on the material than some critics expected.
Norwegian reviews have broadly echoed this balance. VG noted that the series could benefit from tighter editing, with some repetition in the middle episodes, but still praised its ability to maintain tension.
Meanwhile, Dagbladet highlighted Santelmann’s performance as a career-best. Aftenposten also praised the lead performance, while acknowledging that the series is not without flaws.
Across the board, one criticism appears again and again: it is simply too long for its story.
The Verdict: Should You Watch It?
If you enjoy Nordic noir, the answer is simple. Yes.
Detective Hole delivers a dark, atmospheric story with strong performances and a compelling sense of place. It finally gives Harry Hole a screen adaptation that feels true to the source material.
However, if you prefer fast-paced storytelling or something more original, you may find it drags at times.
This is not a reinvention of the genre. It is a confident, polished example of it. And for many viewers, that will be more than enough.
