Detective Hole is the kind of dark Scandinavian crime thriller that reminds you why Nordic noir continues to stand apart from so much mainstream television. Based on Nesbo’s Harry Hole novels, the Netflix series follows brilliant but deeply troubled Oslo detective Harry Hole as a series of brutal murders exposes a possible serial killer while a dangerous rivalry develops inside the police department. At nine episodes, the story occasionally becomes too crowded, but there is so much atmosphere, strong acting and genuine tension that this series feels like a rare treasure among today’s television crime dramas.
Tobias Santelmann gives the series its center as Harry Hole, a brilliant investigator whose personal demons are never far from the surface. Harry has managed to remain sober and has built a relationship with Rakel, played by Pia Tjelta, while maintaining a close friendship with Ellen, played by Ingrid Bolso Berdal.
However, the murders quickly drag him back into the kind of darkness he understands better than ordinary life. Opposite him is Joel Kinnaman as Tom Waaler, Harry’s police colleague and one of the most interesting characters in the series. Waaler is ambitious, wealthy and increasingly threatening, with an unsettling belief that achieving the right result can justify almost any method.
Jo Nesbo himself created and wrote the series, adapting primarily from The Devil’s Star, the fifth novel in the Harry Hole series. That connection gives the show a strong literary foundation, but the production never feels like a simple book illustration. Instead, it builds its own television identity around the characters, Oslo and the atmosphere of the investigation. After the disappointing 2017 film The Snowman, which also featured Harry Hole, Santelmann finally gives the character the opportunity to develop properly.
The production is particularly impressive when it comes to location work and visual atmosphere. Oslo becomes almost another character, with bright and beautiful areas contrasting against grim streets, criminal hangouts and blood-soaked crime scenes. Heat waves make the gang conflict feel increasingly oppressive, while heavy nighttime rain gives the series a cold, almost cleansing visual quality. The camera frequently moves into tight close-ups, creating an uncomfortable sense that something is always hiding just outside the frame.
The action is not the main attraction, but when it arrives, the stunt work is handled with the same grounded approach as the rest of the production. The opening chase immediately establishes that this is not going to be a quiet police procedural, while later confrontations, gang violence and murders provide bursts of physical intensity without overwhelming the investigation. The sound and music also play a major role, with Nick Cave and Warren Ellis providing an atmospheric score that perfectly complements the darker Scandinavian tone.
The biggest problem is that the series simply has too much story. Rival gangs, a serial killer, Harry’s personal problems, Waaler’s suspicious behavior, journalists, family relationships and several smaller mysteries compete for attention. Some of these threads are fascinating, while others feel like detours that could have been removed. Five or six episodes might have produced a tighter and more powerful thriller.
Even with that criticism, Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole remains a rare treasure on television. Scandinavian filmmakers and writers clearly understand how to create gritty, dark and engaging crime stories without sacrificing atmosphere or character. Fans of Nordic noir, serial-killer mysteries and hard-boiled detective dramas should absolutely give this one a chance.
It is not perfect, but the combination of Santelmann and Kinnaman, the Oslo locations, the brutal crime scenes and the heavy atmosphere make it one of those shows that stays with you after the credits.
