Nordic noir

[ nawr-dik nwar ]

noun

1. a genre of fictional literature, television, and film set in Scandinavia and featuring dark, complex stories of crime that unfold within an otherwise ordinary or bland social environment, usually expressed in very plain language:

   I’d read a bit of Nordic noir, but it wasn’t until I watched a miniseries from Denmark that I realized how awesome this genre is.

Word History and Origins

Origin of Nordic noir¹

First recorded in 2005–10; modeled on film noir ( def )

Example Sentences

The show, especially popular among Britons with an affinity for the Nordic Noir genre, has often left Danes baffled over its ability to foreshadow political developments in Denmark, including the election of the country's first female prime minister.

From Reuters

Despite the global popularity of Nordic Noir crime dramas - including Netflix's Quicksand, which is about a fictional school massacre - fatal violence amongst young people in Sweden has historically been incredibly rare.

From BBC

The book “puts all the murky, violent twists on brotherly love that you’d expect from this leading exponent of Nordic noir,” wrote Kirkus Reviews, which named it one of the best mystery/thrillers of 2020.

From Seattle Times

Among the shows that did: Sandra Oh’s follow-up to “Killing Eve,” a new series teaming Steve Martin and Martin Short, and the first American appearance of a classic of Nordic noir.

From New York Times

It’s an abrupt change in a country known for its high standard of living, income equality and robust social safety net — a sign of the shifting values, demographics and socioeconomic realities that the series, for all its Nordic noir twists and tensions, seeks to capture.

From New York Times