If you are into crime and thriller series then this is a great roller-coaster ride. Loved the acting, story and the landscape of Denmark just makes this thing a bliss to the eyes. Just watch it in the original language.
285 Reviews
Very engrossing but have they never heard of back-up?
GLArm1 October 2021
I highly recommend this series. It definitely kept my interest, and I loved the way each one of the episodes really moved the story line forward. (It just seemed like a lot happened in every episode, a compliment that a lot of good series wouldn't receive.)
There were a couple things I didn't like. One was the way the graphic, disturbing crime scene photos were repeatedly shown. (Some people might be okay with this, but it just seemed a little gratuitous.)
The other thing I didn't like was because it seemed so unrealistic and hard to believe: The police are hunting down a vicious & very clever serial killer, yet our two lead detectives go blithely alone into what could be very dangerous situations without telling anyone where they are or calling for back up. I don't know: in U. S. crime shows, detectives are always calling for back-up but maybe it's not a thing in Denmark!
There were a couple things I didn't like. One was the way the graphic, disturbing crime scene photos were repeatedly shown. (Some people might be okay with this, but it just seemed a little gratuitous.)
The other thing I didn't like was because it seemed so unrealistic and hard to believe: The police are hunting down a vicious & very clever serial killer, yet our two lead detectives go blithely alone into what could be very dangerous situations without telling anyone where they are or calling for back up. I don't know: in U. S. crime shows, detectives are always calling for back-up but maybe it's not a thing in Denmark!
Nordic Noir
Pairic1 October 2021
The Chestnut Man: Nordic Noir serial killer series. A year ago the daughter of a Danish Cabinet Minister disappeared and is believed to have been killed. Two maverick detectives see possible links to this case and gruesome killings which have just occurred. The police brass are reluctant to accept this. All of the killings might be linked back to a case of mass killings decades ago (this is referenced in the prologue). Tension is maintained throughout with a good sprinkling of red herrings. Some disturbing scenes. Directed and Co-Written by Mikkel Serup. On Netflix. 8/10.
Dark crime thriller from northern Europe
DLochner4 October 2021
Dark atmosphere and strong images. The typical elements of the Northern European crime thriller from Scandinavia are included: cruel case, opposing investigative duo, social criticism and, above all, gloomy (autumnal) mood. The series doesn't create high tension, but so much tension that one would like to know how it all ends. Well worth seeing and one of the better crime novels. Dark crime thriller from northern Europe.
Fantastic scandinavians
jadranmario29 September 2021
I was thrilled to watch this series since the trailer was out and it didnt disappoint. From first scene till the last I had chills down my spine. It will keep you on the edge of your seat and once again show you that scandinavians never make mistakes.
Good detective show
Calicodreamin1 October 2021
A captivating storyline and two deeply disturbed cops made for one interesting detective show. The premise and reveal worked well together. The acting was decent and the characters had depth. That chestnut song was perfectly creepy.
9/10 because it's not Bron (The Bridge)
patrios-5628429 September 2021
That is exactly what I switch on noir TV for. Artsy, dark and powerful cinemtatography, depressing pictures and a lot of shit weather. It's not Bron, yes, but the acting is outstanding and the story absolutely horryfying! If you loved Bron, Forbrydelsen or Springfloden, you'll like this one!
Excellent Danish murder mystery similar to The Killing
cgvsluis15 October 2021
Excellent Danish murder mystery similar to The killing. Dark Scandinavian scenery gives this short series some great atmosphere for the fall. The Chestnut Man does a nice job of telling several stories at once, in particular a story from thirty years in the past, and several more contemporary ones. The children's song the chestnut man was a nice touch.
I was able to partially figure out who early on, but it did not diminish my enjoyment in any way. The cops were clever, the killer was cleaver and the story was well told. Everything in this story seemed to serve a purpose which made for a tight tale.
I highly recommend this made for Netflix story.
I was able to partially figure out who early on, but it did not diminish my enjoyment in any way. The cops were clever, the killer was cleaver and the story was well told. Everything in this story seemed to serve a purpose which made for a tight tale.
I highly recommend this made for Netflix story.
Solid show
rossettoart30 September 2021
I Will never look at the chestnuts same way again...
hmusick130 September 2021
The Chestnut Man Review- An Underrated Old School Thriller
nagsaptarshi16 October 2021
My wait for a slowly built chilling thriller minus the unnecessary dramatic moments was over with the Danish show the Chestnut Man. This is an old school thriller where the creator invests much time in developing the plot, building the characters and creating a milieu of suspense, ever mounting tension and finally a gripping climax.
The problem with Netflix is that many poorly made, unworthy shoes get undue attention because of tricky marketing strategies whereas some gems remain underrated as they do not conform to the cheeky ambush marketing strategies. The Chestnut Man originally titled Kastanjemanden falls in the second category.
Originally written by Soren Sveistrup, set in the quiet suburbs of Copenhagen, this is a story of a serial killer spanned across three decades. After a violent prelude, the story begins with the gruesome murder of a young mother. Her hands are chopped off and a chestnut man is found beside the corpse. Detective Naia Thulin, herself going through turmoil in life is assigned the task of solving the case. Soon another murder of the same category follows and the mystery gets convoluted. More interestingly, after every murder, a chestnut man is found beside the corpse. The plot gets a twist as the detective and her new partner Hess find a mysterious connection between the serial killings and the sudden disappearance of the daughter of Minister Rosa Hartung. What follows is a classical style of whodunit moviemaking with numerous twists, turnarounds, dejection and redemption.
Danica Crucic as Naia Thulin is brilliant as the workaholic detective who is finding it difficult to strike a balance between her professional and personal commitments. Iben Dorner as the grieving mother and the Minister of the Danish Government is restrained in essaying the emotions the role demanded. But to me, the real star of the show is Mikkel Boe Folsgaard as the Europol veteran Mark Hess. He is superb as the man who wants to make amends for his personal losses through his professional redemption. I am all set to watch his other movies or shows. Other actors, too justify their roles.
The primal aspect of this brilliantly made thriller is its stunning visual appeal. The cinematography is bleak, chilling and somber true to the undertone of the show. The music too goes along well with the theme. Be warned, this is a gruesome tale of serial killings and there are plenty of gore, violence and brutal murders. The entire show is wrapped up in six episodes each lasting slightly below one hour and there is a hint of a second season towards the end. One aspect I liked is its denial to end an episode with a question to force you to binge-watch it, a common flaw almost all the shows these days suffer from.
Overall, this is a very good thriller with utmost attention to the minute details and if you are a lover of the genre and love the way good ol' thrillers were made, this is just the right show for you. Go for it.
My Rating - 8.5.
The problem with Netflix is that many poorly made, unworthy shoes get undue attention because of tricky marketing strategies whereas some gems remain underrated as they do not conform to the cheeky ambush marketing strategies. The Chestnut Man originally titled Kastanjemanden falls in the second category.
Originally written by Soren Sveistrup, set in the quiet suburbs of Copenhagen, this is a story of a serial killer spanned across three decades. After a violent prelude, the story begins with the gruesome murder of a young mother. Her hands are chopped off and a chestnut man is found beside the corpse. Detective Naia Thulin, herself going through turmoil in life is assigned the task of solving the case. Soon another murder of the same category follows and the mystery gets convoluted. More interestingly, after every murder, a chestnut man is found beside the corpse. The plot gets a twist as the detective and her new partner Hess find a mysterious connection between the serial killings and the sudden disappearance of the daughter of Minister Rosa Hartung. What follows is a classical style of whodunit moviemaking with numerous twists, turnarounds, dejection and redemption.
Danica Crucic as Naia Thulin is brilliant as the workaholic detective who is finding it difficult to strike a balance between her professional and personal commitments. Iben Dorner as the grieving mother and the Minister of the Danish Government is restrained in essaying the emotions the role demanded. But to me, the real star of the show is Mikkel Boe Folsgaard as the Europol veteran Mark Hess. He is superb as the man who wants to make amends for his personal losses through his professional redemption. I am all set to watch his other movies or shows. Other actors, too justify their roles.
The primal aspect of this brilliantly made thriller is its stunning visual appeal. The cinematography is bleak, chilling and somber true to the undertone of the show. The music too goes along well with the theme. Be warned, this is a gruesome tale of serial killings and there are plenty of gore, violence and brutal murders. The entire show is wrapped up in six episodes each lasting slightly below one hour and there is a hint of a second season towards the end. One aspect I liked is its denial to end an episode with a question to force you to binge-watch it, a common flaw almost all the shows these days suffer from.
Overall, this is a very good thriller with utmost attention to the minute details and if you are a lover of the genre and love the way good ol' thrillers were made, this is just the right show for you. Go for it.
My Rating - 8.5.
Not bad
nassosk10 April 2022
Let's face it: it's difficult to see an original police drama these days. There's just so much film production going on that writers simply can't keep up.
On the other hand, you don't necessarily need a completely original story to enjoy a whodunnit. A few tweaks and changes here and there, good production, decent acting and and job done.
So this series manages to provide enough plot twists and suspense to keep you interested - and as an added bonus, it's rather short. Production and acting are indeed solid, so I would say, it' enjoyable and very much watchable.
If I had a couple of objections, these would be: 1. I understand this is Nordic Noir, but man was it dark. You better watch it in a dark room because, put simply, in 6 episodes I don't remember one person turning on a light bulb. You simply can't see what's happening in some scenes.
2. There are so many clichés in action scenes, that it makes you wonder if there is some particular reason really. Sometimes it just feels that people behave in stupid ways to get the plot going. I really do hope to see the filmmaking industry getting past the point where they need someone to walk alone in a dark house (only to be blindsided a few seconds later) to get things going.
On the other hand, you don't necessarily need a completely original story to enjoy a whodunnit. A few tweaks and changes here and there, good production, decent acting and and job done.
So this series manages to provide enough plot twists and suspense to keep you interested - and as an added bonus, it's rather short. Production and acting are indeed solid, so I would say, it' enjoyable and very much watchable.
If I had a couple of objections, these would be: 1. I understand this is Nordic Noir, but man was it dark. You better watch it in a dark room because, put simply, in 6 episodes I don't remember one person turning on a light bulb. You simply can't see what's happening in some scenes.
2. There are so many clichés in action scenes, that it makes you wonder if there is some particular reason really. Sometimes it just feels that people behave in stupid ways to get the plot going. I really do hope to see the filmmaking industry getting past the point where they need someone to walk alone in a dark house (only to be blindsided a few seconds later) to get things going.
Another brilliant Scandi thriller
Vindelander1 October 2021
A True Crime thriller!
hussain-ayaz4 October 2021
It has everything one expects a crime thriller show to have. The acting is great which is why I'll recommend to watch it in original language. Overall it is a good paced TV series and I'm glad that they wrapped it up in just 6 episodes. It is worth the watch for crime/ thriller genre lovers.
ABOVE AVERAGE
sunildaswaney-636423 November 2021
Gripping, An unsung wonder from Denmark!
yaseerrizwan2 April 2022
Very very well made. Balanced, shows nuances of police job - that oversights do happen. No unrealistic stuff shows being done by detectives or police as is often shown in other shows to portray detectives as 'Gifted and eccentric geniuses'.
Characters develop slowly but assert themselves quite brilliantly when needed.
Great show. Deserves to be much more popular.
Characters develop slowly but assert themselves quite brilliantly when needed.
Great show. Deserves to be much more popular.
Solid Nordic Noir
fraser-simons3 October 2021
While the pacing is a bit long it is better than most of the genre available on Netflix, which is nice. It looks fantastic with HDR and 4K. The script is not bad, but the book it's based on is pretty tropey and derivative in the literary genre scene, so while fun and certainly evokes the tropes people expect from it, I'd say it's also not stand out, either.
Where lots of others have a B plot that doesn't tie in well, this doesn't have that "trap"; another plus. But it also feels like only one of the partners is fleshed out as a character and the killer was more contrived than usual. So it's a mixed bag overall.
I hope this does well enough that they adapt much better source material. Still had a great time with this and would recommend it though. Especially since it's easy to stream, which the best entries of the genre are not. If your Netflix has Trapped, I would recommend that over this. That was really stellar.
Where lots of others have a B plot that doesn't tie in well, this doesn't have that "trap"; another plus. But it also feels like only one of the partners is fleshed out as a character and the killer was more contrived than usual. So it's a mixed bag overall.
I hope this does well enough that they adapt much better source material. Still had a great time with this and would recommend it though. Especially since it's easy to stream, which the best entries of the genre are not. If your Netflix has Trapped, I would recommend that over this. That was really stellar.
Just "OK", due to poorly written police activities
RockyMtnVideo1 October 2021
The first half of this "murder mystery" is really good. It lays out a set of horrific, ongoing crimes, that set up the major police investigation in the second half. My problem with the second half is it is loaded up with one stupid (police-related) thing, after another. Put simply, police officers going into potentially dangerous settings, all by themselves, often without having any bothered to tell anyone else where they were going. Even dumber, creeping into buildings where their might be dangerous suspects (again, alone), as though they are trying to be cautious, but then, yelling "HELLO", "IS ANYBODY HERE?". I. E. Basically ensuring that if their suspect is there, they've ensured that person knows they are there, and exactly where (the police officer) is.
In short, the police-related procedures seem to have been written by a 10-year old. An officer making that kind of "mistake" once might be acceptable, but when the whole plot is driven by people continuously doing those same things repeatedly, it just ruins the whole story. I sat through the final half of the episodes, just to see how it played out, but it was a frustrating (as in "unbelievable") finish to what had started out as something really interesting.
In short, the police-related procedures seem to have been written by a 10-year old. An officer making that kind of "mistake" once might be acceptable, but when the whole plot is driven by people continuously doing those same things repeatedly, it just ruins the whole story. I sat through the final half of the episodes, just to see how it played out, but it was a frustrating (as in "unbelievable") finish to what had started out as something really interesting.
If you liked "The Killing"
eclud29 September 2021
From the creators of the famous danish crime/mystery The Killing, is here another thrilling show.
This time the detectives are Thulin and Hess.
It got the same tense and creepy vibe, like The Killing with lots of twist and turns.
Enjoy "The Chestnut Man"!!
This time the detectives are Thulin and Hess.
It got the same tense and creepy vibe, like The Killing with lots of twist and turns.
Enjoy "The Chestnut Man"!!
I mean WOW
wtankb30 September 2021
Weak Characterization has been consistently the main Issue throughout the whole series!
SoumikBanerjee199617 December 2021
The Chestnut Man (Kastanjemanden in Danish) seemingly conforms to a very formulaic structure here; as an out and out investigation drama, this would certainly rack up some vital points. A no-nonsense approach which isn't necessarily a bad thing per se; Regardless, amidst the innumerable amount of Crime Dramas that are available to all; people do expect to see something different for a change and so do I.
The reason for all its fundamental issues here may as well be due to its lacklustre character development. While the story itself wasn't half bad; the execution leaves much to be desired. Particularly, the end; which showed a lot of promise at first, but then it gradually meandered away from the said course.
Hence, the payoff was nowhere to be found! And I do reckon, the inadequate depths in this set of characters or should I rather say the very absence of it could be the sole justification behind its eventual downfall.
Apart from a set of unarguably gorgeous locations and a similarly productive and much aesthetic treatment (In the Cinematography & Sound); I didn't get much else from the show that sets it apart from the rest. Not even the Performances (they can be labelled as functional at best).
It seems that everything has been precisely set up right from some textbook of Crime Thrillers. Now, I don't usually disagree with the idea of persisting with an already tried and tested formula; However, I do like to see creators taking premeditated risks every once in a while; which hasn't been the case down here!
The reason for all its fundamental issues here may as well be due to its lacklustre character development. While the story itself wasn't half bad; the execution leaves much to be desired. Particularly, the end; which showed a lot of promise at first, but then it gradually meandered away from the said course.
Hence, the payoff was nowhere to be found! And I do reckon, the inadequate depths in this set of characters or should I rather say the very absence of it could be the sole justification behind its eventual downfall.
Apart from a set of unarguably gorgeous locations and a similarly productive and much aesthetic treatment (In the Cinematography & Sound); I didn't get much else from the show that sets it apart from the rest. Not even the Performances (they can be labelled as functional at best).
It seems that everything has been precisely set up right from some textbook of Crime Thrillers. Now, I don't usually disagree with the idea of persisting with an already tried and tested formula; However, I do like to see creators taking premeditated risks every once in a while; which hasn't been the case down here!
Another good danish job .
jabandrade10 October 2021
Excellent crime drama. Very well sewn plot, with few loose ends, suspense always present, good treatment of family and individual psychological issues, very good performances. The series totally captured my attention. It's the third Danish series I've watched without any disappointment. Danish are good. I'm a fan of their work.
Blundering cops Try to Solve Creepy Plot
Sara_Tor2 October 2021
It starts off well, good creepy and with an interesting plot. But repeated stupid mistakes by the cops marr the ending. I recommend a drinking game where you take a gulp every time a cop goes into a dangerous situation without calling back-up and gets hit in the head by someone in the shadows.
GREAT STORYTELLING
albertval-6956010 November 2021
The mark of a truly great Whodunnit film is how well it's able to conceal the identity of the killer without trying too hard through plot devices or tricks that cheapen how the story is told. This film succeeds in doing this. No one, including the viewer, has an inkling who the Chestnut Man is until the very end.
Intriguing story with a quite capable cast. Mikel Folsgaard and Naia Thulin make a good pair of detectives. David Dencik (Simon Genz) is a cool forensic doctor and Iben Dorner adds a palpable human touch as the grieving mother and public official.
At 6 episodes, the story is tight. It's well-executed with consistently good cinematography. It's binge-worthy.
Intriguing story with a quite capable cast. Mikel Folsgaard and Naia Thulin make a good pair of detectives. David Dencik (Simon Genz) is a cool forensic doctor and Iben Dorner adds a palpable human touch as the grieving mother and public official.
At 6 episodes, the story is tight. It's well-executed with consistently good cinematography. It's binge-worthy.
Spooky
gallagherkellie11 October 2021
This show was quite good! I didn't guess who did it until towards the end so it was good that it kept me guessing. The only downside is I found it to be very Americanised. Danish shows are always amazing because they are more realistic but this one had so many silly aspects to it. It felt more like a Hollywood production in terms of some unbelievable plotlines. But I still recommend it as it was quite creepy and a good thriller.
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