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.
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vaskargauti30 September 2021
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Tweekums6 October 2021This Danish crime drama opens in the mid-eighties as a police officer enters a remote farmhouse and finds several members of a family dead. In the cellar he finds a surviving child but then he is attacked and killed by an unseen assailant. On a table we see several 'Chestnut Men'; small figures made out of twigs and chestnuts. Cutting to the present day a woman is found murdered, one hand has been removed and nearby there is a chestnut man... strangely is has the fingerprint of the daughter of a senior politician who vanished a year previously. There is a man in jail for her murder although no body was found. The investigation is led by Naia Thulin and temporary partner Mark Hess. To solve the case they will have to reopen the old case and learn more about chestnuts; inevitably there will be more deaths before the case is closed.
I really enjoyed this series. At only six episodes in length it never drags but nor does it feel rushed. There are plenty of genre clichés but that isn't a problem... in TV drama one expects serial killers to leave calling cards, investigators getting in unnecessary danger and powerful people being put off limits officially. The series has a great atmosphere with various shades of brown provided by the autumn leaves mirroring the colour of the chestnuts used to make the chestnut men. The leading characters are fun to watch; as expected they have their own problems; Mark is still coming to terms with the deaths of his wife and children in a fire and Naia has difficulty finding time to care for her daughter. The cast does a fine job bringing these characters to life. When the killer is revealed it wasn't too obvious... I was convinced that it was going to be somebody else altogether. Overall I'd definitely recommend this to fans of Nordic Noir.
These comments are based on watching the series in Danish with English subtitles. -
JamesR19731 October 2021Thought this was a really good, solid Danish drama with some excellent acting and cinematography.
They managed to keep up the mystery right until the penultimate episode when the reveal was made. Did it catch me off guard? Yes, I'll be honest it did. I was really expecting it to be someone closer to home or that dodgy looking aide to the minister. Unfortunately, like many series, once you'd finally found out who had done it, it couldn't keep up the suspense and it descended into the standard lone cop with no back-up goes into killer's house cliche.
I think it was also pretty obvious by the third or fourth episode the girl wasn't dead, so it all ended up being too neatly wrapped up compared to the way it started.
Apart from the usual dubious police protocol, I was amazed at the number of times the officers at the end were hit by spanners and other implements and just kept getting back up. I'm also not convinced a battery operated medical saw would cut through those bars.
Overall though, a good watch and I'd recommend it. -
GLArm1 October 2021I 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! -
Pairic1 October 2021The 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.
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DLochner4 October 2021Dark 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.
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jadranmario29 September 2021I 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.
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Calicodreamin1 October 2021A 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.
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patrios-5628429 September 2021That 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!
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cgvsluis15 October 2021Excellent 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. -
rossettoart30 September 2021If you enjoy a good crime mystery thriller this series does the trick. Top shelf -.....top ...shelf.
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fabianfubel1 October 2021A good crime series with excellent music, suitable camera work and a very good setup. The first half of the series really captivated me. Unfortunately, avoidable errors occur later: First of all, it is clear at an early stage that the wanted killer obviously has access to current investigations. In addition, he has high forensic skills as he can manipulate evidence and professionally sever limbs. So who could it be if not the personable forensic scientist?
When the two investigators try to figure out this secret as well, they always make the same mistake: They go into dangerous situations completely alone and without informing others. What can be exciting sometimes becomes tiring, because the series thrives on this pattern: Police officers make mistakes after mistakes. The annoying thing is: Without these numerous mistakes, which no one would make in reality, the story would be over soon. The Chestnut Man does not exist because of his genius, but because police officers do not adhere to protocol.
In this respect, the finale is almost a cliché of the entire series. The investigators try to face the killer alone five times and fail. I almost had to switch off.
Apart from these stupidities, it is a well-crafted work that is worth watching. -
mgvolpe111 October 2021Can't remember the episode number, it was the one where Hess and Thulin set up the 'sting' to catch the Villain. Thulin dresses like the threatened mother going home, carrying her daughter in her arms after work. The place is surrounded by politi with binoculars and can see her every move before she enters her apartment. No one is coming, OH wait a man with a hoodie, goes directly up to the apt. Knocks on the door.
In the mean time the threatened mother and her daughter have been taken to a safe house and are being protected by not one but two politi officers. One goes for pizza the other is distracted by something outside and leaves the hours to inspect the noise.
Mean while thulin is answering the door with gun drawn and the SWAT team is rushing to the flat. They apprehend the guy, you'll recognize him when you see him and know why he's there.
Back at the 'Safe House', the actual killer has murdered the stupid cop and drags the mother to the woods to do his nasty deed and anything else he pleases me.
WHY DID I ONLY GIVE THIS 5 STARS?
THE only people that knew what the plan was were the cops, do you think either of the seasoned detectives would wonder HOW the killer knew where the mother was being hidden? HAD TO BE AN INSIDE JOB RIGHT! We have a mole in the the department, NO! Not a peep, Neither one of them voice this OBVIOUS CLUE.
I'm sorry but that was just too stupid for me to forgive. It spoiled the whole show for me. Plus these 'seasoned' detectives never call for back-up, the both get blindsided many times and over powered by this creep to the point of, DO YOU REALLY THINK I'M REALLY THAT STUPID? -
hmusick130 September 2021Seriously, those chestnut man sculptures are literally terrifying.
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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. -
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. -
Vindelander1 October 2021Excellent series with great plot and cast. As good as The Bridge and The Killing imo.
That says it all. -
baunacholi-8615919 October 2021A well told intelligent thriller with a dark and awful background. Big downer however the final episode, yes it brought all pieces together but had at the same time too many unrealistic and overly constructed conversations and situations.
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hussain-ayaz4 October 2021It 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.
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sunildaswaney-636423 November 2021"THE CHESTNUT MAN"is an above average "Whodunit"web series with matching performances by everyone. If you enjoy suspense filled murder mysteries/ thrillers then do watch this!
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yaseerrizwan2 April 2022Very 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. -
fraser-simons3 October 2021While 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. -
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. -
eclud29 September 2021From 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"!! -
wtankb30 September 2021Do not listen to any negative review. This was a good series 100%. The plot twists were just crazy. Was kinda slow at first but was worth the wait. I really enjoyed this man!