When we’re in a country where we don’t know the language, we like to watch TV. It provides us with some low-stress language practice and also interesting insights into the culture. Here are some shows and movies we’ve been enjoying while we’re in Norway, in no particular order.
The Trip
This 2021 horror-comedy is available on Netflix. John called it ‘the bloodiest comedy I’ve ever seen’. If you like tons of cartoonish violence, this is the movie for you. Also, it is set in a lovely cabin in the woods, so you can’t beat the scenery. (Disclaimer: we went to visit a cabin. Our visit involved no death, torture scenes, or threats of sexual violence, but this movie has all three!) High marks for goriness and creative use of body parts. Excellent plot twists; it reminded us of ‘Hide and Seek’. We don’t know much about Aksel Hennie (also in the 2008 WWII Norse biopic ‘Max Manus: Man of War’). He’s great, and Noomie Rapace is typically fantastic.
Norsk-ish
We have yet to find a Norwegian who knows this TV show. (Then again, we only know four Norwegians.) But we like it. It’s the story of three immigrant Norwegian families, one from Turkey, one from Iran, and one from India. The three main characters are their adult children, who are friends. The show is mostly about their experiences feeling like they belong in Norway, but also do not belong. The families have different stances about assimilating vs. not assimilating, and the children struggle with their biculturalism. There’s one season of eight episodes, made in 2020, and it’s available to stream from NRK (possibly also where you live?). ‘Det Norske Hus’ on Netflix looks similar, but we haven’t watched it yet.
Lilyhammer
This is one of Netflix’s shows, with three seasons (2012-2014) starring Stevie Van Zandt as a former mobster in the witness protection program. He decides to relocate to Lillehammer because he thought it was beautiful during the 1994 Winter Olympics (he’s right!). It is a small town, and his next-door neighbour is the chief of police. But Frank/Johnny continues to operate as if he is in the mob, breaking laws left and right. As you might expect, hilarity ensues. We’ve really been enjoying it because it highlights and exaggerates the kulturforskjeller (‘cultural differences’) between the U.S. and Norway.
Post Mortem: No One Dies in Skarnes
Also on Netflix – and why on earth are there only six episodes of this brilliant beast? – this 2021 show is about a woman who dies, or almost-dies, under mysterious circumstances, and wakes up with cravings for human blood. Luckily, her family owns a funeral parlor, so she is able to use her powers for good while helping the family business. Things get complicated. Despite its subject matter, the show is more quirky than dark, though there is some violence. Incidentally, what is it with Norwegians and creepy tv shows?
Team Ingebrigtsen
This documentary/reality TV show from NRK focuses on a family of runners over several years around the 2016 Olympic season. The three Ingebrigtsen brothers, trained by their father, are each determined to be the best. Over 21 episodes in five seasons (with more promised), you watch the high levels of competition in the whole family – the very first scene has them competing over who can make the best kanelboller. (Ours were prettier!) If, like us, you do not follow international track and field, everything that happens will be a surprise.
Norsemen and Ragnarok
Both on Netflix; we’ve watched just a few episodes of these shows, but we like what we see. The first (18 episodes) is a sitcom set in 790 and featuring Vikings. The second is a (12 episodes, with more promised) fantasy-Armageddon mystery.
Other
We haven’t been able to access these in English in Norway, but we’ve heard good things about NRK’s Parterapi (‘Couples Therapy’) and Lykkeland (about the discovery of oil in Norway) and TV Norge’s ‘Next Summer’. We assume you’ve seen Frozen – who hasn’t? – and that is based almost entirely on Norway. So are many of the troll movies, real and cartoon. There are also an increasing number of Jo Nesbø adaptations, including Headhunter (2011) and The Snowman (2017). We have not seen Netflix’s ‘Home for Christmas, which doesn’t seem like our kind of romantic comedy (two seasons available). The 2002 odd-couple movie ‘Elling’ is available on Amazon Prime, but not in Norway.
Finally, Norway invented the idea of ‘slow tv’ – hours and hours of everyday life. It began in 2009 with a train trip, and then there were boat trips, fires, and even knitting marathons, all televised. We haven’t watched all ten hours of this train going to the Arctic Circle, but what we have seen was beautiful. And, yes, soothing.
We’d love to hear what you think about any of these. Or help us add to the list!
