land of sin netflix review

“Land of Sin” (Synden) on Netflix is a bleak, tightly paced Nordic noir that delivers strong performances and atmosphere, but many critics and viewers feel it leans heavily on familiar crime‑thriller formulas and never fully rises above “solid but not essential” status.

What “Land of Sin” is about

• The series follows Dani , a hard‑edged Malmö police investigator with a broken home life and a drug‑addicted son, Oliver.

• When Silas, a young man who once lived with them like family, goes missing and is later found dead, Dani heads to his rural hometown on Sweden’s Bjäre peninsula with rookie partner Malik.

• The investigation pulls them into a long‑festering family feud, land disputes, and small‑town secrets that expose Dani’s past and put them at odds with a powerful local patriarch, Elis.

Tone, style, and pacing

• The show is classic Nordic noir: cold landscapes, emotionally closed‑off characters, and an unrelenting sense of spiritual and moral gloom.

• Critics note that the five short episodes (roughly three and a half hours total) make it easy to binge, with a brisk pace that rarely drags, even if some character beats feel underdeveloped.

• Reviewers praise the visual polish and moody cinematography, but also argue that beneath the surface it plays like a standard “big‑city cop in a hostile small town” thriller.

Performances and characters

• Krista Kosonen’s Dani is described as severe, abrasive, and compelling, carrying much of the emotional weight despite the script not always fleshing out her backstory in depth.

• Peter Gantman as Elis, the aging family patriarch, is repeatedly singled out as a standout, with a weary, layered performance that shifts from antagonistic to unexpectedly vulnerable.

• The dynamic between Dani and Malik gives a classic “jaded veteran vs. rule‑following rookie” energy, adding some humanity and moral debate amid the darkness.

Critic and audience reception

• Some outlets call it a “thrilling” or “next level” detective drama worth looking forward to, largely for fans hungry for more Scandinavian crime TV on Netflix.

• Others are more mixed, saying it is well‑crafted but hard to recommend over many richer, more original cold‑climate crime shows already available.

• Video reviewers highlight that the mystery’s central twist is not especially groundbreaking, but that the oppressive atmosphere, moral gray areas, and short length make it satisfying enough as a quick, moody binge.

Should you watch it?

• Likely a good pick if you:
  • Enjoy dark, slow‑burn Scandinavian crime dramas
  • Want a short, complete limited series that you can finish in one evening
  • Appreciate character‑driven stories about guilt, family secrets, and rough small‑town justice

• You might skip it if you:
  • Want a twisty, highly original mystery rather than another variation on familiar noir tropes
  • Prefer lighter tones, humor, or clear emotional catharsis over unrelenting bleakness

Bottom line: “Land of Sin” is a grim, atmospheric Swedish limited series with strong acting and sleek craft, but it stays squarely within genre lines—rewarding for Nordic noir fans, less essential for everyone else.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.