In an increasingly crowded landscape of crime dramas and psychological thrillers, Equinox stands out as a Nordic noir that blends the icy realism of Scandinavian TV shows with a disturbing esoteric subtext. This refined Scandinavian series — Danish, to be precise — on Netflix, adapted from the cult podcast Equinox 1985, follows Astrid’s obsessions, a woman haunted by the disappearance of her sister and their entire school class in 1999.
Twenty years later, her thirst for truth drags her into a personal investigation where Norse mythology, family traumas, and unsettling visions merge into a narrative that captivates and disturbs. [TRAILER at the bottom]
► Beyond The Asset: the best Nordic Noir shows to binge on Netflix
- • Original Title: Equinox
- • Genre: Psychological thriller, supernatural, Nordic Noir
- • Country of Production: Denmark
- • Original Language: Danish
- • Year of Production / Release: 2020
- • Duration: 1 season – 6 episodes
- • Creator: Tea Lindeburg
- • Main Cast: Danica Curcic, Lars Brygmann, Karoline Hamm, Hanne Hedelund, Viola Martinsen, Fanny Bornedal
- • Production: Apple Tree Productions for Netflix
What Equinox is about
The plot of this Nordic noir starts in 1999, when in a quiet Danish town, young Ida mysteriously disappears along with her entire school class. Her younger sister, Astrid, is only nine years old, and this unexplained event deeply marks her, fueling years of distressing visions and recurring nightmares. Twenty-one years later, Astrid has become a late-night radio host. When she receives a call from one of the few survivors from that day, the reality she thought she had left behind resurfaces powerfully. The subsequent sudden death of the witness reopens a wound never healed and pushes Astrid to investigate what really happened, uncovering sinister connections linking the tragedy to her own past.
“There is something wrong with the world, and it’s in the places we cannot see.”
A key phrase capturing the sense of unease and disorientation that runs throughout the series, reflecting the tension between reality and the invisible dimension, between memory and hallucination.
The cast
Playing Astrid is the magnetic Danica Curcic, an actress already praised for intense roles in The Bridge and Silent Heart, but especially the lead in The Chestnut Man, here delivering a visceral performance made of looks, silences, and suppressed anger. Alongside her, Lars Brygmann, a familiar face in Danish cinema, brings depth to an enigmatic character. The young Karoline Hamm embodies the missing sister with haunting intensity. Finally, Fanny Bornedal and Viola Martinsen complete a cast where every face is part of the mystery.
Our review
The miniseries immerses the viewer in a sometimes distressing atmosphere, maintaining the slow but hypnotic construction of mystery, and the visual elegance now known to be typical of Nordic Noir. One of Equinox‘s strengths is its ability to blend the thriller genre with supernatural and mythological elements without ever losing narrative coherence. This stylistic choice means the horror is more suggested than shown, and the line between trauma and vision is razor-thin. At times, this can feel elusive or frustrating, but it’s precisely this ambiguity that makes Equinox true to its theme: when pain runs too deep, even reality begins to waver. The whole rests on the protagonist Astrid — portrayed with impressive depth by Danica Curcic.
Visually, it is a jewel of Nordic Noir: milky skies, suspended silences, landscapes that seem to echo something lost. The direction often plays with the off-screen, letting the viewer complete the horror — a choice of great intelligence and restraint. Equinox has convinced much of the international critics, earning a stunning 100% score on the review aggregator site Rotten Tomatoes.
Is it based on a true story?
Equinox is not based on a novel, but is an adaptation of an original podcast, Equinox 1985, which was hugely popular in Denmark. The audio format allowed exploration of the theme of memory and the unspoken, later translated visually in the series through symbolism and suggestions.
Filming took place between Copenhagen and the Danish countryside, using natural light and isolated landscapes to amplify the sense of disorientation. Many dreamlike scenes were shot with analog techniques to enhance the feeling of perceptual ambiguity.
Release date on Netflix
Equinox has been available on Netflix since December 30, 2020 ► WATCH ON NETFLIX
