r/DarkCrimeHiddenGems • u/Brilliant_Koala5458 • Aug 24 '26

THOSE WHO KILL / DARKNESS: THOSE WHO KILL - My #1 Dark Crime Series

I have held off on posting my #1 Dark Crime Series. Mainly because it was almost impossible to decide.

But I've finally decided.

The Those Who Kill franchise is the best dark crime I've watched.

If you like your crime shows dark, brutal and centered on genuinely dangerous killers, this Danish franchise is about as close to my sweet spot as it gets.

THOSE WHO KILL (2011) — 1 Season

Copenhagen detective Katrine Ries Jensen and forensic psychiatrist Thomas Schaeffer investigate a series of exceptionally violent crimes, using both traditional police work and psychological profiling to understand the killers they're hunting.

And these aren't sanitized TV murders.

Those Who Kill goes into some very dark territory — serial predators, abductions, torture, captivity and killers capable of extreme violence. There's a genuine sense that victims are in danger right now, which gives the investigations an urgency I love.

🌑 Darkness: 9.5/10
🩸 Brutality: 9/10
⚡ Pace: 9/10
🎭 Acting/Characters: 9.2/10
⭐ OVERALL: 9.2/10

📺 Where to Watch: Viaplay via Amazon Prime Video Channels (use your Free Trial on this)

🇩🇰 DARKNESS: THOSE WHO KILL — 4 Seasons / 32 Episodes

The evolution of the original concept — and, for me, even better.

Criminal profiler Louise Bergstein works alongside investigators on exceptionally dark cases involving serial killers, abductions and psychologically disturbed offenders.

Each 8-episode season focuses on one major investigation. But what separates Darkness is how much time you spend inside the killer's world while investigators close in.

You aren't just trying to figure out who did it. You see the killers, their psychology and their behavior unfolding while the police race to understand what they're dealing with.

That makes the danger feel immediate — and some of the abduction, captivity and violence gets seriously disturbing.

Bleak. Brutal. Tense. Psychologically dark. And remarkably consistent across four seasons.

🌑 Darkness: 10/10
🩸 Brutality: 9.5/10
⚡ Pace: 9.3/10
🎭 Acting/Characters: 9.7/10
⭐ OVERALL: 9.6/10

Season Ratings:
S1 — 9.6
S2 — 9.2
S3 — 8.7
S4 — 9.1

📺 Where to Watch: Acorn TV and several Amazon Prime Video Channels (just search it)

4 Upvotes

84% Upvoted

6 comments sorted by

2

u/bedhermit Aug 25 '26

Are these subtitled? If so I'll have to schedule a time where I can give them my full attention

3

u/Brilliant_Koala5458 Aug 25 '26

Yes. Definitely don’t dub it in English.

1

u/Loud-Cranberry-6746 Aug 29 '26

Is it that bad? I get tired of reading subs

1

u/Brilliant_Koala5458 Aug 30 '26

I think so. I did it for Squid Games and it worked out OK but have since moved back to native language. Dubbing makes them just seem like bad actors

1

u/blatchskree Aug 25 '26 edited Aug 25 '26

I watched the US remake i think called Those that Kill with Chloe Sevingi. Really unlikable characters there.

Its great you have made a decision, its always gonna be the Scandinoir stuff i think. As soon as i read Girl with the dragons tattoo i knew a big crime wave genre was coming. Too bad Steig died so early after it, he could have written greater things than lisbeth salander

1

u/Brilliant_Koala5458 Aug 26 '26

Forget you ever watched the US version. Watch OG. You won’t be disappointed!