Netflix’s 10/10 Serial Killer Thriller Just Returned After 5 Years — New Episodes Are Here
After nearly five years, Netflix’s breakout serial-killer thriller is back, with the streamer dropping all six episodes of its 100%-rated second season on May 7.
Netflix finally pressed play on one of its grimmest crowd-pleasers. If you were waiting around for more Nordic noir nastiness, your patience just paid off.
Yes, The Chestnut Man is back
On May 7, Netflix dropped all six episodes of The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek, the second season of its Copenhagen-set serial killer thriller. These are the first new episodes in almost five years, and the season plays as a standalone sequel: you can jump in cold, but it continues the story of detectives Naia Thulin and Mark Hess as they hunt a new murderer who lures victims into a twisted game of hide and seek.
Season 2 is based on author Soren Sveistrup's sequel novel of the same name, following his original The Chestnut Man book. And in case you saw a stray press blurb calling it The Chestnut Mam: Hide and Seek, that stray 'm' was a typo. It is, in fact, still The Chestnut Man.
Season 2 at a glance
- Release: All six episodes dropped May 7 on Netflix
- Title: The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek
- Format: Standalone sequel continuing Thulin and Hess in Copenhagen
- Premise: A new serial killer turns murder into a deadly game of hide and seek
- Source material: Based on Soren Sveistrup's sequel novel of the same name
Quick refresher: why people flipped for Season 1
The first season was one of those rare Netflix runs that nailed a 100% critics score on Rotten Tomatoes. It earned that rep the old-fashioned way: a tight six-episode mystery, nasty little chestnut dolls left at crime scenes, and a moody, clammy vibe that drew comparisons to Se7en and The Silence of the Lambs. No filler, just a straight shot of tense, grisly procedural told with real atmosphere.
Early word on Hide and Seek
Can Season 2 keep that perfect score? Too soon to call, but the early tea leaves look good. Rotten Tomatoes currently lists three critic reviews for the new season, and all three are positive. The general consensus: same chill-in-the-bones mood, same precision plotting, still worth your weekend.
"Ticks many of the same narrative boxes that made its predecessor so successful."
- Lacy Baugher, RogerEbert.com
"Hide and Seek proves that not only does the show deserve a spot among the best foreign series on the streamer, but The Chestnut Man is easily one of Netflix's best TV shows of all time."
- Felipe Rangel, ScreenRant
What about Season 3?
Netflix has not renewed or canceled the show yet. Also worth noting: Hide and Seek is the latest entry in Sveistrup's book series, and there is no additional source material on deck right now. That does not mean the show could not continue, but as of today, there is nothing official to point to.
Bottom line: six new episodes, same bleak Copenhagen fog, a fresh killer with a nasty hobby, and early reviews that say the quality bar is still very much in place. Clear your evening.