The Chestnut Man Season 2 Review: Nearly five years after The Chestnut Man left viewers completely on the edge of their seats with its fantastic storytelling, 2026 has been lucky enough to see another gripping season holding us hostage once again! Doubling down on the psychological horror and bringing back our two favourite investigators from the last season, the new season focuses on unsettling surveillance paranoia and emotional trauma, crafting a story that feels both intimate and extremely cold and calculated.
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The Chestnut Man Season 2 Cast
Danica Curcic, Mikkel Boe Følsgaard, Sofie Gråbøl, Katinka Lærke Petersen
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The Chestnut Man Season 2 Writers & Creators
Dorte W. Høgh, Emilie Lebech Kaae
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The Chestnut Man Season 2 Directors
Milad Alami, Roni Ezra
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Original Title
The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek / Kastanjemanden
The series has 6 episodes, each with a runtime of around 50 minutes, and is based on Søren Sveistrup’s novel of the same name.
The Chestnut Man Season 2 Review
Plot & overview
The story follows Naia and Mark, after their brief job together in the last season, they are forced to get back together to hunt for another dangerous criminal, this time it’s someone who leaves behind cryptic children’s rhymes and stalks their victims for days. Although their search starts with one victim, the de*th toll slowly rises, leaving behind more rhymes and people who seemingly have no connection to one another. With a sinister head and seek game at its helm, the search gradually goes from a missing person case to a larger mystery involving gruesome mu*ders, stalking and unresolved trauma, and it all leads back to a decades-old case.
This season focuses more on cyberstalking and psychological dread, leaving behind the serial-killer procedural territory and diving into more intense waters. The modern edge, but the tie-up to something much older makes this intimate and chillingly manipulative, something that leaves an impression on you. Although the series feels like it’s simple, there are a lot of layers beneath the surface that viewers have to take the time to get to the bottom of; once the last episode ends, things get resolved, but it still leaves a lingering hopelessness that doesn’t go away.
The six-episode structure, with just under one hour, never feels overlong or heavy and, instead, makes you wish for more. The storytelling is fantastic, and the narrative never wastes time on unnecessary things. The mystery takes time to carefully unfold, showcasing several twists and turns that are nothing short of terrifying. However, despite some shocking revelations, the tension simmers, and the feeling of dread never lets up.
Direction & atmosphere
Returning to the bleak Scandinavian aesthetic that made the first season memorable, directors Milad Alami and Roni Ezra highlight the bleakness of the surroundings rife with grey streets, dim apartments and rain-soaked silences that dominate the frames. Moreover, this stillness is complemented by the restraint of the show as it focuses on uncomfortable stillness and quiet moments. There are no action-heavy moments that take your breath away; just the quiet discomfort of knowing that the k*ller is just around the corner.
Of course, the creepy nursery rhymes don’t help and, coupled with the eerie surveillance footage, everything feels disturbing and claustrophobic. An oppressive atmosphere engulfs every frame, and the deeper we get into the mystery and understand the characters’ plights and desperation, the deeper we are swallowed whole by the feeling. Along with the fantastic story, it’s this oppressive atmosphere that keeps the tension alive throughout the runtime.
Performances
Danica Curcic and Mikkel Boe Følsgaard continue to be fantastic and anchor the series brilliantly. Their chemistry is electric, and once they rejoin the investigation together, things seem to fall right into place. Their fractured dynamic, however, adds emotional depth just under the surface – something that needs to be addressed immediately. Their unsaid words make you feel uncomfortable in your seat as the seasons explore the ramifications of their fallout.
Thulin’s quiet emotional exhaustion is perfectly captured by Curcic, while Følsgaard, as always, captures Hess’s vulnerability and conflict avoidance well. Maybe for the first time in a while, the supporting cast feels like a part of the world. Sofie Gråbøl, especially, is fantastic as the vulnerable Marie whose daughter’s mu*der has left her emotionally drained and obsessed with finding her k*ller.
Themes & tone
Leaning into themes of abandonment, emotional neglect and isolation, season 2 is more personal and heartbreaking. Focusing on the long-standing effects of childhood trauma and whether the feelings of abandonment at an early age ever really go away, we see the ramifications of these questions too well. The perpetrator this season is vulnerable and destroyed from years of neglect and trauma, instead of some mastermind which gets under your skin throughout. It feels frighteningly plausible and disturbingly human. As a result of this grounded approach, the horror, too, hits harder.
Final Thoughts
Expect no relief from the emotional devastation and the shocking circumstances that lead us to the end of The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek. The second season expands on the story of season 1 extremely well, leaving no room for boredom or impatience. It takes its time to weave a delicate and intricate story that leaves you with your mouth agape. Plus, the emotional devastation also adds to the feeling of dread and hopelessness. This one’s a chilling and intelligent mystery, and possibly one of the best mystery-thrillers of this year.
What do you think about The Chestnut Man: Hide and Seek on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!
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