New Netflix crime drama dominating the charts is 'relentlessly grim' but there's a bigger issue underneath the surface

Date:
Wed, 01 Apr 2026 11:04:33 +0000

Description:
Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole has taken Netflix by storm this week but there's a bigger issue with the new Netflix crime drama that not just being 'relentlessly grim'.

FULL STORY ======================================================================Copy link Facebook X Whatsapp Reddit Pinterest Flipboard Threads Email Share this article 0 Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Tech Radar Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Become a Member in Seconds Unlock instant access to exclusive member
features. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting
your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. You are now subscribed Your newsletter sign-up was successful Join the club Get full access to premium articles, exclusive features and a growing list of member rewards. Explore An account already exists for this email address, please log in. Subscribe to our newsletter Disclaimer Spoilers for Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole ahead. Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole arrived on Netflix less than a week ago, and it's already the most-watched show on the streaming service. But if you thought the Harlan Coben collection was violent, you haven't seen anything yet.

Adapted from Nesbo's fifth Harry Hole book, The Devil's Star , Harry (Tobias Santelmann) must track down the person murdering young women across Oslo who just so happens to be his rival at work, Tom (Joel Kinnaman). While that's
the bare bones of the story, things are incredibly gory and disturbing in between. There are women tied up in showers, dead bodies floating inside of water beds, and prosthetic genitals that have a bloody difficult time (pun intended). Article continues below You may like Detective Hole ending on Netflix has unhinged real-life story behind it No Netflix Jo Nesb adaptations planned after Detective Hole, says crime writer 'Deliciously bonkers' or 'Too grim to be fun'? New Netflix show His and Hers divides critics but they all love its wild ending

However, none of the show's most gruesome moments are actually what's most worrying. This comes in the form of Detective Hole 's love scenes that frankly, are borderline hate. Today's best Netflix deals Netflix - Standard with ads $6.99 /mth View at Netflix Netflix - Standard $15.49 /mth View at Netflix Netflix - Premium $22.99 /mth View at Netflix Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole is simultaneously sexually charged and borderline offensive Jo Nesbo's Detective Hole | Official Trailer | Netflix - YouTube Watch On As one fan on X/Twitter deftly puts it , "The thing about Netflixs Detective Hole is that its both DEEPLY homophobic and INCREDIBLY homoeroticand thats how most of Jo Nesbos work is. This excerpt from one of his novels reads like Heated Rivalry . "

Not only is the violence against women in Detective Hole almost out of control, but episode 6 also introduces a frisson between Tom and a male sex worker, leading to arguably the most mind-boggling scene in the entire
series: Tom sawing off the man's genitals before stabbing him through a wall to his death.

In a nutshell, this isn't brilliant news for women or anyone in the LGBTQIA+ community, especially when we're starved of positive press and
representation. How are these subconscious narratives going to land with audiences at home while they consume violence as entertainment? Get daily insight, inspiration and deals in your inbox Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more. Contact me with news and offers from other Future brands Receive email from us on behalf of our trusted partners or sponsors By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over.

As refreshing as Detective Hole 's visceral tone is, I can't help but be concerned by its subtext. We should be able to have exciting crime drama without minorities feeling the consequences in the process.

Perhaps I'm reading too much into it, but if another Harry Hole mystery happens to make its way to Netflix, I hope it has a more grounded moral compass. Today's best Netflix deals Netflix - Standard with ads $6.99 /mth View at Netflix Netflix - Standard $15.49 /mth View at Netflix Netflix - Premium $22.99 /mth View at Netflix Follow TechRadar on Google News and add
us as a preferred source to get our expert news, reviews, and opinion in your feeds. Make sure to click the Follow button!

And of course you can also follow TechRadar on TikTok for news, reviews, unboxings in video form, and get regular updates from us on WhatsApp too.



======================================================================
Link to news story: https://www.techradar.com/streaming/netflix/jo-nesbo-detective-hole-comment


--- Mystic BBS v1.12 A49 (Linux/64)
* Origin: tqwNet Technology News (1337:1/100)