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Netflix's riveting true-crime drama The Breakthrough explores the second-largest criminal investigation in Swedish history — a 2004 double murder of a child and a woman in the southern city of Linköping. Despite eyewitness testimony and DNA evidence left at the scene, there was no clear motive or culprit. As a result, the case went cold and remained unsolved for over 16 years, haunting both law enforcement and citizens across Europe. However, investigators refused to give up.

Directed by Lisa Siwe (Glowing Stars) and based on the nonfiction book by Anna Bodin and Peter Sjölund, the procedural miniseries covers the gruesome crime, primarily focusing on the groundbreaking forensic genealogy that eventually led to its perpetrator. The show follows lead investigator John (Peter Eggers) on his obsessive hunt for the killer, the victims' families' strength despite their grief, and the genealogist Per (Mattias Nordkvist), who finally solves the case.

Although the plot and characters...

True crime has a massive, dedicated fanbase, so it's no surprise that Netflix has been focusing on the genre in recent months. Its latest addition, a Swedish noir miniseries directed by Lisa Siwe (Glowing Stars), The Breakthrough, fictionalizes the true story of a double murder in the small city of Linköping. On the morning of Oct. 19, 2004, 8-year-old Adnan (Marley Norstad) and 56-year-old Gunilla (Anna Azcárate) were both randomly stabbed to death in broad daylight while walking along the same street. The crime only had one witness, a local woman named Karin (Annika Hallin) who'd been biking nearby when she heard Gunilla cry out. Unfortunately, the composite from Karin and the DNA evidence left at the scene weren't enough for lead investigator, John (Peter Eggers), to identify the culprit.

The series takes viewers alongside John's 16-year-long journey to fulfill his promise to Adnan's father to figure out who murdered his son.

Warning: This article contains spoilers for The Breakthrough.The Breakthrough begins with the double murder of Adnan Abbas and Gunilla Persson, but ultimately ends with their killer being caught. Based on the book by Anna Bodin and genealogist Peter Sjölund of the name, The Breakthrough was inspired by a true crime. The Netflix miniseries is a fictional account of the second-largest murder investigation that took place in 2004 in Linköping, Sweden.

Directed by Lisa Siwe with The Breakthrough’s cast led by Peter Eggers as Detective John Sundin, the show delves into the shocking double homicide of Adnan Abbas and Gunilla Persson. Throughout its four episodes, the Netflix series sees the police struggle to find the person who was behind the murder. However, that changes when the lead detective decides to seek the help of Per Skogkvist, a genealogist who solves the crime by creating a family tree using the killer's DNA.

In what ways do crimes get solved if they take years? The Swedish crime drama The Breakthrough tells the story of an unsolved murder that took 16 years to solve a double homicide.

Suspects who cover their faces and have no witnesses, the Netflix drama tells the story about how crimes can go unsolved for a specific period of time inspired by a true story.

The series stars Peter Eggers, Mattias Nordkvist, Jessica Liedborg, and Annika Hallin. It was directed by Lisa Siwe and written by Oskar Soderlund.

About The Breakthrough

The story takes place in Linkoping, Sweden, where a young boy and a woman were murdered in broad daylight with no witnesses getting the description of the suspect. John (Peter Eggers) is tasked with the murder as he struggles to find answers. He later works with a genealogist to trace and track down the real killer behind the murder of...

Netflix charts are sort of known for being dominated by hit sitcoms of the past or present, but a new crime thriller is breaking through the string of American comedies and dramas in the top 10 series this week. The Swedish murder-mystery, four-part series, The Breakthrough, based on the only criminal case in Europe to be solved with genetic genealogy, is #6 on Netflix's Top 10 Series.

The limited series is based upon the 2021 novel The Breakthrough: How the genealogist solved the double murder in Linköping (Genombrottet: Så löste släktforskaren dubbelmordet i Linköping), written by journalist Anna Bodin and genealogist Peter Sjölund. The show is giving American-produced true-crime series a run for their money.

The show is a far cry from the numerous shows on Netflix that are over five seasons long, with nearly countless episodes to fill viewers' time. So, it's no surprise that the four episodes of the Swedish true crime noir broke through,...

As part of its new true-crime series, “The Breakthrough,” Netflix shows a key Swedish probe that took almost twenty years to finish. The four-part limited series, which premiered on January 7, 2025, is based on the 2004 double murder in Linköping, which was the first murder case in Europe to be solved using genetic forensics.

The series, created by Lisa Siwe and written by Oskar Söderlund, is about Detective John Sundin (Peter Eggers), who is trying to find justice in a case about to be forgotten. The story focuses on the important work that police and genealogist Per Skogvist (played by Mattias Nordkvist) did together. Skogvist’s DNA profiling techniques were very helpful in solving the case.

The series goes beyond the usual crime procedural format. It was filmed in Linköping, where the killings happened. It details how long inquiries can make people feel. Eggers’ character, who is based on the real-life detective Jan Egon Staaf,...

True crime often grips us by the throat, but what sets some stories apart is their deep resonance and innovative storytelling. The Breakthrough (Genombrottet), Netflix’s latest Scandinavian series, doesn’t just retell a crime—it unravels a revolutionary moment in criminal justice. Rooted in the haunting 2004 Linköping double homicide and solved 16 years later using groundbreaking genealogical methods, this Swedish series masterfully blends raw human emotion with the precision of cutting-edge investigation. It’s not just another crime drama; it’s a game-changer for the genre. Here’s why The Breakthrough should be on your watchlist immediately:

1. A Crime That Stunned a Nation

The series takes you to the heart of Sweden, revisiting a chilling double murder that shook the peaceful town of Linköping in 2004. The brutal killing of an 8-year-old boy and a 56-year-old woman went unsolved for over a decade, leaving an entire community in despair. By dramatizing these events,...

The Netflix murder mystery, The Breakthrough, is based on the book written by Peter Sjolund and Anna Bodin that documents the real-life double murder that happened in Linkoping back in 2004. Directed by Lisa Siwe, the series mostly stays true to the facts, though the creators have taken some creative liberties just to spice up the narrative and make it a bit more engaging. The character of Per Skogkvist is based on the real-life genealogist/author Peter Sjolund, and it is true that he played an extremely crucial role in finding the perpetrator in one of the largest investigations that ever took place in Swedish history.

Till 2019, the Swedish law enforcement authorities weren’t allowed to upload the DNA samples of suspects to commercial genealogy websites and use their databases to find a match. Once that prohibition was lifted, Jan Staaf decided that he would make use of technology and give it one last shot.

Directed by Lisa Siwe, the new Netflix murder mystery, The Breakthrough, is based on a real-life incident that shook the entirety of Swedish society back in 2004. The double murder case led to the second largest investigation in Swedish history after the assassination of the prime minister, Olaf Palme. So, let’s find out which of the events of the series actually happened in real life, what the killer’s motive was, and if commercial DNA websites actually played a key role in finding the killer.

Spoiler Alert

The Real-Life Victims

What hurts more than the loss of a loved one is when there is ambiguity surrounding their demise, and nobody knows the reason why they were killed. Whenever families are left stranded in the dark, when they don’t have a concrete answer to the questions that haunt them, then nobody can imagine the kind of battles they fight on a daily basis.

Good storytellers understand that realism doesn’t mean that the storytelling needs to be the most boring thing imaginable, while the worst storytellers make the mistake of associating blandness with realism. For example, David Fincher is probably one of the best directors working right now who has delivered some of the greatest crime dramas ever, e.g., Se7en, Zodiac, and Mindhunter. Now, Fincher rarely resorts to over-the-top action or melodramatic acting to spice up his narratives. He usually keeps things low-key, to the extent where some accuse his work of being “emotionless,” and yet manages to keep things engaging and thrilling. And even when some of his stories don’t reach a cathartic and climactic conclusion, the journey feels worthwhile. The same can be said about Memories of Murder, Blow Out, The Silence of the Lambs, Insomnia, The Long Goodbye, Ugly, Dahaad, and more. Then there’s this year’s The Breakthrough,...

Red Rose is a horror series starring Amelia Clarkson and Natalie Hoflin. It is directed by Lisa Siwe, Ramon Salazar and Henry Blake.

Red Rose is one of those urban legends transformed into a series which, if in the hands of others would have been a disaster, but here we have the BBC which tries to make a good series with a plot that seems “impossible” and manages to do it.

A typical teen horror thing which, if it had been done by the usual studio, would have been a total disaster, but here, thanks to good directing, an atmosphere full of references to classics, interesting characters, an attractive story and very good direction andp planning, this series is a delight for the eyes.eferentes clásicos, personajes interesantes, una historia atractiva y una muy buena dirección y planificación hacen de esta serie una delicia que llevarse a la vista.

Red Rose (2022)

Yes,...

Screen Rant is thrilled to exclusively present the trailer for the new series Temple. Based on the hit Norwegian series Valkyrien, Temple follows Daniel Milton (Mark Strong), a talented surgeon pushed to the brink. When his wife is diagnosed with a terminal degenerative disease, he does everything he can to save her. But when conventional medical treatments don't work, he searches for other options. Daniel teams up with Lee (Daniel Mays) to start a literal underground, off-the-books clinic in the tunnels beneath London's Temple tube station.

Eventually, they are joined by Anna, a guilt-ridden medical researcher, and Jamie, a young fugitive. Daniel and his team treat those who either can't or refuse to seek medical treatment from the legitimate healthcare system. While Daniel tries to balance his team, his attempts to save his wife, and his ever-swaying moral boundaries, his own desperation could be what brings everything crashing down around him.

“Sex Education” producer Eleven has revealed a cast of rising stars for upcoming BBC and Netflix horror series “Red Rose.”

Created by the Clarkson Twins – Michael and Paul, the eight-part series explores the relationship between teenagers and their online lives. Set over a long hot summer following high school, the teens’ friendships are infiltrated by the Red Rose app, which blooms on their smartphones, threatening them with dangerous consequences if they don’t meet its demands. The app exposes the group to a seemingly supernatural entity and the seductive power of the dark web.

The cast includes Amelia Clarkson, Isis Hainsworth, Ali Khan Ellis Howard and Ashna Rabheru alongside Adam Nagaitis, Natalie Gavin and Samuel Anderson. Making their television debuts are Harry Redding, currently in “To Kill A Mockingbird” on London’s West End, and Laurence Olivier Bursary winner Natalie Blair.

“Red Rose” is directed by Ramon Salazar (Netflix thriller...

The Night Manager star Tom Hollander and The Killing’s Sofie Gråbøl are to star in BBC One’s adaptation of David Nicholls’ novel Us.

The four-part series has finally begun filming after being initially commissioned in 2016. Wanderlust’s Nick Payne was initially attached to write but the adaptation is now being handled by original author Nicholls, who wrote Patrick Melrose, himself.

The cast is rounded out by Saskia Reeves (Luther), Tom Taylor (The Dark Tower), Iain De Caestecker (Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D) and Thaddea Graham (Curfew).

The series is produced by Doctor Foster producer Drama Republic and Bandstand Productions, which is run by Hollander and Hannah Pescod.

Hollander plays Douglas Petersen, who is blindsided when his wife Connie, played by Reeves, tells him that she’s not sure she wants to be married to him anymore. Agreeing to still go on their planned family grand tour of Europe,...

Mark Strong is set to star in new comic thriller “Temple” for Sky, the European pay-tv broadcaster announced Wednesday. Strong will be joined in the eight-part Sky original production by Dutch star Carice van Houten (“Game of Thrones”) and British actor Daniel Mays.

Set deep below the streets of London, “Temple” is described as a story of fate, chaos and consequence which asks how far you would go to save the person you love. It is written by playwright Mark O’Rowe and adapted from Norwegian drama series “Valkyrien.”

Strong stars as a surgeon working in an illegal clinic, set up in an abandoned subterranean network of tunnels. Driven by personal tragedy to treat anyone willing to pay for medical help outside the system he is assisted in his work by a guilt-ridden medical researcher (van Houten) and a disgruntled transport employee (Mays).

Strong, who also serves as an executive producer on the show,...

Exclusive: Mark Strong (Kingsman), Carice van Houten (Game of Thrones) and Daniel Mays (Line of Duty) will star in the Sky-commissioned thriller series Temple. The high-concept eight-parter, produced by Hera Pictures head Liza Marshall (Riviera), is playwright Mark O’Rowe’s adaptation of the acclaimed Norwegian drama series Valkyrien about the workings of an illegal and subterranean clinic.

We first announced Strong for the darkly comic drama last summer when it was still in early stages. Additional cast is being finalized with production due to begin next month.

Strong will star as Daniel, a surgeon who is driven by personal tragedy to treat anyone in his underground London clinic who is willing to pay for medical help outside the system. Aided by Lee (Mays), a disgruntled transport employee, and Anna (van Houten), a guilt-ridden medical researcher, they treat a variety of increasingly desperate and highly dangerous patients, as Daniel...

Cologne, Germany -- Niels Arden Oplev's thriller "The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo," Sweden's biggest film of the year, and of all time, roared past the local competition Monday night to win top honors at Sweden's Guldbagge Awards, the country's equivalent of the Academy Awards.

Noomi Rapace also won best actress for her starring role in the film tattooed computer hacker Lisbeth Salander. The film, based on the international best seller by Stieg Larsson, has already grossed more than $100 million worldwide. Music Box Films are set to bow "Tattoo" stateside March 12.

Michael Haneke's "The White Ribbon" won best foreign language film, adding a Swedish Guldbagge to "Ribbon's" trophy case, which already includes a Palme d'Or, a European Film Award and a Golden Globe.

Other Guldbagge winners included Lisa Siwe, who took the best director nod for her drama "Glowing Stars," while best actor went to Claes Ljungmark for...

Cologne, Germany -- Scandinavian blockbuster "The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" is a frontrunner for Sweden's national film prize, the Guldbagge, with four nominations, including best picture.

Niels Arden Oplev's adaptation of the Stieg Larsson bestseller, the first in the Millennium trilogy, also nabbed a best actress nom for star Noomi Rapace, best supporting actor for Sven-Bertil Taube and best cinematography for Peter Mokrosinski. In an odd twist, the second film in the trilogy, "The Girl Who Played With Fire," also picked up a nomination, for famed cameraman Hoyte van Hoytema, who lensed Swedish vampire hit "Let the Right One In."

"The Girl With The Dragon Tattoo" is already the most successful Swedish film of all time, with worldwide boxoffice revenues of more than $100 million. Sony Pictures Entertainment is planning an English-language adaptation of the Millennium series, which Scott Rudin is attached to produce, along with Swedish producers Ole Sondberg and Soren Staermose.

Berlin -- Richard Loncraine's "My One and Only," a '50s-era comedy starring Renee Zellweger and Kevin Bacon, was squeezed into the competition lineup for this year's Berlin International Film Festival, barely a week before the event kicks off.

Zellweger plays a glamorous single mom on the hunt for a rich man to foot the bill for her and her sons' lifestyle. Produced by Merv Griffith Entertainment and Ray Gun Prods., "My One and Only" will have its world premiere in Berlin. Essential Entertainment is handling international sales.

Berlin also added Lone Scherfig's Sundance favorite "An Education" with Peter Sarsgaard, Alfred Molina and Emma Thompson and Davis Guggenheim's music documentary "It Might Get Loud" for its Berlinale Special Galas, ensuring the films will get the red carpet treatment without any of the pressure of competition.

All three films should give an added boost of star power to...