Sneaking in near the end of 2023 on Netflix, A Nearly Normal Family did not see the big push that most new shows tend to get at first on the platform (likely because it is in Swedish), so instead, the generic buzzwords came out front-and-center in the description and not much else drew in prospective viewers. Almost taking the title of “Best of Netflix’s Swedish Output” in 2023, A Nearly Normal Family is worth the minor effort to devote your time.
‘A Nearly Normal Family’ Premise
A teen’s boyfriend suddenly dies from horrific stab wounds, and the girl ends up arrested for the crime. She and her family have to make the impossible decision of whether to come clean about everything and have their lives shattered or to hold themselves together with lies.
Sweden and Netflix Get a Decent Win with ‘A Nearly Normal Family’
The late-2023 Swedish miniseries A Nearly Normal Family comes from director Per Hanefjord via the Banijay Group production company Jarowskij, based on M.T. Edvardsson’s well-received novel and starring respectable actors Lo Kauppi and Björn Bengtsson. If you are not from Sweden, these names will not mean much to you, but rest assured that they hold a degree of significance in 21st-century Swedish visual media.
Though the easiest way to see brand-new Swedish films is through Netflix, not much has stood out this year, so thankfully, A Nearly Normal Family scratches the itch for a successful experience from the Nordic country home to acclaimed directors like Tomas Alfredson and Ruben Ostlund. The more unique film The Conference ended up snatching the most attention online, standing out as the decisive winner of Netflix’s Swedish output of late, but A Nearly Normal Family comes close.
Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors in ‘A Nearly Normal Family’
‘A Nearly Normal Family’ Thrills, When It Works
The touchy subject matter, flush with dynamic drama, nuanced performances, and a hefty dose of atmospheric anxiety, will turn some heads in A Nearly Normal Family and keep the suspense and interest up. However, nothing outwardly remarkable graces most of the nearly five-hour binge-watch. Though we get some evocative scenes, fragmented timelines, and attention for the young and unknown star Alexandra Karlsson Tyrefors, excessive divergent material often drags the experience down and distracts from the juicy elements of the core story.
Without much competition from the other five or so films and series even lower on the rung than these two (A Day and a Half, the writer/director/lead actor feature for Fares Fares, squandered the potential of its premise), A Nearly Normal Family deservingly stakes its claim as the one Swedish show to watch on Netflix this year. Anyone who chooses to skip this one will not miss much, but this Swedish show earns its acclaim, accomplishing what it sets out to do while successfully entertaining its intended audience.
A Nearly Normal Family is streaming now on Netflix.
