Watching movies is a great way to learn Danish. It may not teach you much about grammar rules and the like, but it offers you a feel for the language. And getting a feel for Danish is a huge part of getting fluent.
That it's also enjoyable doesn’t make it any worse. In this list of Danish movies on Netflix you'll find different genres and various atmospheres, so there's something for everyone.
Some of these films are subtitled or even dubbed into English, and some are not. But they all have Danish subtitles, which can help you along.
Nordic, including Danish, film and television have gained quite a lot of momentum over the last couple of years. And I bet you'll find something in this list of Danish movies on Netflix that suits you.
Above all, happy watching!
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1. Daniel (Danish: Ser Du Maneen, Daniel? – Lit. ”Do You See The Moon, Daniel?)
By Niels Arden Oplev, 2019
This film tells the real story of photo journalist Daniel Rye, who was held hostage by ISIS in Syria for more than a year. It's based on a book by the same name by Danish Middle-Eastern reporter Puk Damsgaard.
Daniel, and his fellow hostages, are treated with increasing brutality, violence and humiliation by their guards, a testament to the lows human nature can stoop to in the name of religion, and money.
Meanwhile his devastated working/middle-class family in Denmark struggles desperately to raise the enormous amount of money ISIS demand for his release.
Apart from the depiction of life as a hostage, the film centres around opposites and dilemmas; in the face of disaster, some fall into despair, while some fight the uneven battle.
Is it right to ignore the staunch Danish policy of not negotiating with terrorists, filling the pockets of a terrorist group with millions of dollars, most likely at the cost of future hostages, to save your loved one?
This is an intense drama with multiple languages, mostly Danish, but also English, Arabic, and even a bit of French.
2. The Hunt (Danish: Jagten)
By Thomas Winterberg, 2012
Lucas (played by internationally award-winning Mads Mikkelsen) works in a kindergarten in a small Danish community.
This good-natured man gets along fine with the children, especially Klara, the daughter of his best friend. She likes to walk his dog, and seeks his company, when her parents argue.
And so, she develops a childish crush on him, which he gently refuses. Hurt by this, she falsely claims to the headteacher of the kindergarten that he has exposed himself to her. Then, of course, all hell breaks loose.
There's no smoke without fire, right? Even though Klara soon retracts her accusation, she is considered in denial, and mass hysteria erupts.
Lucas has heated, even violent confrontations with the grocery store manager, his best friend, and finds himself arrested, isolated and vaguely accused of several counts of child abuse.
This is a nasty little tale of how the will to protect our children may blur our reason and sound judgement. It's a delicate subject, and not really a pleasant movie to watch. But it's a strong one, that tends to linger on your mind. And, perhaps, a healthy reminder.
3. A Royal Affair (Danish: En Kongelig Affære)
By Nicolaj Arcel, 2012
Before we lose all faith in humanity, how about a love story in a historical setting? In the late 18th century, British Princess Caroline Matilda is set to marry King Christian VII of Denmark.
Repulsed by her new husband’s erratic and crude behaviour, stemming from a mental illness, she soon ends any real cohabitation with the drunken king.
Enter Johann Friedrich Struensee, one of the most prominent figures in Danish history, who is hired as the king´s personal physician. The doctor is profoundly inspired by the liberal ideas of the Enlightenment.
Through the king he gains a lot of power at the Royal Court, becoming the de-factor leader of Denmark, making a lot of reforms, reducing the power of the aristocracy and the church, and ensuring social change.
At the same time, he has an affair with the like-minded Queen. She gives birth to their baby, believed to be the king’s. Deception, intrigues, fights for power, manipulation and beheadings follow.
The focus here is on the clash between new, revolutionary ideas and the old aristocratic and religious power. It’s also a story about love in a historical period, where thoughts that help shape modern Denmark were introduced.
If you're new to the Danish language, don’t worry about the time period. Though some titles are obsolete, the characters speak contemporary Danish
4. A Fortunate Man (Danish: Lykke-Per – Lit. “Luck-Per”)
By Bille August, 2018
Now we leap about a hundred years forward from the previous entry. Peter (Per is short for Peter) from a rural part of Jutland moves to Copenhagen to study engineering at the university.
Free of the rigid religious chains of his much-hated father, he's learning the ways of the city.
While studying hard, he meets and befriends a wealthy Jewish man. He has a love affair with his daughter, meets academic success in Austria, and experiences the ups and downs of life in academic circles.
No need to go through the plot, but this is a tragedy. It’s based on a novel in eight volumes by Nobel-winning Danish realist author Henrik Pontoppidan. The book is a canonised piece in Danish literary history.
As usual in films by August, it isn’t exactly fast-paced. But it is beautifully filmed, as it depicts the financial, romantic and religious clashes Per experiences.
You may also recognise Per as Daniel from the Daniel movie. When watching more Danish movies, you’ll notice about a dozen actors popping up again and again. The pool is not so large.
As for the title, please note that lykke may mean both luck and happiness, and some scholars consider this very significant.
5. Love Is All You Need (Danish: Den Skaldede Frisør – Lit. “The Bald Hairdresser”)
By Susanne Bier, 2006
Now, let’s finally get to a present-day setting. Bier, the first female director to win a Golden Globe Award, a Primetime Emmy Award, and a European Film Award, collectively, has crafted an traditional, elegant romantic comedy.
The main characters are played by Trine Dyrholm, who you’ll see in many Danish movies, and Pierce Brosnan, who you won’t see in many Danish movies.
She's a hairdresser who has just undergone surgery for breast cancer, while he's a salesman of fruit and vegetables, whose wife has recently passed away. His son and her daughter are to be married in Italy, and they happen upon one another at Copenhagen airport. The scene is set.
It doesn’t really break many rules in the great book “How to make a Romcom”, but it's well delivered, the acting is excellent, and it will leave you with a warm, fuzzy feeling. If this type of unashamed romance is your thing, you should by all means give it a go.
6. Loving Adults (Danish: Kærlighed For Voksne- Lit. “Love For Adults”)
By Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg, 2022
Don’t be fooled by the name (and don’t take it in a funny way either). This is a thriller, not a romance, at least not in the delightful sense.
It starts up pretty ordinarily; husband has an affair, wife finds out, and not at all pleased with it.
He wants to leave for his lover, but she doesn’t want that, and threatens to inform the police of some fraud scheme, that he has masterminded. Cornered, he tries to kill her, but kills some hapless mother of 3 instead.
So, here we have this innocent woman, against a man who is a fraudster, an adulterer and a killer, right? Not quite, as the story unfolds, he may not at all be the most depraved of the two.
It's a classic plot of twists and turns, and the movie has been accused of having too many clichés. But I personally found it quite enjoyable and engaging, even if not setting new standards for the thriller genre.
7. Checkered Ninja (Danish: Ternet Ninja)
By Anders Matthesen & Thorbjørn Christoffersen
This list’s first and only animated film. Immensely popular in Denmark, both among audiences and critics, this movie is the brainchild of Anders Matthesen, one of the most cherished Danish comedians.
He also does 22 of the 24 voices in the film. Though primarily aimed at ”kids”, many adults have taken a liking to it. It was even dubbed into English, with an Irish cast.
The story centers around the boy Aske (Alex in the English version), and a very special doll, the titular ninja, which is seeking revenge on a cruel businessman.
They strike up a strange kind of partnership, one seeking revenge, the other seeking the attention of his crush, Jessica.
Since ”cutesy” was never Matthesen’s goal, the movie contains a lot of violence, cocaine and insane asylums for a kid’s movie, though it has its emotional scenes too.
First and foremost, it's meant to be fun – clever and a bit crude, as one reviewer put it. You might just like it, and if you do, it's the first of, so far, three instalments with the possessed doll and its human friend.
8. Klown (Danish: Klovn – The Movie)
By Mikkel Nørgaard, 2010
The first of three films, all developed from a successful TV series of the same name, this is as laddish as this list is gonna get.
Frank (Hvam) and Casper (Christensen) play caricature versions of themselves – much in the vein of American series ”Curb Your Enthusiasm”. As such, they get into all kinds of awkward, cringe situations.
In this film, the two friends bring Frank’s girlfriend’s nephew with them on a canoe trip, in order for Frank to show that he is indeed father-material. It’s modern, and it’s cringe comedy, so there are both one-liners and unbearable situations.
Another characteristic of this genre is the use of cameos, famous people playing themselves, in short sequences. And this film is flooded with them, but non-Danes may not notice this.
Regarding this, please allow me to wander slightly off-topic for a moment.
The mature white-haired brothel owner is a famous pianist and composer, called Bent Fabricius Bjerre (sadly now deceased). He won a Grammy Award for Best Rock and Roll Recording in 1962 for a tune called ”Alley Cat”, under the name of Bent Fabric.
This tune, like his numerous other theme-tunes, is by no means rock and roll. Furthermore, for some inexplicable reason, this melody has been the theme tune for most Mexican ice cream trucks for years. You should check it out, it’s a jolly tune!
If vulgar debauchery and awkward taboo breaking is your thing, watch the movie too.
9. The Shamer’s Daughter (Danish: Skammerens Datter)
By Kenneth Kainz, 2015
Time for some fantasy, isn’t it? A shamer, it appears, is someone who can assess other people’s shame and guilt, by looking deep into their eyes. Personally, I’d hate to run into one of those.
But in this fantasy, sort of medieval setting, both Dina and her mother Melussina have this gift. As such, they are summoned to the city of Dunark, to determine whether the Prince, Nicodemus, is guilty of murdering his family.
They both find that, although he has a lot to answer for, he is not guilty of this particular crime.
This finding, however, doesn't sit well with Nico’s half-brother, Drakan. What follows is a flight, battles, fights against dragons and similar stuff from the fantasy universe.
Interestingly, most of the filming took place in and around Prague, which has a castle that suited the film perfectly. More than 100 extras were used. But the sound was overdubbed with recordings from the Danish Medieval Centre, since the Czechs didn’t really sound Danish.
The film is based on a book by renowned Danish fantasy author Lene Kaaberbøl, and a sequel exists. Even if fantasy stories aren’t your cup of tea, this is visually hugely enjoyable.
10. The Keeper Of Lost Causes (Danish: Kvinden I Buret – Lit. “The Woman In The Cage”)
By Mikkel Nørgaard, 2013
We’ll now enter darker territory. This is the first of several films starring Nikolaj Lie Kaas as the unorthodox and cynical investigator Carl Mørck.
Having rubbed his superiors the wrong way, he's demoted to the cold case unit, Department Q. This move is made to stow him away, and stop him from causing more trouble. In this way, the movie adheres to the rule that good investigators can’t be normal, kind people.
However, with his partner Assad, he continues to investigate a supposed suicide, which they believe is in fact a kidnapping. The victim is an up-and-coming politician, and their investigation leads them to the top circles of politics.
It's quite an intense watch, and a great example of the new Nordic crime genre. The acting is stellar and the plot cleverly constructed. Don't worry that this is the same director that made ”Klown”, it's an entirely different ballgame.
11. Englemageren (No English Title, But Lit. “The Angelmaker”)
By Julie Ølgaard & Esben Tønnesen
This one opens with a brutal killing, just so we know we’re not in Disneyland. A deleted sim card is found at the scene, and cyber specialist Laura (played by instructor Julie Ølgaard) is called upon.
She is actually on leave, due to postpartum depression. Alas, the theme of abortion, which pervades the film, is soon established.
Several victims follow, all left in a nasty manner that points to some sort of ritualistic abuse. Many clues point to a home for “troubled” younger women.
I guess you could call it classic Nordic noir, as it's a thriller that borrows elements from horror, including a masked, perverted killer. This makes for a dark, unnerving atmosphere, even if the plot isn’t too elaborate.
Linguistically, I find it refreshing to hear a police investigator speaking with a Funen dialect. This doesn’t happen a lot, and I happen to know someone who lives on the island of Funen.
12. Melancholia (Same In Danish)
By Lars Von Trier, 2011
“Romance is abused in all sorts of endlessly dull ways in mainstream products.”
Lars Von Trier
No list of Danish movies would be complete without Von Trier, the enfant terrible of Danish film. If you’re not familiar with any of the works of this director, you’re in for a surprise. Whether you actually like it is an entirely different thing.
As per usual in his films, it's not quite clear what it’s all about. But it's something scholars at universities all around the world are eager to discuss. Suffice to say it involves two sisters, an expected planetary collision, love, depression, panic and St. Elmo's fire.
With Richard Wagner’s opera Tristan and Isolde as musical background, to showcase the inspiration from German romanticism, the film has Kirsten Dunst and Charlotte Gainsbourg in the leading roles. And the list of internationally acclaimed actors is long.
This movie isn't light entertainment. It's a challenging, even hard, piece. But it offers a lot in return, if you are inclined to spend the time and effort.
Danish Movies On Netflix
You've made it to the end of this list of Danish films for learners!
This list is just meant as an inspiration. There are plenty of other Danish movies on Netflix, some of which might even be more to your liking. If you're going to learn with movies, or any other form of immersion, the most important thing is that you enjoy it.
Watching a movie shouldn’t be a tiresome duty, even though it's in a different language. You won't learn Danish by watching movies alone, but they're a great tool in the toolbox.
If you're not such a movie buff, but you are looking for some other ways to immerse yourself in Danish, why not try listening to these Danish podcasts? You can also learn Danish on YouTube.
Or, and I'm saving my best tip for last, follow the rules of StoryLearning and read books in Danish to get fluent while having fun.
