Café owner Louise (Natalie Madueño) lives peacefully on the Norwegian island of Hidra with her partner, Joachim (Pål Sverre Hagen). That is, until her life is shattered when a stranger insists she’s not Louise at all, but Helene — a woman who disappeared three years earlier. Helene, Louise finds out, is married, has a child, and owns a shipping empire. To uncover the truth, Louise leaves the life she knows and embarks on a journey to discover what really happened on the night Helene disappeared. As she delves deeper into the mystery, what she uncovers turns her world upside down. 

Streaming on Netflix now, the Danish thriller The Secret Woman was directed by Barbara Topsøe-Rothenborg (Loving Adults) and written by Topsøe-Rothenborg and Anders August (Ehrengard: The Art of Seduction). Read on to find out more.

Who’s in the cast of The Secret Woman? 

• Natalie Madueño (Darkness: Those Who Kill) as Louise Andersen/Helene Söderberg
• Pål Sverre Hagen (Let Go) as Joachim 
• Claes Bang (Bad Sisters) as Edmund Söderberg
• Stina Ekblad (Food Club) as Caroline 
• Ingrid Bolsø Berdal (Jo Nesbø’s Detective Hole) as Iben Rask
• Lars Simonsen (The Bridge) as Aksel Söderberg

Is The Secret Woman based on a book? 

Yes, it’s adapted from the novel of the same name (aka Den Hemmelige Kvinde) by Anna Ekberg. 

Where can I find more Nordic thrillers like The Secret Woman? 

Check out this guide to investigate which Scandi noir to watch next.  

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