Dept. Q has rapidly become a hit for Netflix, with the Scottish thriller climbing up the streamer’s charts.
The series dropped last week, and follows DCI Carl Morck (Matthew Goode) who returns to work after a traumatic incident and is tasked with setting up a cold case unit.
The show is based on the Department Q series of novels by Danish author Jussi Adler-Olsen – which in turn were adapted into a series of movies in Denmark.
Thankfully, if you’re now obsessed with the new Netflix version, fans can dive into the original film series, which is available to stream via channel Viaplay.
The Swedish service can be added as a channel through Prime Video, and costs £4.99 per month after a seven-day free trial period.
If you’re not an existing Prime Video subscriber, you can watch the movies completely free with a 30-day free trial. However, fans will have to cancel before the end of the trial period, after which Prime Video charges £8.99 per month (£95 per year).
The Department Q movies included are 2013’s The Keeper of Lost Causes (based on book Mercy), 2014’s The Absent One (based on Disgrace), 2016’s A Conspiracy of Faith (based on Redemption), and 2018’s Journal 64 – aka The Purity of Vengeance (based on Guilty).
Also available is 2021’s The Marco Effect (based on Buried), which gave the series a bit of an overhaul with new cast members – including Ulrich Thomsen taking over the role of Carl Mørck from Nikolaj Lie Kaas, and Zaki Youssef replacing Fares Fares as Assad.
Related: Here’s why Dept Q‘s Akram is even more compelling than the show’s leads (who we also love)
The latest movie is 2024’s Boundless (based on The Hanging Girl) – though this is currently unavailable to stream in the UK.
The films have attracted positive reviews, with the first taking a 71% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while the second has an impressive 92% fresh score. A Conspiracy of Faith managed to go even better, achieving an enviable perfect score.
In Digital Spy‘s three-star review of the Dept. Q Netflix series, we said that the show “just misses out on being a five-star watch”.
Related: BBC’s gritty Edinburgh-set detective series based on beloved story has just been added to Netflix
“In the end, what you’re left with is a great cast that has taken a story with tremendous potential and breathed life into it, pushing the show to become what it is: a largely entertaining watch,” we added.
Alongside Goode, the series stars Line of Duty‘s Kelly Macdonald and Mark Bonnar, Game of Thrones‘ Kate Dickie, The Queen’s Gambit‘s Chloe Pirrie, Guilt‘s Jamie Sives and Jack Ryan‘s Alexej Manvelov, Call the Midwife‘s Leah Byrne and Happy Valley‘s Shirley Henderson.
Meanwhile, if you’re looking for more UK police dramas to watch afterDept. Q, check out our list of six of the best – including Unforgotten and Karen Pirie.
Dept. Q is streaming now on Netflix.
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Sam is a freelance reporter and sub-editor who has a particular interest in movies, TV and music. After completing a journalism Masters at City University, London, Sam joined Digital Spy as a reporter, and has also freelanced for publications such as NME and Screen International. Sam, who also has a degree in Film, can wax lyrical about everything from Lord of the Rings to Love Is Blind, and is equally in his element crossing every ‘t’ and dotting every ‘i’ as a sub-editor.
