Secrets We Keep (Netflix)
Danish thriller might be the best "Eat the Rich" show in this very crowded genre
What’s it about? When her neighbor's au pair goes missing, Cecilie is compelled to personally investigate, but as she uncovers the truth, her perfect world falls apart.
Who it’s for? Fans of European prestige TV, if you’re into character-driven thrillers, if you like strong, morally complex female leads, fans of series like The White Lotus and Big Little Lies
Who should avoid? If you’re over “eat the rich” stories, if you like clear heroes and villains, if you like fast-paced and twisty mysteries, if you find domestic dramas too small stakes
Watch if you like: Big Little Lies, Your Friends and Neighbors, The White Lotus, Adolescence, Force Majeure
News and Notes:
Released May 15th
6-episode limited series
Schmear’s Verdict: One of the year’s most overlooked gems, Secrets We Keep is a taut, elegant Scandi noir that probes class and racial tensions with quiet force and striking performances.
Move over, Adolescence, to the back, Your Friends and Neighbors—this is the show I was looking for: a mesmerizing, glassy, extremely compelling 220-minute Scandi noir that touches on race, class, and power structures.
Set in a wealthy Danish enclave, Secrets We Keep follows the aftermath of a tragic accident that lays bare the uneasy, often unspoken power dynamics between a group of Filipino au pairs and the affluent families they work for. It’s a sleek, tightly wound character drama that builds tension through shifting loyalties and quiet betrayals rather than flashy twists.
Seriously, this is one of the most slept-on shows of the year. (Almost) equal footing is given to both sides—I would’ve liked even more time with the Filipino community, as I was even more fascinated by that than the goings-on of their rich employers. To that end, Excel Busano, who plays Angel, is wonderful, bringing so much emotion and complexity to her performance.
This is anchored, though, by Marie Bach Hansen, who is really something else. She’s our protagonist, but not without her own hang-ups. Her severe appearance covers up a woundedness, but also a real beating heart that is actualized over the course of these events in a moving, never didactic way. Danica Curcic is also amazing in every scene as a fellow wealthy den mother who vacillates between friend and foe, and from top-down to even the kid actors, everyone delivers.
There’s a version of this that’s even deeper and richer than what’s presented. I could’ve watched at least two more episodes of this easily to glean more nuance—but that might’ve sacrificed the efficient, appreciated run time (six episodes of about 35 minutes each).
You’re not going to learn anything new from Secrets We Keep, but it’s a stylish, thought-provoking, mature window into pervasive corruption and hypocrisy—not with world-changing stakes, but something sadly quotidian.
