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Crime drama based on real-life events rarely delves into what happens after the case in question, but that is what the team behind buzzy Swedish series The Congregation: The Bride of Christ have done. The second season of the B-Reel Films-produced drama premieres at the ongoing Göteborg Film Festival where the crowd will see two installments.

The first season bowed on Swedish broadcaster TV4 in 2021. It dramatized a twisted murder mystery in the rural Swedish village of Knutby that involved a cult-like church congregation. The six-episode sophomore season drops on TV4 Play next month. It covers a part of the story about this congregation that isn’t as well known, even in Sweden, explains Johannes Åhlund, a Managing Partner at B-Reel and producer on both series of The Congregation.

“Most of the documentaries and articles on Knutby have covered up until the murder that ended Season 1 of [The Congregation], but we...

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The intricate planning, a bunch of misfits coming together, and an impossible amount of money all come together and result in a thrilling heist. The heist genre is generally one of the most popular sub-genres out because of all the thrills and mystery you can have in the plot while also having a ton of fun. So, if you are a heist genre fan, Netflix is the streaming service for you, as it has some of the best heist shows you can find anywhere.

Kaleidoscope Credit – Netflix

Kaleidoscope is a heist thriller drama series created by Eric Garcia. The Netflix series follows a master thief and his crew as they try to $7 billion, but their internal conflict and greed get in the way of their plans. Kaleidoscope is known for its unique way of presenting its story because...

As another winds down, it's always a good idea to take a spin on Netflix and see what you missed. That's exactly what I did for November 2024. And, I have to say, there were some really good and underrated shows that most Netflix viewers probably missed.

No, I'm not talking about the biggest shows. Everyone knows Outer Banks season 4, Cobra Kai season 6 part 2, and Arcane season 2 premiered in November. Those shows are all over the Netflix Top 10! Everyone was talking about those shows before the new seasons came out. Even A Man on the Inside, the new Netflix original series from Michael Schur and starring Ted Danson, was more hyped up than the shows we picked for this list.

Let's get the list started with a sneaky good series that needs to return for a new season soon, The Cage!

The Cage

Premiere date: Nov. 8

The Cage is the perfect show for fans of Mma,...

As you might have seen in Netflix’s series, arranging the pilot for the Helicopter heist was the most difficult part of the entire plan. But why did they need a pilot in the first place? Well, the thing is, G4S facilities have the most hi-tech security protocol, with numerous traps set up throughout their buildings. And cracking their vault and stealing money from it is no child’s play. The robbers knew that they would never be able to pull off such a heist in 10 minutes. They would have soon been surrounded by the police from a nearby station, and even if they cracked the safe, they would have no means of escape. That was the reason why the mastermind of the heist, Charbel Charro, known as Michel Maloof in the series, planned to break into the building from the roof. And instead of the vault, they targeted the...

Based on the Västberga heist, a real-life smash-and-grab incident that is so thrilling that it seems to be taken straight from some blockbuster action flick, Netflix’s Swedish thriller series The Helicopter Heist focuses mostly on the characters involved and the transformation in their lives following the heist. At the same time, the series is an adaptation of Jonas Bonnier’s novel sharing the same title, and like the novel, it follows the real-life scenario pretty closely, especially the operation itself, while adding drama and tension by taking certain creative freedoms. While the characterization is nothing to write home about, it still manages to capture different shades of the lives of the people on both sides of the law, allowing viewers to form a perspective of their own. The ensemble cast, which consists of mostly Swedish actors, performed well according to the demands of the character-driven narrative.

Rami Farhan (Safa...

Through the character of Rami Farhan, loosely based on the real-life Swedish robber, Shirwan Safa Kadhum, Netflix’s The Helicopter Heist tried to explore the plight of immigrants in a European country, where these minorities are often subjected to racism and discrimination. I am not saying that this gives you a free pass to commit crimes, but it’s just that when you are stuck in a difficult situation in a country that has always made you feel like an outsider, you don’t have many options at your disposal, and in panic, fear, or whatever you wanna call it, you tend to choose the easiest way out. For Kadhum, it was robbery, something he had excelled in since childhood.

There is no hard evidence to prove that Charbel Charro, the real-life counterpart of Michel Maloof, was Kadhum’s childhood friend, this character dynamic might have been added by novelist Jonas Bonnier for dramatic purposes.

The 2024 Swedish true crime series on Netflix, The Helicopter Heist, is a satisfyingly intense dramatic retelling of the Vastberga helicopter robbery of 2009, which is dubbed the biggest attempted robbery in the history of Sweden. Adapted from Jonas Bonnier’s novel by the same name, the eight-part series follows the reunion of two childhood friends, Rami and Michel, who decide to pull off one last heist before retiring to peaceful lives with their respective families. Overall, the gripping storytelling and the compelling characters make The Helicopter Heist a thoroughly enjoyable watch.

Spoiler Alert

What is the Netflix series about?

The Helicopter Heist begins in the town of Punta Cana, in the Dominican Republic, about three weeks after the audacious heist, with the protagonist, Rami Farhan, writing a long, heartfelt letter for his wife. In this letter, he mentions the reasons behind him getting involved in a life of crime after having promised to stay away,...

Netflix’s The Helicopter Heist isn’t exactly based on a true story but takes inspiration from real events. The show has been adapted from Jonas Bonnier’s semi-fictional novel, Helikopterranet, for which the Swedish author interviewed the four robbers in prison. In short, a lot of things have been fictionalized for dramatic purposes. To begin with, the names of all the characters portrayed in the series have been changed. Some new characters have been thrown into the mix as well. However, they’ve kept the names of the places and law enforcement agencies the same in order to avoid any confusion and make the series as realistic as possible. Even the chronology of the events that took place before and after the heist is exactly the same as they were in real life.

On 23rd September, 2009, at around 5:15 in the morning, a Bell 206 helicopter, stolen from the police...

“The Helicopter Heist” is a new Swedish-produced live-action TV miniseries created by Ronnie Sandahl, based on the 2017 by Jonas Bonnier, starring Mahmut Suvakci, Ardalan Esmaili, Iskra Kostić, Dejan Milačić and Erik Svedberg-Zelman, streaming November 22, 2024 on Netflix:

“…one early September morning in 2009, eyes from around the world turn to an inconspicuous Stockholm suburb.

“A helicopter has landed on the roof of the country's safest cash depot, and the police can only watch as the robbers disappear along with several million dollars. Not a single shot is fired…”

Click the images to enlarge…...

The Congregation is an atmospherically dark and psychologically stimulating Nordic Noir series about a young woman who becomes entrapped in a religious cult in Sweden. The protagonist, Anna, enthrallingly portrayed by actress Alba August (A Thousand Hours), has a pure heart and a palpable naïveté, both of which lead her down a detrimental path. It is a captivating combination for a suspenseful-paced series in which viewers will simultaneously cringe at Anna's choices and yet, due to the sophistication of the storytelling, completely understand. The temptation of walking into one's own peril, in Anna's case, leads to homicide.

When Anna moves to a neighboring Swedish town called Knutby in order to fully immerse herself into a church congregation she feels at home in, she ends up becoming a nanny for the pastor and his wife and wants nothing more than to serve God among their close-knit sect. After growing up without her mother,...

B-Reel Films, the Swedish banner behind “Midsommar,” is set to produce a thriller series based on Jonas Bonnier’s true crime novel “The Helicopter Heist,” and has attached Ronnie Sandahl (“Borg vs McEnroe”) as creator and writer.

Boasting offices in Stockholm and Los Angeles, B-Reel has secured the rights to the popular novel from Swedish literary agency Salomonsson, and is adapting it into an eight-episode, character-driven suspense series. Rights to the novel were previously acquired by Jake Gyllenhaal’s Nine Stories banner in 2016, where it was being developed as a feature, but the project fell through.

The plot is based on the true story of four young Swedes who orchestrated the one of the most spectacular daylight heists of all time in 2009 and used a stolen Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopter to land on the roof of a G4S cash service depot building in in Stockholm. They stole more than 4 million in cash.

‘Noughts + Crosses’ Renewed For Season 2 By BBC

The BBC has renewed Mammoth Screen drama Noughts + Crosses for a second season, revisiting the alternate world of Malorie Blackman’s bestselling novels. Jack Rowan and Masali Baduza return as Callum and Sephy, now desperately attempting to flee Albion in search of a new life together. Paterson Joseph, Helen Baxendale, Bonnie Mbuli, Jonathan Ajayi, Josh Dylan, and Kiké Brimah all reprise their roles, while new cast includes Jasmine Jobson (Top Boy) and Robert Hands (Endeavour). The four-part second season will be written by Lydia Adetunji and Jerome Bucchan-Nelson, directed by Koby Adom, and produced by Sarah Lewis. Executive producers are Preethi Mavahalli, Damien Timmer, and James Gandhi for Mammoth Screen, Ben Irving for BBC One, Blackman, Lydia Adetunji, and Kibwe Tavares. The show will be distributed internationally by ITV Studios. U.S. streamer Peacock picked up the first season of Noughts + Crosses.

In today’s Global Bulletin, BBC Studioworks welcomes back studio audiences; Love Nature boards series “Otter Dynasty”; Endeavor Content acquires international rights for series “The Congregation”; Netflix, Ubisoft and Cineflix Studios hire senior team members; and BBC renews “Noughts + Crosses” for season 2.

After the U.K. government eased lockdown restrictions from Monday, BBC Studioworks is getting audiences back into studios from Tuesday, with safety measures in place.

Productions being recorded over the coming days with live audiences present include “The Goes Wrong Show,” produced by Big Talk/Mischief Screen in association with Lionsgate for the BBC; “The Jonathan Ross Show,” a Hotsauce TV/ITV Studios production for ITV; “Piers Morgan’s Life Stories, an ITV Studios production for ITV; and “The Martin Lewis Money Show,” a Multistory Media production for ITV.

Masked audiences will have to take mandatory temperature checks with thermal cameras before entry. Entry and departure to...

The directing duo of Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi and Jimmy Chin have gone to grand, dangerous lengths to deliver hair-raising cinematic experiences with the likes of Meru and their Oscar-winning Free Solo. Now, after conquering the documentary form, they look to provide some thrills on the narrative side.

Deadline reports they are attached to a currently untitled Netflix thriller based on Jonas Bonnier’s book The Helicopter Heist and scripted by Steven Knight. Set to be produced by and led by Jake Gyllenhaal, the true story from 2009 follows four men of different nationalities who find themselves in Sweden and plan a $5 million heist with a stolen helicopter.

With a set-up reminiscent of Sorcerer meets a Fast & the Furious film, see the book synopsis below via Amazon ahead of a May release, along with a look at the story of Free Solo.

Sami has a new child to provide for, so after years of petty crime,...

Directors Jimmy Chin and Chai Vasarhely are fresh from directing the incredible documentary Free Solo, which they won on Oscar for this year! Now they’ve got a new project lined up with Netflix that sounds like it will be pretty cool.

The movie is called The Helicopter Heist, which is a book written by Jonas Bonnier. The script for the film is being adapted by Steven Knight and Jake Gyllenhaal is set to star in it.

The film tells the true story of “how four young men from the Swedish suburbs, each of a different nationality, pulled off one of the most spectacular heists of all time. In 2009, the Västberga robbery saw a gang of thieves pull off a $5 million robbery using a stolen Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopter. The robbery stunned the police, turned the four gangsters into local heroes, and the money never was found.”

Yep, that sounds...

Anyone who followed free climber Alex Honnold’s historic scaling of El Capitan in Nat Geo’s movie Free Solo breathed a huge sigh of relief when he finally made it to the top. While celebrating Honnold’s triumph, the team that captured the event on camera admitted at today’s Deadline’s The Contenders Emmys that making the Academy Award-winning documentary required a “free solo” of its own.

Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi, who directed the film with her creative partner Jimmy Chin, said it took four years of effort and two years of filming to create the real life cinematic thrill ride. She called Honnold’s story the chance to showcase an inspiring person.

“If you work very very hard to achieve your dreams, anything is possible,” said Vasarhelyi, who appeared on the panel with cinematographer Clair Popkin and editor Bob Eisenhardt, who took a coveted...

Exclusive: Fresh from directing the hair-raising Free Solo and winning the Oscar for Best Documentary Feature, Elizabeth Chai Vasarhelyi & Jimmy Chin are in early talks with Netflix to helm an untitled movie based on the Jonas Bonnier book The Helicopter Heist, a drama that will star Jake Gyllenhaal. He’ll produce it with his Nine Stories partner Riva Marker and Ace Content partner Evan Hayes. The latter was a producer of Free Solo.

The Steven Knight-scripted drama tells the true story of how four young men from the Swedish suburbs, each of a different nationality, pulled off one of the most spectacular heists of all time. In 2009, the Västberga robbery saw a gang of thieves pull off a $5 million robbery using a stolen Bell 206 Jet Ranger helicopter. The robbery stunned the police, turned the four gangsters into local heroes, and the money never was found.

Gyllenhaal & Marker found the book and brought it to Netflix.

Netflix is set to move forward with their adaptation of Jonas Bonnier’s book The Helicopter Heist with screenwriter Steven Knight.

The Helicopter Heist tells the fascinating true story of a daring robbery that took place in Stockholm back in 2009. Netflix picked up the rights the story in 2016 and Jake Gyllenhaal is set to star in and produce it.

The story focuses on a group of four young Swedes who pulled off one of the most spectacular heists of all time. The men behind the daylight robbery were imprisoned, but the $6.5M that they stole was never recovered.

Here’s a more in-depth detailed description from the book:

Sami has a history of petty crime, but that’s all behind him now. He has a new child to provide for, so he’s training as a chef, ready to lead a quiet life. But when a business deal suddenly goes sideways,...

Exclusive: The engines appear to be revving up on Netflix’s The Helicopter Heist, a drama based on the book by Swedish author Jonas Bonnier about a daring 2009 robbery in Stockholm. I’ve learned that Peaky Blinders creator and prolific Oscar-nominated screenwriter Steven Knight is penning the film. Deadline previously broke the news of Netflix boarding the project in 2016 with Jake Gyllenhaal attached to star and produce with his Nine Stories partner Riva Marker.

Published last year, the book is inspired by the true story of four young Swedes who pulled off one of the most spectacular heists of all time. The men behind the daylight robbery were imprisoned, but the $6.5M they stole never recovered.

At first, the plan seems foolproof. But not everyone is who they seem. Even as the gang’s stolen Bell 206 Jet Ranger is lifting off from the G4S cash depot’s roof, questions remain unanswered.

Matias Varela and Julia Ragnarsson will star in “Blinded,” the much-anticipated Swedish thriller following a journalist on the trail of corruption in the world of high finance. Ragnarsson and Varela will take the lead roles, with the former playing the journalist Bea Farkas, who detects irregularities at a high-profile bank. Varela is Peder Rooth, the bank’s CEO.

The series is based on the books by economics journalist Carolina Neurath. Production starts later this month. Flx, which made Netflix’s first Swedish original, “Quicksand,” is producing for C More and TV4. All3Media International is also on board and handling international distribution of the series, its first move into Scandi drama. Film Capital Stockholm is a co-production partner.

Varela had a breakout role in TV4 series “New Times” before embarking on a career in film and TV that includes “Point Break” and, more recently, Netflix series “Narcos,” in which he played Jorge Salcedo.

The company will manage worldwide distribution for the series.

Independent distributor All3Media International is partnering with Flx, C More, TV4 and Filmregion Stockholm - Mälardalen/ Film Capital on new coproduction Blinded, marking the company’s first major investment in Scandinavian language drama.

Flx is co-developing the series with local streaming service C More and Swedish broadcaster TV4. Blinded is directed by Jens Jonsson (Easy Money 3) and written by Flx’s Jesper Harrie (The Bonus Family, Solsidan), alongside co-writers Maria Karlsson (Easy Money) and Jonas Bonnier (The Helicopter Heist).

Blinded is a thriller following journalist Bea Farkas as she attempts...

The company will manage worldwide distribution for the series.

Independent distributor All3Media International is partnering with Flx, C More, TV4 and Filmregion Stockholm - Mälardalen/ Film Capital on new coproduction Blinded, marking the company’s first major investment in Scandinavian language drama.

Flx is co-developing the series with local streaming service C More and Swedish broadcaster TV4. Blinded is directed by Jens Jonsson (Easy Money 3) and written by Flx’s Jesper Harrie (The Bonus Family, Solsidan), alongside co-writers Maria Karlsson (Easy Money) and Jonas Bonnier (The Helicopter Heist).

Blinded is a thriller following journalist Bea Farkas as she attempts...

All3Media International is getting into the Nordic drama business, investing in “Blinded,” the buzzy Swedish thriller. All3Media International will join the co-production, its first non-English-language drama project, which comes from Flx, the Stockholm-based producer behind Netflix’s first Swedish original “Quicksand.

Streaming service C More and broadcaster TV4 are also backing the drama, which is based on the book by investigative journalist Carolina Neurath. Inspired by real events and set in Stockholm’s financial district, the eight-part drama follows journalist Bea Farkas as she reports on a major bank engaged in questionable activity.

The series is directed by Jens Jonsson (“Easy Money”) and written by Flx’s Jesper Harrie (“Solsidan”), with co-writers Maria Karlsson (“Easy Money”) and Jonas Bonnier (“The Helicopter Heist”).

All3Media International will handle international sales on the drama series. CEO Louise Pedersen said the company is looking to make strategic investments in non-English-language fare.