Netflix’s 4-Part Psychological Thriller Series Becomes a Global Streaming Sensation
A Swedish thriller breaks through
A Couple of Lies is a four-episode psychological thriller from Sweden that arrived on Netflix on October 30, just before Halloween. The series has quickly gained an international audience, adding to the platform’s slate of foreign-language shows.
Netflix has released other popular psychological thrillers, including You, Mindhunter and Baby Reindeer. Its 2026 releases have also included Something Very Bad Is Going to Happen, with the Duffer Brothers serving as executive producers.
Strong rankings across countries
At the time of reporting, A Couple of Lies ranked first on Netflix’s worldwide Top 10 TV Shows chart, based on FlixPatrol figures. It was trending in 80 countries and held the top TV-show position in 33, including Argentina, Belgium, the Czech Republic, Germany, Norway, Spain and Sweden.
The series ranked ahead of returning crime drama Lupin, the documentary The One About Matthew Perry, rom-com Nobody Wants This and medical thriller Doctor X: Mafia in White. In the United States, it placed eighth among Netflix TV shows.
Cast and early viewing figures
Jakob Oftebro leads the cast after starring in Netflix crime thriller Blood Sacrifice, released in August. Frida Gustavsson appeared as Freydís Eiríksdóttir in all three seasons of Vikings: Valhalla, while Emma Appleton played Renfri in The Witcher opposite Henry Cavill.
Netflix data showed A Couple of Lies opening with 3.2 million views and an eighth-place finish on the Non-English TV Shows chart. It had been available for only a couple of days during the week measured. Blood Sacrifice, by comparison, debuted at number one with 7 million views and remained in the global Top 10 for four weeks.
Its longer run remains unclear
The early chart showing gives A Couple of Lies a solid start, but its eventual peak is not yet known. Other Netflix mystery thrillers, including His & Hers and I Will Find You, have reached the service’s all-time charts.
The show’s quick rise continues Netflix’s success with international series in 2026. Its initial rankings offer an early measure of interest, while future chart data will show whether that momentum lasts.
Key points
- A Couple of Lies is a four-episode Swedish psychological thriller released October 30.
- FlixPatrol ranked it first worldwide and said it was trending in 80 countries.
- The series ranked first in 33 countries and eighth among Netflix shows in the United States.
- Netflix reported 3.2 million views and an eighth-place debut on its Non-English TV Shows chart.