Nothing beats a good weekend indoors binge watching a great series, especially as winter slowly creeps up. While picking your snacks to binge on may be an easy choice, finding a binge-worthy series to keep you engrossed can be a tedious task. The story usually goes: You spend endless hours doomscrolling through Netflix trying to find the right series to watch and by the time you settle on something, the snacks are finished. Even worse is investing hours in watching a mediocre series and being highly disappointed, wasting your precious leisure time.
However, Netflix viewers are not in the slightest disappointed about a new true crime series that has been released on the streaming platform. The true crime genre is quite popular on Netflix. So then it comes as no surprise that Netflix pays substantial credence to the true crime genre and this series demonstrates it. Fans have sung their appraisals for the new true crime show with some calling it the best series they have ever watched.
Why Viewers Are Binge-Watching This Swedish Crime Drama
Based on the book of the same name, the Swedish crime drama The Breakthrough is a gripping retelling of one of Europe’s most horrific murder investigations. The four-episode series tells the haunting and painstaking police investigation of a double murder that took place in 2004 in the Swedish city of Linköping. What was meant to be a cut and dry case remained unsolved for 16 years. In the series, as forensic technology advances, catching up to the evidence, the tension reaches breaking point as they veer towards a thrilling deadline.
The Breakthrough exploded onto Netflix’s Top 10 charts in January 2025, reaching 29 million views in its first half. Rotten Tomatoes gave the series 60% on their ‘tomatometer’ and 73% on their ‘popcornmeter’ with an overall rating of 7.2. Critics applaud how the series treats the sensitive subject matter and original source material with dignity and respect.
The Swedish miniseries has resonated with audiences searching for compelling true crime content on the streaming platform. Critics have praised the show as “the best Scandi noir in years,” combining tense storytelling with emotional nuance.
The True Story Behind the Linköping Double Murder
On October 19, 2004, 8-year-old Mohammed Ammouri was walking to school in Linköping, Sweden. A disguised man attacked the 8-year-old boy with a butterfly knife in a small park. Anna-Lena Svensson, a 56-year-old woman passing by, tried to intervene to save the child. However, the assailant then stabbed her multiple times as well, killing them both in broad daylight. The investigation became Sweden’s second-largest in history, surpassed only by the assassination of Prime Minister Olof Palme in 1986.
Police collected DNA evidence from a bloody beanie cap and the murder weapon at the scene. Despite conducting 7,000 interviews, receiving 13,000 tips, and collecting 5,000 DNA samples, investigators found no match. Mohammed Ammouri was from an immigrant family, while Anna-Lena Svensson worked for an educational company and had a 28-year-old daughter. The victims did not know each other, and police found no connection between them and the killer. Eventually, the case became cold and remained that way for 16 years.
The seemingly random nature of the attacks terrified the peaceful university town of Linköping. Detective Inspector Jan Staaf (called John Sundin in the series) led the investigation with unwavering determination throughout those 16 years. The victims’ families believed they would never find closure, however, in 2020, new DNA genealogy technology would change that.
How Forensic Genetic Genealogy Cracked the Case
In 2020, genealogist Peter Sjölund (portrayed as Per Skogkvist in the series) introduced a revolutionary DNA analysis method to Swedish police. This technique combined forensic DNA evidence with genealogical research to identify distant relatives. Investigators uploaded the killer’s DNA profile to databases like GEDmatch and FamilyTreeDNA. The system compared the unknown DNA against hundreds of thousands of genetic markers from people who voluntarily shared their information.
This was the first time in European history that a murder case was solved using genetic genealogy. The technique originated in the United States when it helped identify the Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo, in April 2018. In that case, investigators matched crime scene DNA to distant relatives through genealogy databases, then built family trees to narrow down suspects. Sweden changed its legislation in January 2019 to allow police to search commercial genealogy databases, making the Linköping investigation possible. Peter Sjölund traced the DNA back 200 years through church registers, death notices, and genealogical records. Within 5 weeks, he constructed a family tree that pointed to 2 brothers as potential suspects.
The Arrest and Confession of Daniel Nyqvist
On June 9, 2020, police arrested 37-year-old Daniel Nyqvist (called David Nilsson in the Netflix series) at his parents’ home. He had lived in near isolation in Linköping since the murders. Investigators obtained his DNA sample, which matched the evidence from the crime scene perfectly. During his initial interrogation, Nyqvist confessed to both murders.
Nyqvist said he had felt an uncontrollable compulsion to kill two people, a thought he could neither resist nor explain. He admitted to obsessive thoughts about killing and choosing his victims randomly. The killer had been 21 years old at the time of the attacks. Medical experts diagnosed him with a severe psychiatric disorder, determining he had suffered from it during the crimes.
Nyqvist was diagnosed with Asperger’s syndrome in 2011 and had always struggled with social interaction and emotional regulation. He was described as an unemployed loner who rarely left his parents’ house and spent most of his time playing computer games. Nyqvist’s lawyers decided not to appeal the verdict. In October 2020, he was sentenced to lifetime psychiatric care at the Regional Clinic in Vadstena.
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What Makes The Breakthrough Different From Other True Crime Shows
Lisa Siwe directed multiple episodes of the acclaimed Swedish series The Bridge and brings that same atmospheric tension to The Breakthrough. The show is based on the 2021 book by journalist Anna Bodin and genealogist Peter Sjölund, who were directly involved in the real case. On The Breakthrough, Lisa Siwe focuses on victims and investigators and their stories rather than glorifying the criminal. The series avoids exploitative tactics common in true crime entertainment. Time takes centre stage in The Breakthrough, showing how years of waiting affected everyone involved.
Peter Eggers delivers a powerful performance as the detective whose family life collapses under the weight of his obsession with solving the case. The series confronts viewers with the trauma that unsolved crimes inflict on communities, platforming human emotion without centring gore. Opening scenes depicting the murders are tremendously difficult to watch but handled with restraint. There is no grandiose depiction of gore or tragedy, but emphasis on the emotional trauma the families faced. Each of the four episodes runs between 30 and 40 minutes, creating a lean and focused narrative.
The Emotional Impact on Victims’ Families
For 16 years, the families of Mohammed Ammouri and Anna-Lena Svensson lived without answers. Detective Sundin had promised them he would find the killer quickly. Those promises proved impossible to keep as years turned into decades. The unsolved case became a devastating trauma for the peaceful city.
The Controversy Around Genetic Genealogy Databases
While the use of tracing someone using DNA databases has brought breakthroughs in forensic science, there are some privacy concerns attached. Swedish authorities initially deemed the technique illegal after the Linköping case. The Data Protection Authority determined that searching commercial genealogy databases violated privacy laws. When people submit DNA to ancestry websites, they typically do not expect it to be used in criminal investigations. The technique accesses genetic information from individuals who never consented to have their DNA information searched by law enforcement. Genetic data can reveal sensitive information about physical traits, ethnic background, and disease susceptibility. A government inquiry later proposed changing legislation in 2025 to permit the method under strict circumstances. In Germany, this type of DNA analysis remains explicitly illegal. Most European countries keep individuals automatically opted-out in accordance with GDPR regulations.
DNA sequence is heritable, meaning that one person’s genetic data can violate the privacy of entire families and future generations. Research indicates that genetic databases covering just 2% of a target population can provide third-cousin matches for nearly anyone. The Golden State Killer investigation involved covert searches of private DNA databases despite privacy policies stating law enforcement needed lawful requests. Critics argue this creates a contentious issue where innocent people become involuntary participants in criminal investigations. Proponents of using DNA databases in legal settings state that it removes violent criminals from society justifies careful use of these tools.
The Legacy of The Breakthrough in True Crime Television
The Breakthrough demonstrates that true crime can be both compelling and respectful. The series proves that short formats can deliver profound emotional impact. It has inspired discussions about how technology continues revolutionizing criminal investigations. The show also highlights the dedication of investigators willing to risk everything to fulfill the promises they have made to the families of these cases and who refuse to abandon cold cases.
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