Netflix’s New Swedish Thriller Climbs Into UK Top 5 Despite Viewers Spotting “Big Gaps in Logic”

The four-part Nordic noir has quickly become one of Netflix’s most-watched shows in the UK, but its growing popularity hasn’t stopped audiences from questioning some of its biggest plot decisions.

A new Swedish thriller is making serious waves on Netflix, racing into the UK Top 5 just days after its arrival. But while its dark premise and mounting mysteries are drawing viewers in, not everyone is convinced the series delivers a story that actually holds together.

Titled A Couple of Lies, or Bytet in Swedish, the four-part drama is adapted from a novel by Stefan Ahnhem. Its central premise sounds deceptively simple: two couples exchange homes, one in Sicily and the other in Stockholm. What follows, however, is anything but an ordinary holiday arrangement.

Think The Holiday, but replace the romantic comedy with surveillance cameras, disturbing discoveries and secrets that neither couple seems prepared to confront.

Two Couples, Two Homes – And Something Terribly Wrong

The story follows Helene (Frida Gustavsson) and Carl (Fares Fares), who are looking forward to escaping to a beautiful villa in Sicily.

For Helene, the trip comes at an especially significant time: she is newly pregnant. Carl, meanwhile, desperately needs time away from the hotel he owns after allowing his volcanic temper to get the better of him with a guest.

Through an online home-swapping arrangement, they strike a deal with Scarlett (Emma Appleton) and Adam (Jakob Oftebro), a couple they have never met.

While Helene and Carl head south to Italy, Scarlett and Adam travel to the couple’s home on an island outside Stockholm.

Neither exchange initially appears particularly unusual. That changes quickly.

At the Sicilian villa, Helene and Carl discover a dead rat floating in the swimming pool. Back in Sweden, Scarlett and Adam encounter something arguably even more unsettling: their holiday home is fitted with CCTV cameras.

Suddenly, the house swap looks considerably less innocent. And with both couples uncovering disturbing surprises, the real mystery is what their homes are hiding.

Netflix Viewers Are Divided Over the Thriller’s Biggest Weakness

Despite the mixed reaction, A Couple of Lies has managed to secure the fifth position in Netflix’s UK Top 10, sitting behind the third season of Nobody Wants This and the second season of Black Doves.

Its chart performance suggests that the premise is doing its job. However, critical opinion has been far less straightforward.

Joel Keller of The Decider gave the series a mixed assessment, drawing attention to several awkward elements, including Scarlett’s questionable American accent.

Nevertheless, Keller felt there was enough intrigue to keep viewers watching, writing:

“If you don’t let some of the clunkier aspects of the show distract you, A Couple of Lies is an interesting, fast-moving thriller where everyone has something to hide.”

That assessment captures the show’s appeal – even if some viewers aren’t willing to overlook its shortcomings.

One Viewer Says the Plot Has “Big Gaps in Logic”

The reaction on IMDb has been considerably harsher.

One unimpressed viewer acknowledged that the series wasn’t entirely without merit but questioned whether its storyline ever came together convincingly.

“A Couple of Lies is not a complete waste of time, but it is a weak series with big gaps in logic,” the reviewer wrote.

The criticism went beyond individual plot holes. The viewer argued that several characters repeatedly make decisions that seem irrational, with the show failing to provide convincing explanations for their behaviour.

They also took issue with the number of story elements introduced and subsequently left unresolved.

“It starts well enough, but it does not work as a whole,” the review concluded.

It’s a significant criticism for a mystery thriller, where the satisfaction of the final story often depends on whether all those seemingly disconnected details eventually make sense.

Black Doves Is Winning the Critical Battle

Meanwhile, Netflix’s Black Doves appears to be enjoying a much warmer reception.

Even in its second season, the espionage thriller has impressed critics, with Digital Spy’s Laura Jane Turner describing the new instalment as “stronger than the first and the perfect binge-watch experience.”

She praised its relentless action and developing twists, noting that the six-episode season maintains its momentum throughout.

Although the first season’s finale had some shortcomings, Turner felt the latest instalment delivered a considerably more unexpected ending.

That puts the two Netflix thrillers in an interesting position: A Couple of Lies is attracting attention with its unsettling premise, while Black Doves is earning stronger praise for its execution.

A Couple of Lies is available to stream now on Netflix.