Missing nanny reveals sinister secrets: discover the dark side of wealth in 'Secrets We Keep'
Image: Netflix
I know that not everyone is a fan of subtitled offerings. However, sometimes it's worth putting aside such peeves when you are guaranteed a phenomenal watch.
One such show is the Danish whodunit, 'Secrets We Keep', which is among SA's Top 10 shows streaming on Netflix.
The six-part series is set in an affluent suburb in Copenhagen, where Filipino au pairs live their best life, too.
It centres on the close-knit friendship between Cecilie (Marie Bach Hansen) and her lawyer husband, Mike (Simon Sears), and their neighbours Katarina (Danica Curcic) and her tycoon husband Rasmus (Lars Ranthe).
The dynamic changes when the latter couples nanny, Ruby (Donna Levkovski), goes missing.
Cecilie grapples with guilt after dismissing Ruby's plea for help during dinner at her home on the night of the incident. The event also affects Cecilie's au pair, Angel (Excel Busano), and other local babysitters from the Philippines.
Viewers streaming the first episode are captivated by the lavish lives of the featured individuals. Cecilie, a working mother, enjoys an ideal balance between her career and family life, a privilege made possible by Angel.
These opulent homes, filled with top-of-the-line decor and high-tech gadgets, appear worthy of a feature in a sophisticated home magazine.
Despite their seemingly flawless lives, wealthy families often have hidden complexities. And that is certainly unpacked in the unfolding episodes.
Although Cecilie shows kindness and support for Angel, encouraging her to finally start her own business, her well-heeled lifestyle sharply contrasts with the personal hardships faced by her nanny.
Katarina and Rasmus are more inconvenienced than concerned by Ruby's disappearance, even though all her belongings, including her passport, are in her room.
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Advertisement
Video Player is loading.
Play Video
Play
Unmute
Current Time
0:00
/
Duration
-:-
Loaded :
0%
Stream Type LIVE
Seek to live, currently behind live
LIVE
Remaining Time
-
0:00
This is a modal window.
Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window.
Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan
Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque
Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps
Reset
restore all settings to the default values Done
Close Modal Dialog
End of dialog window.
Next
Stay
Close ✕
Rasmus (Lars Ranthe), Cecilie (Marie Bach Hansen), Katarina (Danica Curcic) and Mike (Simon Sears) in a scene from 'Secrets We Keep'.
Image: Netflix
Meanwhile, Cecilie urges Katarina to report Ruby as a missing person. The case is assigned to a police officer named Aicha (Sara Fanta Traore), who appears to be more emotionally invested in solving it.
Cecilie initiates her own investigation into the matter, occurring concurrently with Aicha's inquiry. Amid this, she stumbles across information that looks damning for her husband, who, when he was younger, was charged with rape.
During this time, she discovers potentially incriminating information about her husband, it is compounded by her knowledge of a rape charge when he was a young adult. This incident has haunted him his entire life, as there were mitigating circumstances surrounding the charge.
But he isn't the only suspect on her list, especially after realising that Ruby was pregnant.
Rasmus has a chequered history with their au pairs, who are never around for a very long time.
The strain of Ruby's disappearance weighs heavily on everyone, and the cracks in their relationships as well as friendships start surfacing.
However, the distracted parents remain oblivious to their teenage sons' activities: secretly filming their au pairs and sharing the pornographic material.
While Katarina's son Oscar (Frode Bilde Rønsholt) is the ringleader of this group, Cecilie's son Viggo (Lukas Zuperka) is more of an observer until he is shown troubling footage of Ruby.
At school, a teacher stumbles across what the boys have been up to, and it opens a can of worms, especially when Ruby's body is found.
"Secrets We Keep" reveals the evolving moral compass of the affluent as they attempt to resolve issues with financial resources. The narrative dissects their transformation from lenient to neglectful parenting styles.
Through detailed settings and complex challenges, the script highlights the contrasting realities of nannies and their employers.
Overall, this stylishly directed series offers a bird's-eye view into the deficient morals of the rich, who have no qualms turning a blind eye to injustice when it comes to protecting one of their own.
Rating: 4/5 **** a standout series with exceptional qualities.
Below are similar must-see offerings:
"Sirens"
In this Netflix dark comedy, Devon is worried about her sister Simone's unsettling connection with her wealthy new employer, Michaela, prompting her to plan an intervention.
It has a star-studded cast of Meghann Fahy, Milly Alcock, Kevin Bacon and Julianne Moore.
"The Perfect Couple"
A Nantucket setting provides the backdrop for a story about a lavish wedding thrown into chaos by a sudden murder.
It stars an ensemble cast of Nicole Kidman, Liev Schreiber, Eve Hewson, Billy Howle, Meghann Fahy, Donna Lynne Champlin, Jack Reynor, Michael Beach, Ishaan Khatter, Sam Nivola, Mia Isaac and Dakota Fanning.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Maverick
6 hours ago
- Daily Maverick
Penne rigate with Serrano ham and zucchini
Here's a recipe for a pasta sauce that brings a touch of Spain into the Italian cookbook. Chopped Serrano ham and bright red chillies blend with a cheesy sauce to add some salsa to your pasta. It's not entirely impossible that I was influenced by the movie I'd watched earlier in the day when concocting this sauce. Russell Crowe plays an Italian priest who specialises in demonic possession in The Pope's Exorcist, set in both Italy and Spain. It is a horror movie that could have been far more serious than it is; by resorting to the full-tilt schlock of the Count Dracula school of horror, with every possible terror bursting from the screen to have you reeling in your armchair, its utter lack of restraint results in it losing far more than it gains. This is not to say it's not worth a watch for some arresting performances. It's on Netflix. Like that movie, this recipe is pretty cheesy too, with a gory red chilli bite. I used three cheeses (mozzarella, Danish blue and Grana Padano). So I guess there's a touch of Denmark in it too. There are a lot of zucchini growing in my garden right now, so I picked four of them for this recipe. Or call it calabacita, the Spanish, if you prefer. The red spring onions are from my garden too. And you should just see the tomatoes; scores and scores of them: coming soon to a recipe near you. (Serves 2 generously) Ingredients 250 g penne rigate Olive oil 3 or 4 courgettes, sliced thinly on the diagonal 2 red chillies, sliced thinly, seeds and all 2 red spring onions, sliced 2 garlic cloves, sliced 70 g Serrano ham 50 g blue cheese 150 g mozzarella, chopped into small dice 1 glass dry white wine 200 ml cream Pasta water Salt Black pepper Grana Padano, grated Method Put a deep pot of lots of water on to boil. Pour a generous splash of olive oil into another heavy pot. When hot, add the sliced courgettes and spring onions, cook, stirring, until softened, then add the garlic and chilli and cook for a couple of minutes more. Add a glass of dry white wine and reduce until mostly cooked away, but leave some liquid in the pan. Add the cream and bring to a simmer, and cook gently for about five minutes while the cream takes on all the flavours and thickens. Season with salt and black pepper, and add the mozzarella, blue cheese and ham. Stir while the cheeses melt into the sauce and amalgamate. Meanwhile, once the pasta water is boiling briskly, add the penne and stir immediately with a wooden spoon, thereby preventing it from clumping. Boil until al dente. Strain quickly in a colander but, while there's still a little pasta water left, return it swiftly to the pasta pot. Put the pot on the stove and toss the pasta sauce through it immediately. Serve with finely grated Grana Padano. DM
IOL News
3 days ago
- IOL News
Jasyn Howes goes beyond the headlines to expose the chilling truth of Moses Sithole in 'The ABC Killer'
'The ABC Killer' is a three-part true-cime series that delves into the life of serial killer, Moses Sithole. Image: Supplied South Africans have undeniably developed a fervent interest in true crime stories, especially those headline-grabbing ones that have deeply disturbed communities. In a few years, I'm sure we will have something on Racquel 'Kelly' Smith or Tiffany Meek. To date, we've seen "Tracking Thabo Bester", 'The Station Strangler' and "Devilsdorp" - not forgetting the dramatised series 'Catch Me A Killer' - on Showmax. Netflix also carried the highly anticipated 'Senzo: Murder of a Soccer Star'. Video Player is loading. Play Video Play Unmute Current Time 0:00 / Duration -:- Loaded : 0% Stream Type LIVE Seek to live, currently behind live LIVE Remaining Time - 0:00 This is a modal window. Beginning of dialog window. Escape will cancel and close the window. Text Color White Black Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Background Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Opaque Semi-Transparent Transparent Window Color Black White Red Green Blue Yellow Magenta Cyan Transparency Transparent Semi-Transparent Opaque Font Size 50% 75% 100% 125% 150% 175% 200% 300% 400% Text Edge Style None Raised Depressed Uniform Dropshadow Font Family Proportional Sans-Serif Monospace Sans-Serif Proportional Serif Monospace Serif Casual Script Small Caps Reset restore all settings to the default values Done Close Modal Dialog End of dialog window. Advertisement Next Stay Close ✕ Expectedly, these offerings sparked widespread discussion on social media, with Mzansi weighing in. The interest in such offerings has unfailingly fuelled film-makers to deliver more. One such person is Jasyn Howes, who is behind the three-part documentary, 'The ABC Killer'. He previously gave us the Saftas-nominated offering, 'Boetie Boer', which centred on the '90s serial killer, Stuart Wilken. It delved into his backstory and what shaped him into a killer. His latest offering treads a very similar path, this time delving into the life and actions of Moses Sithole, South Africa's notorious serial killer and a rapist, who was also known as The Cleveland Strangler. The title references his hunting ground, which started in Atteridgeville, migrated to Boksburg and concluded in Cleveland. Between 1994 and 1995, he is reported to have killed 38 women, some of whom have never been identified. The end reels of the series list the dates of his murders and all of his victims. He was also charged with 40 rapes and six robberies. The series, which includes dramatised reenactments alongside archived footage and newsclips of articles, includes the first-hand recollection of pivotal people involved in the case. The first episode lays the groundwork by introducing cub reporter Tamsen de Beer and her night editor at 'The Star', Alameen Brendan Templeton, with footage taken in the hallowed grounds of the once bustling newsroom where a byline was a sought-after holy grail by reporters. De Beer's conservative upbringing informed her tenacity and out-of-the-box thinking as a journalist. She gave an overview of her work in London, where she covered the mushrooming techno rave scene. Returning to home soil, especially during a tense political climate in South Africa following the first democratic elections, De Beer used her prior working experience to weigh in on the evolving music scene and the growing drug culture of ecstasy and DBH, which was a date rape drug. Little did she realise how the Sithole case with juggernaut her career, especially with her working the graveyard shift. Tamsen de Beer was starting her career at "The Star" when she was thrown into the deep end by interviewing Moses Sithole, who was referred to as "The Cleveland Strangler". Image: Supplied South Africa's first serial killer profiler, Micki Pistorius, and former detectives Ettiene 'Vinyl' Viljoen, Frans van Niekerk and Paul Nkomo share disturbingly insightful details on the case, which became benchmarks in their respective careers. Pistorius was a greehorn when she was thrust into this field; as such, she admitted to turning to the FBI, who were the torchbearers on profiling. Based on his childhood memories, Howes refers to it as Mzansi's 'Ted Bundy case'. Why did Sithole hate women? 'There is only one thing that you must know now and forever. If women go around, f*****g around with men, they are playing with fire. When a man is hurt … it's true hurt. They can do anything,' Sithole said in a documented interview. Initially, there was someone else arrested for the crimes and killed while in custody. Was an earlier rape charge the trigger in Sithole's actions? The unquenchable rage within him hinted at it playing a role. Frustrated by the SAPS's incompetence, Sithole reached out to 'The Star' to get his story out and set them on the right track, making it clear that the police had arrested the wrong person. De Beer formed a rapport with him as he shared intimate details of the murders and, in building trust, encouraged him to come to the office and hand himself over to the police, which he seemed open to. The other accounts are by survivor Buyiswa Swakhamisu, who was visibly traumatised by reliving her attack and her pursuit of justice; clinical psychologist Dr Giada Del Fabbro, and former crime reporter Phalane Motale. A fellow inmate came forward, on condition of anonymity, to reveal how Sithole tried to sell his story. Jodi Bieber, a freelance photographer at "The Star", also detailed her experience of tagging along with the police to the crime scenes, viewing the bloated boats, the maggots and the stockings. She provided insight into how, despite being exposed to the unsettling crime scenes, she had to ensure that she was also mindful of not capturing the bodies in their full gore, leaving readers horrified. She admitted that while the images remain etched in the mind's eye forever, creatively, it wasn't an easy task. She also highlighted the stark contrast between the "white and black experience" along racial lines at the time. The series includes the collective strides made to capture him, the trial, along with a reflection on the pain and trauma he inflicted. De Beer shared her regrets about inserting herself into the story instead of reporting on it because she became so emotionally invested. As a director, Howes displays his prowess in telling disturbing stories through a human lens. He does that masterfully. It's evident that much research went into accessing transcripts, the telephone conversations between Sithole and De Beer. Sithole, serving his 2 410-year sentence, is currently studying law on the back of completing a degree in theology. Rating: 4/5 **** a standout series with exceptional qualities. Below is a highly recommended offering in a similar vein: 'Rosemary's Hitlist' This four-part series, directed by Valen'tino Mathibela, homes in on how Nomia Rosemary Ndlovu, a cop driven by greed, went on a killing spree, taking out her live-in lover as well as five family members to cash in on their life insurance policies. At first, she used her job to conceal her dark deeds until a beady-eyed colleague spotted something amiss and decided to investigate, marking the end of her reign of terror.
The South African
3 days ago
- The South African
Sibongiseni Shezi honoured with major award for Netflix hit film
The spotlight is firmly on the theatre-trained thespian who triumphed over industry heavyweights Baby Cele and Sibusisiwe Jili to win an award for Best Actress in a Film for her portrayal of Lethu on Netflix's Umjolo: The Gone Girl . Her performance in Umjolo: The Gone Girl , a steamy, emotionally charged Netflix drama that unpacks love, betrayal, and modern relationships against the backdrop of a Valentine's Day wedding, solidified her status as one of South Africa's most compelling screen talents. The film follows a couple's seemingly perfect relationship that fails when one of them learns of the other's infidelity. She stars alongside Tyson Mathonsi as her partner. The actress took to her Instagram page, sharing her journey with both her Simon Mabhunu Sabela Awards on display. She told The Citizen: 'I'm not gonna perform an act of false modesty and say the goal was never to be a lead, to be acknowledged in this capacity. However, the time at which it's happening surprises me. A lot occurred, and I've been humbled by a lot of things that I think my receptors are receiving it now is a lot more… it is overwhelming.' 'I definitely think that these are answered prayers, but they don't look the way that I anticipated and they feel a lot better,' she added. Let us know by leaving a comment below, or send a WhatsApp to 060 011 021 1 . Subscribe to The South African website's newsletters and follow us on WhatsApp , Facebook , X, and Bluesky for the latest news.
