Where Was ‘A Couple of Lies’ Filmed? Inside the Gripping Netflix Thriller’s Real Settings
Streaming audiences have developed an insatiable appetite for psychological thrillers that unravel the polished facades of modern domestic life. With the debut of the Swedish limited series ‘A Couple of Lies’, Netflix has delivered another tension-soaked mystery that turns a holiday into a nightmare. The four-part drama explores how quickly trust fractures when wealthy partners swap homes with strangers.
Rather than relying on interior soundstages, the filmmakers sought an authentic visual language to mirror the decay of both marriages. The narrative contrasts sun-drenched Mediterranean luxury against the crisp, austere minimalism of Scandinavia to heighten its suspense. Viewers tracking every eerie discovery quickly noticed how both physical properties operate as central characters in the story.
For subscribers curious about the production, ‘A Couple of Lies’ was filmed on authentic locations across Sicily, Italy, and the Stockholm archipelago in Sweden. Director Kasper Barfoed and the crew eschewed studio builds to ensure each residence possessed genuine spatial weight. Filming wrapped across both European regions before making its worldwide streaming premiere on Netflix.
The Sun-Drenched Villa in Noto, Sicily
The Mediterranean half of the thriller transports Carl and Helene Wester into an expansive, sun-bleached estate that feels deceptively romantic. In real life, this private property is an authentic hilltop villa situated in Contrada Cozzo Tondo near the Baroque municipality of Noto in Sicily. The historic stone home sits amid two acres of countryside, commanding sweeping views of the southeastern coast.
Designed by architect Francesco Cassone in the early nineteenth century as a noble summer retreat, the villa was constructed from warm local limestone. The sprawling layout encompasses 10 bedrooms, seven bathrooms, and nearly 11,000 square feet of living space that includes converted historic stables. Valued at over $5 million, the lavish estate symbolizes immense inherited wealth while hiding dark domestic betrayals beneath its walls.
The villa’s secluded grounds offered an ideal setting for Carl’s escalating paranoia and terrifying memory lapses. Historic cisterns carved directly into the rock provided a chilling setting for the discovery of a hidden body. By filming in a real Sicilian home, the production captured a sweltering isolation where dark secrets cannot stay concealed.
Chilly Modernism in the Stockholm Archipelago
In stark contrast to Sicilian warmth, Adam and Scarlett Harris spend their vacation in a sleek residence perched on a rocky bluff. Filming for this architectural showpiece took place directly within the Stockholm archipelago, where granite outcrops and pine forests establish an austere mood. The remote setting reflects the emotional detachment between the characters as surveillance cameras monitor every corridor.
The property featured in the Swedish scenes is widely identified as the House on a Cliff, designed by Petra Gipp Arkitektur. Perched high above the waterline, the residence combines raw concrete surfaces with massive glass panes that connect the interior to the sea. That exposed design heightens the story’s voyeuristic tension, turning a tranquil waterfront retreat into a modern panopticon.
The geographical isolation of the archipelago reinforces the psychological pressure cooker envisioned by the show’s creators. As locked doors and strange domestic clues mount, the cold Baltic coast reflects Scarlett’s unraveling sense of safety. Shooting on site allowed the director to capture natural northern light that contrasts directly with the Mediterranean sun.
Adapting Stefan Ahnhem’s Novel for the Screen
The two-country production plan was designed to bring author Stefan Ahnhem’s bestselling 2023 novel ‘Bytet’ to life. While the book initially set its foreign storyline in California, the adaptation shifted the action to Italy to intensify cultural friction. Producers Frida Asp and Fatima Varhos assembled an international ensemble featuring Fares Fares, Frida Gustavsson, Emma Appleton, and Jakob Oftebro.
Translating the book into four episodes proved deeply meaningful for Ahnhem, who collaborated with head writers Amanda Högberg and Axel Stjärne. In a statement highlighted during the production, MovieZine reported that Ahnhem remarked, “Though I’ve worked as a screenwriter for twenty years, this is a dream come true. Actually, a dream even better than I dared to dream”. The author praised how effectively the screen version translated his intricate psychological suspense.
Global excitement grew around the project after What’s on Netflix confirmed that Barfoed would direct every chapter following his work on ‘The Chestnut Man’. Choosing authentic properties in Sicily and Sweden gave the narrative a grounded weight that artificial stages could never recreate. That dynamic contrast between Mediterranean limestone and Scandinavian concrete remains the aesthetic pulse of ‘A Couple of Lies’.
Did the stunning contrast between the Sicilian villa and the Swedish archipelago make ‘A Couple of Lies’ even more gripping for you?
