There’s a new Netflix series in which nothing is as it seems, and even those settings that might appear chosen for their uniqueness and the beauty of the landscapes—boundless beaches, ocean-washed dunes, villages nestled in the woods—actually hide much more: the The Bitter Taste of Betrayal locations are undoubtedly among the most surprising on the small screen, able to tell the Netherlands from a perspective that is unusual and decidedly non-mainstream.
What it’s about
Based on De Eetclub, the bestselling novel by Saskia Noort, The Bitter Taste of Betrayal (distributed internationally under the title The Perfect Lie) centers on Karen van der Made: a woman who has just moved with her family to Bergen and, there, is trying to build a new life.
Joining a circle of wealthy couples who routinely swap invitations to exclusive dinners where fine wines are poured, haute cuisine is sampled, and elevated conversations are held, seems to be the easiest way to integrate into the new city. At least until one evening, in the luxurious villa where the club meets, a fire breaks out, the owner dies and his wife and child barely manage to escape. Karen realises that those she believed to be friends are actually relationships founded solely on lies, manipulation, suspicions and bitter betrayals indeed.
Where the series was shot
Set in Bergen—not the famous Norwegian hub, but the smaller Dutch town of the same name—the new Netflix psychological thriller series was filmed in the Netherlands, mainly in the northern region.
Bergen and Bergen aan Zee
The same Bergen features among the locations of The Bitter Taste of Betrayal: as in the series, it is a lively city animated by museums, art galleries and other cultural venues well frequented by both tourists and locals, and noted, also, for the distinctive architectural style of many of its buildings, such as the “artist village”.
Just a few minutes from Bergen’s centre lies Bergen aan Zee: another location where The Bitter Taste of Betrayal was filmed. A seaside town founded in the 20th century to give Bergen access to the sea and boost its tourist appeal, today it is frequented both by locals for strolls or relaxing on the beach and by tourists who come to admire especially the spectacle of ocean dunes, among the tallest in the Netherlands.
Schoorl
Standing more than 50 metres tall, the Klimduin is one of these: it lies technically within the territory of Schoorl, another northern Netherlands town famed for its nature reserves and where the Netflix series was filmed. Here most of the outdoor shoots and tranquil panoramic views were captured, deliberately clashing with the jealousy and revenge that drive the characters.
Other locations
Another location for The Bitter Taste of Betrayal is IJmuiden, a port city which since at least the mid-1940s has stood at the heart of the country’s economic and commercial exchanges: its harbour is one of the largest in terms of freight traffic in the Netherlands.
Most of the urban scenes, however, were filmed in Amsterdam, The Hague and Vooburg, moving a bit further south from the heart of the shootings.
Lage Vuursche
In the vicinity of Utrecht, Lage Vuursche also served as a set for the new Dutch Netflix series: a village with a fairy-tale atmosphere, where traditional thatched-roof buildings still survive, and famous especially for Drakestein Castle, the private residence of Princess Beatrix, and for the woods where anyone can enjoy long walks through the heath amid ancient trees and the distinctive Highland cattle.
