Change Your Image
Spy-11
Reviews
Im Schatten der Angst (2019)
Way above average
This thriller does not break new ground. Plotwise there are quite a few things to frown upon. But this is well made and directed. And above all it is a showpiece for two of the best german language acting talents of their respective generations. Justus von Dohnnányi doesn't miss a beat in this duel. The star, of course, is Julia Koschitz, elfin, vulnerable, brilliant and unstoppable. This Austrian/German tv production from 2019 is way above average. Not surprisingly, it reached the number 1 spot after its streaming release on Netflix.de. The story reminds of a german language series that was also numero uno for weeks on Netflix just a few weeks ago, also with Dohnányi. Won't tell you, which one. Don't want to spoil anything. Sad to say, the second case of Julia Koschitz as troubled psychiatrist from 2023 is not as good, as far as I remember (Im Schatten der Angst - Du sollst nicht lügen).
Oderbruch (2024)
Boring and disgusting
Most critics are hyped up about this series. Finally, a German public broadcaster produces something that can compare with Netflix and the likes. True, there is a lot of worse stuff on Netflix. True, Karoline Schuch is a great actress. But pacing is awkward and slow, the characters are mostly repulsive and there is no redeeming point in sight. I do not mind supernatural twists and a high body-count, if an interesting story is told and it keeps me interested. This does not qualify by any means. The finale hints at a sequel. I could live without that happening. BTW: There are better series and movies from Germany streaming nowadays. Even on Netflix. And even from public broadcasters. So what?
Mordach - Tod in den Bergen (2023)
Ridiculous story
A generic story probably meant to be a longer series, compressed into two episodes. There is not a single moment, action, character or dialogue we do not remember from other movies. Most characters are forgettable, even the murder victim who is the catalyst for everything that happens. A police officer is the main suspect in this case ... and is put in charge of the investigation by his superiors to give him the chance to clear his name. Ridiculous! Nice photography, though. This is supposed to be set in Bavaria, but was shot in South Tyrol. Strange enough. Don't be fooled. Bavarian mountains are less impressive. The lead actors are pretty good: Charismatic Mehmet Kurtulus, brilliantly nervous Sarah Bauerett and patriarchal Dominique Horwitz. They make this watchable and mildly entertaining, but cannot save it.
Gestern waren wir noch Kinder (2022)
Very good
ZDF goes Netflix again. And this time they succeed. Starts well, sucks you in and gets actually better from episode to episode. The two timelines are briliantly interwoven. Very good acting, with Rieke Seja (young Anna), Maria Simon (grown-up Anna), Julius Nitschkoff and - surprisingly - influencer and dance contestant Julia Beautx standing out. My complaint: This is absolutely tragic and serious stuff and sometimes the slick construction does not quite fit. For example, when a teenage suicide is just another ooops-detail. So nine stars only. But give it a try! Since this was a phenomenal success, a second season will certainly happen.
Die Toten von Marnow (2021)
Same same but different
There are surprises around every corner in this series. The two protagonists are very competent cops and extremely troubled individuals, spectacularly played by Petra Schmidt-Schaller and Sascha Alexander Gersak. (Both were awarded well earned German TV Prizes.) Also standing out: Anne Schäfer and Jörg Schüttauf. No black and white, good against evil here. Unusual for a German production, the good guys are corrupt, take the law routinely into their own hands, try desperately to get away with it and to bring down the real villains for good measure. One memorable scene after the other: A crime victim taking revenge in a shocking way within minutes after the deed. The heroine telling how she lost her whole family. A stunning action sequence with the hero trying to save his own family. A second season would be very welcome.
Ein Schritt zum Abgrund (2022)
Knocking your socks off
I have no doubt that the British original Dr Foster from 2015/17 is better. I have not seen it, though. The German version never reaches depth. Most characters are bland. The finale is rushed. But this is a showpiece of one of the most powerful actresses in Germany today, Petra Schmidt-Schallers performance knocks your socks off. She makes this 8 star stuff. Otherwise 6 would have been enough. So it's a gripping mini series, lasting 3 hours, shown in one go on a Saturday in German TV. However, in this version the tale is told. There is no need for a second season. There is other work to do for Schmidt-Schaller.
Der Masuren-Krimi: Freund oder Feind (2023)
Boring
Another German "holiday crime series". This time it's Masuria. A mostly German cast, killing and sleuthing in Poland. This series never took off. The actors are more than competent. But the 2023 stories are boring, implausible and confusing at the same time. The 2021 episodes were much better. And if you missed them, or your memory is just average, you don't know whats going on with the lead character. Who is Felix? Why is the uncle in jail? It's a shame, because Claudia Eisinger is a very good actress, still waiting for her well earned breakthrough. Nice landscape, though. The most important feature of these holiday mysteries.
Unbestechlich (2023)
There is potential
The film is not a landmark. The story is not new. And yet, this pilot could lead into an interesting series. The script writers withdrew their names from the credits. Not a good sign. But the dialogues are still above average and the story makes sense. There is some good acting. Alex Brendemühl and Maja Schöne are impressive as villains. The two leads: Diverse, gay and charismatic. What's not to like here? Samia Chancrin aka menacing beauty is great as usual. I had never heard of Michael Klammer before. Now, he's definitely on my watchlist. Finally a German detective with style and grace. This could be something. We'll see.
The Swarm (2023)
Disappointing
I read the book years ago, And no, it was not much better than this series. Schätzing filled 1000 pages with scientific monologue and tedious dialogue. He was not able to create any suspense. The series cuts away most of the science. Otherwise same problem. 40 million Euros is a lot of money, but not enough for impressive tsunamis, creepy crab attacs or stunning underwater action. With this mostly competent cast, more should have been possible, though. But the script was just buying time with unnecessary and boring dialogue and love stories between bland characters. The finale was not really good, but actually better than in the book. Schätzing went over the top with action and carnage. Overall, this was disappointing.
The Team (2015)
First season 7, second 3, equals 5
The first season was pretty good. Featuring top actors from their respective countries: Lars Mikkelsen, Jasmin Gerat, Veerle Baetens, Nicholas Ofczarek, Ida Engvoll, Miriam Stein, Filip Peeters - what a cast! I saw a mediatheque version that was not dubbed. The actors were talking in English or their native languages. The Belgians using 3 languages. Gave this a cozy United Nations of Europe feeling. This is unrealistic, of course, but entertaining. The second season was awful, not only in comparison but in its own right. So you should take the common advice here, avoid season 2 and try to find season one in the original version with subtitles.
Auris - Die Frequenz des Todes (2022)
Ridiculous
Ep 2 is no better than the first. I've never read anything by Sebastian Fitzek. But I have seen some movie and tv adaptations. They were all terrible. Mainly female and child exploitation. Probably the source material sucks in the first place? Here we have "Nancy-Drew-goes-QAnon". The heroine is a famous podcaster. Her friends are rappers, a radio host and, of course, a mysterious hacker who can give her all the information she ever needs. Not much sleuthing necessary. Absolutely ridiculous. The dialogue is painful to hear. The acting painful to watch. Distinguished actors like Janina Fautz and Juergen Maurer should try to erase this from their resume. Ratings were bad. So, hopefully, this will get axed.
Wie Feuer und Flamme (2001)
A gem
I first saw this more than 20 years ago in a sneak preview. Otherwise I would have missed it. Even back then I wasn't a teenager anymore. And I never liked love stories anyway, not on screen and not in print. Especially not teenage love stories. But this was enchanting. The historical background (not so far back in 2001), the music, the sometimes dreamlike scenes - for me it was one of the most beautiful experiences in a cinema ever. Since then I have not met many people who have seen this movie, and some of them didn't like it. So? In my opinion one of the best German movies after WW 2. Here you have it.
Der Bozen Krimi: Die Todsünde (2023)
Strictly average
The perfectly average "holiday mystery". German actors are playing cops from Tel Aviv to Iceland. Here it's Bolzano, South Tyrol. Lead actress Chiara Schoras (with a permanent scowl on her face) is not just a German actress, playing an Italian cop. She plays a German cop, settling in Italy for family reasons. She gets a job with the Bolzano police, without speking Italian at first. Within a few episodes she becomes Chief Inspector (Capo). Even in the EU, this career is astonishing. Fun fact: Schoras is half Italian and actually speaks the language quite well.
The best thing is always the beautiful landscape. The stories are mildly entertaining and never too realistic. Here we have a murder story in a close-knit community based on the Hutterites (in the film called "Sutterer"). Watchable, but soon forgotten.
Der Kroatien Krimi: Der Todesritt (2023)
Stunning scenery
A nice modern western movie, set in Dalmatia, like the German Karl May- Movies of the 1960s. Stunning scenery, horse riding, some murders, good acting. What's not to like? Fun fact: Karin Hanczewski and Sebastian Fräsdorf were also brother and sister on a horse ranch in the 2019 movie Bruder Schwester Herz. And out lesbian actress Hanczewski (playing a lesbian veterinarian) gets hit on by the Chief Inspector Jasmin Gerat, who in this respect will be more successful in the next episode with the department's pathologist, played by Sarah Bauerett. This series had ups and downs and seems to be on a good track.
Kommissarin Lucas: Du bist mein (2023)
Oh, come on!
Serial killer 101. Chief Inspector Lucas is the only sane person here, surrounded by people with more or less serious psychological disorders. Meaning her colleagues and the suspects (some of them are both). The characters constantly surpass each other in doing and saying stupid things. The director likes extravagant camera shots. Like they did in the 1960s, trying to copy Hitchcock. Okay, they didn't have drones then. So some of these kept me awake. The script is laughable. And the experienced viewer identifies the killer within the first 20 minutes. I always liked the Lucas films. But since she moved from Regensburg to Nuremberg, she's working with an annoyingly self-absorbed team.
Sonderlage (2023)
Should have been great ...
... but is just above average. The premise is interesting. A Sonderlage (special situation) occurs. A high ranking female police officer takes charge. And gets mobbed, hindered and sabotaged by (mostly) male colleagues. However, action is slow moving and implausible. The control room scenes are certainly more realistic than those in a Jason Bourne movie, but also less than exciting. The system's resistance against the protagonist is so powerful that one wonders, how she could rise as high as she did. Of course, she's good. But in reality, that does not always help. Most characters are clichéd. Henny Reents is top notch and makes this worth watching. Özgür Karadeniz and Zoë Valks are only allowed to give glimpses into their potentially interesting characters. The ratings of Sonderlage were disappointing. So this will probably be axed after two episodes. A shame, because it could still be great.
Ein Atem (2015)
Stunning
This actually works best if you see it as a parable about the love/hate-relationship between Germany and Greece in a time of economic crisis. About desires, misunderstandings and prejudice. The plot about kidnapping is secondary. The lead actresses give stunning performances as representatives of their countries. Triebel is well known as one of the reigning talents of her generation. I didn't know Giannatou, who is the real star here. Obviously, she has been successful in greek TV after this. I've recently seen her playing a supporting role as a greek woman (and sporting a fake greek accent) in a decent German language film. Since she's a native German speaker and a major talent, she should also have a career in Germany and, of course, internationally.
Eine wie diese (2015)
Surprisingly good
In 2015 this was featured in the ZDF-Herzkino series ("cinema of the heart" or so). Usually the "nanny-wins-heart-of-billionaire-widower" stuff. Here romance takes the backseat. There are funny moments and the movie tackles serious issues about the 70s and about women in men's jobs mostly with a light touch. But the issues are clearly adressed and as somebody who has lived through this decade I can vouch for the realistic look and feel of the production. Another reason why this works is the considerable acting range of Cornelia Gröschel, who had her breakthrough as "Heidi" in 2001. Recently she played a "blue collar superheroine" on Netflix and she is one of the leads in Germany's most successfull crime series Tatort.
Der Kroatien Krimi: Split vergisst nie (2023)
Getting better
Usually the best thing about Split Homicide is the stunning Croatian scenery. The scripts and also some of the acting are average at best. The 2023 episodes have been an improvement. Death Ride was an entertaining modern western movie. Split Never Forgets reminds us of the tragic recent history of a popular tourist destination. A nice development could be the chief inspector's newly displayed same-sex attraction. In Death Ride she was hitting - unsuccessfully - on a female suspect. In this episode she goes a couple of steps further. This could be the beginning of a beautiful relationship! If pushed, Gerat can be a good actress and she certainly has star wattage. Bauerett is good in whatever she plays. But so far her character is ridiculously underwritten. Maybe this changes from now on.
Polizeiruf 110: Der Gott des Bankrotts (2023)
A pleasant surprise
The Brandenburg Polizeirufs have been mostly boring. Despite great actors like Maria Simon or Lucas Gregorowicz. But this episode is a winner. Starts fairly routine and gets creepy like hell. Clever script, nice photography and good acting. André Kaczmarczyk's promotion from "genderfluid sidekick" to lead detective works great. Kaczmarczyk with his newly found "grumpy old sidekick", F. L. Schroeder, should be the new team in this series. And it would not hurt, if Godehard Giese's character would show up again.
Best line: "Why does somone like you join the police?" - "Because everything must change."
Der Usedom-Krimi: Gute Nachrichten (2022)
New low point
Certainly a new low point in this series. The protagonist has to make a complete fool out of herself for no good reason. Annoying and boring. Surprisingly, this nonsense was written by a woman. Katrin Sass' character - having murdered her husband and driven her daughter to death - was initially interesting. She hasn't much to do here. This is obviously Rikke Lylloff's swan song. A good actress, who never found her footing in this series. Her character was always overwhelmed by personal problems. For some reason, this series is quite successful with audiences. There have only been a handful of decent episodes.