This Netflix Crime Spy Thriller Series Will Blow Your Mind
Netflix is known for its investment in production ventures outside the US; after all, their support of global content, backed up by their pocketbook, has brought us massive hits like Squid Game. So, when the streaming giant announced its enormous investment in German-language productions, people expected compelling content, but few could have predicted the magnitude of standout hit that would emerge: Kleo.
A spry thriller series to beat them all, the show melds action sequences, thriller elements, and comedy excellence into one riveting narrative.
Stream Kleo
Set in Germany during the final years of the Cold War, the series offers a fantastically unique storyline enriched by its historical context and benefiting from a dark comedic edge.
Think Jon Le Carre meets Wes Anderson, or the Coen brothers of Burn After Reading: impressively novel comedy melded with dark intrigue.
The talented trio of Hanno Hackfort, Richard Kropf, and Bob Kondrad, known for their work on 4 Blocks, created the series, premiering in 2022 to widespread acclaim.
Indeed, soon after debuting, Kleo deservedly garnered a loyal fan base, eventuating swift renewal for a second season.
Kleo Is An Assassin
The story concerns Kleo Straub, portrayed by the excellent Jella Haase, an East German Stasi (that’s the East German, Cold War-erasecret police; not exactly nice people) assassin.
After executing a mission—as in, murdering somebody—in West Berlin in 1987, Straub finds herself brutally betrayed and imprisoned by her own agency.
However, upon the fall of the Berlin Wall a few years later, she is released, thus commencing a fiery quest for vengeance against those who wronged her.
Tapestry Of Characters
Parallel to Kleo’s quest is the story of Sven Petzold, a policeman played by Dimitrij Schaad. Petzold is a comedic foil to the former Stasi assassin and West Berliner himself, embodying all the colorful, albeit goofy, culture of the capitalist half of the city beyond the Berlin Wall.
At the beginning of the series, Petzold discovers connections to Kleo’s killing, and so inadvertently becomes entangled in the female spy’s path of retribution.
The show’s progression introduces viewers to a dense tapestry of characters, each possessing secrets of their own. From Thilo, the techno-obsessed squatter in Straub’s old apartment, to Andi, her former lover, Stasi supervisor, and tragic betrayer—the series’ personal connections deepen the plot and contribute layers of complexity.
Additionally, the inclusion of real-life historical figures and events anchors Kleo in tangible reality. Its narrative arcs venture into the realms of espionage, high drama, and even horror elements.
Themes Of Loyalty, Identity, And Justice
What distinguishes the show is its knack for combining seemingly disparate action, thriller, and comedic elements alongside its impressive screenplay that continually leaves you guessing.
Ultimately, the show deftly explores themes of loyalty, identity, and the quest for justice. All the while, though, it delves into betrayal’s emotional and psychological repercussions. It’s a fun, albeit intense, world—a glimpse into the murky waters of spy games, where nothing is as it seems and everyone has something to hide.
Production-wise, principal photography for Kleo took place in Berlin, Eisenhüttenstadt, and sunny Mallorca, offering diverse backdrops enhancing the narrative authenticity.
Critics Love Kleo
This, among its other assets, warmed critics to the series boasting unanimous acclaim on Rotten Tomatoes, holding a perfect approval rating from all ten reviews.
Rebecca Nicholson of The Guardian praised the show’s exceptional casting, depth of characters, adept script, and engaging tempo, extolling the series as compelling and well-designed. However, she lightly criticized the show for borrowing perhaps too heavily from Killing Eve, a British dark comedy sharing many similar elements (particularly espionage and assassin plot points).
Other critics, such as Maria Hunstig of German Vogue, applauded Kleo’s dynamic virtuosity—juggling so many genre elements with apparent ease—all of which amounts to an intense, rigorous, and remarkable project. Jella Haase’s acting won particular acclaim, and it’s indeed something to behold.
And none other than the horror maestro himself, Stephen King, gushed about the show on X (formerly Twitter) for its refreshing, suspenseful, and humorous qualities, considering it a genre standout.
Stream Kleo On Netflix
Global cinema fans may know the series is not the first film depiction of the East German Stasi to win global attention and acclaim.
The 2006 feature film The Lives of Others reaped worldwide renown, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film.
Like Kleo, this project treated the terrifying Stasi, a massive esoponage organ estimated to employ 91,000 full-time employees and an additional 175,000 unofficial collaborators at its peak. Per capita, it was one of the most extensive surveillance apparatuses ever.
For a gripping, hilarious, and thrilling espionage adventure, stream Kleo today.
