10 Best German Shows on Netflix to Stream Right Now
Along with brilliant movies, German cinematography offers us outstanding shows that trigger our imagination, with their interesting and exciting topics and intriguing storylines. From drama and comedies to sci-fi mysteries and thrillers, there is really something for everyone and this list will give you an insight into what to expect from the ten best German shows on Netflix.
Dark (2017 – 2020)
This sci-fi mystery drama introduces us to four families living in a bleak town in Germany. They are somehow connected, and some share a huge secret that will take us back to 1986. Jumping from the present to the 1980s we begin to follow the case of a disappearance of a little boy and at the same time, we witness a supernatural occurrence connected to a dark cave somewhere in the middle of the woods near the town.
Dark is one of the most engaging tv shows in the last few years. Extremely interesting and complex, Dark is a must-watch if you want a show that won’t let you rest for a moment and will constantly force you to use your brain and try and solve the mysteries.
1899 (2022 – )
This show is set on a migrant steamship in 1899 which is sailing to the West in order to leave the old continent. It is full of passengers from different European countries who dream of a new life somewhere far away from their origins. But the situation will change when they stumble upon another immigrant ship on the open sea. The things they will encounter there will make their journey a living nightmare.
1899 comes from the same creators that brought us Dark and it begins with a similar premise, a mystery that we will enjoy solving. It will force you to explore and engage in the story and if you like to learn about new things you will definitely be satisfied with this interesting mystery drama.
Unorthodox (2020)
This tv mini-series follows the story of a young woman brought up in an extremely orthodox Jewish community in Brooklyn’s Williamsburg district. She decides to break free from their strict and unbearable rules and heads for Berlin, leaving her arranged marriage and community behind in order to discover her own life purpose.
This drama is a great choice if you want to learn more about the not-so-public stories behind these strict Jewish communities and witness what their young girls and women, in general, have to go through in order to fulfill their obligations and follow the path their religion and community prescribe.
Perfume (2018)
This crime series is loosely based on the story from the bestselling novel of the same title by Patrick Süskind. The premise is the same since the show took the book’s idea of manipulating people through scent. It is the story of a young profiler who is investigating a series of brutal murders which take him back to a boarding school that experimented with this type of manipulation.
If you read the novel or maybe saw the movie based on it, this series is a brilliant choice for you to continue discovering more about this interesting phenomenon. It is a mixture of crime and drama, with interesting detail to it which makes it a somewhat different detective series than you might be used to.
Tribes of Europe (2021)
It is 2074 and the world is on the verge of a new mysterious global disaster. There is a war raging between different tribes that have emerged from what’s left of Europe and when three siblings from the peaceful Origine tribe get separated, they are forced to find their own new path to follow.
This is an intense and extremely interesting sci-fi drama mystery that will make us question our actions and face the possibility of a completely changed future. If you enjoyed apocalypse movies like Mad Max, The Road or I am Legend, this show might be perfect for you.
How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) (2019 – )
What happens when love makes you do things that you never imagined doing? This series has researched some possibilities. Moritz is a high-school student who is desperate to get his old love back and with his best friend Lenny he comes to the idea of launching Europe’s largest online drug business. The operations will be executed from their own bedroom, with all its flaws and risks.
This hilarious crime drama comedy will make you laugh and fret at the same time and you will become engaged in its story and characters. It is an excellent choice if you like teen dramas and a somewhat more elaborated side story taken on a pretty different level.
Freud (2020)
This drama tells the story of the young Check-Austrian doctor Sigmund Freud who in 1886 Vienna still hasn’t gotten his worldwide fame. He is laughed at and not taken seriously, which makes his professional, but also private life very complicated. His life will take a different turn when he becomes involved in the investigation of a murder conspiracy.
Who wouldn’t want to explore more about one of the world’s most popular and important psychoanalysts of all time? Even though it is set before his international success, we still get a pretty good insight into his persona and way of thinking and behaving with people around him and the principles he uses to profile them.
The Billion Dollar Code (2021)
This biographical mini-series takes place in 1990s Berlin and it centers on two german computer masterminds who find themselves in court fighting a battle against a powerful opponent. They need to be recognised as the inventors of the Google Earth algorithm.
This drama brilliantly portrays two completely opposite worlds, the hacker scene in 90s Berlin after reunification and the idealistic world of Silicon Valley. It is an excellent insight into the complex and complicated reality of the world revolving around huge amounts of money. It is a very good choice if you are interested in the development of Silicon Valley and the way things have been operated and dealt with at the very beginning.
Biohackers (2020 – 2021)
Mia Akerlund is a medical student at the University of Freiburg whose life drastically changes after she discovers the use of a highly advanced biohacking technology. She becomes involved in a world of illegal genetic experiments. At the same time she wants to discover the circumstances around her brother’s death and soon she realizes that everything is connected and that all her discoveries, both scientific and private will have to be protected by her.
This face-paced techno-thriller is ideal for the audience that wants drama, action, and mystery in one. It is pretty addictive and with its short episodes, it doesn’t allow the viewers to stop and take pause but is simply forcing them to watch it until its very end.
Barbarians (2020 – )
This is the story of Arminius, a Roman officer who finds himself torn between the empire he was born and raised in and his own tribal people. It takes place during the Roman occupation of Germania Magna in 9 AD. Arminius will feel obligated to help his original Germanic tribe after he witnesses the atrocities performed by Roman soldiers on his former people. He will be the one to start the rebellion by uniting the tribes which will lead to its culmination at the Battle of the Teutoburg Forest.
If you enjoyed shows like Rome and Spartacus, you might like this excellent action-adventure drama, as well. Full of suspense and action, it is a story of a man who has to earn the importance of his origins in order to get brave enough and fight for what he finds right.