The new spy thriller on Netflix that you simply cannot skip: ‘Unfamiliar’
Of all the things Netflix added to its library this month, a German espionage thriller has clearly caught everyone’s eye, Unfamiliar, and for good reason.
The six-part spy series has already shot through the ranks on the most popular TV series chart globally, since its release on Netflix on February 5th. Currently, Unfamiliar is ranked third on Netflix’s weekly list, which means you simply cannot miss out on this for the world.
Created by Paul Coates, Unfamiliar follows married couple Meret and Simon Schäfer, whose seemingly perfect life comes crumbling down when their former lives as undercover agents resurface out of the blue. The German thriller opens with the parents celebrating their daughter Nina’s 16th birthday at home when they suddenly receive a call from a stranger claiming he’s injured and seeking assistance.
For the Schäfers, it’s not exactly a surprising request, given that they run a safe house in Berlin. Plus, as former German foreign intelligence agents, they have confronted numerous such emergencies. Yet, something doesn’t sit right with Simon and Meret about this man. If anything, he heightens their suspicions. Wonder why?
Well, for starters, his wounds are self-inflicted, and his behaviour? Unpredictable. On top of that, the couple can barely figure out the identity of the person in question. While the man raises many questions, one thing that we know about the stranger is that he has been sent by a high-ranking Russian military intelligence officer suspected of espionage, Josef Koleev, who, coincidentally, also recently arrived in Berlin.
While Simon and Meret realise the man is a spell for disaster, when, despite refusing to identify himself, he mentions a disastrous mission from 16 years ago in Belarus involving Koleev, what’s more interesting is that it is the same mission that decided their current fate.
But just as more details surface about their former lives as spies and Nina grapples with just how much her parents have hidden from her, Meret learns about Simon’s greatest betrayal. Although a high-stakes espionage thriller at heart, Unfamiliar is complete with a personal twist.
So, in case the James Bond series left you craving for more spy narratives, you should make room for Unfamiliar on Netflix. But do it fast because the spoilers won’t wait for any.