Be honest: the Netflix top 10 probably decides a lot of what to stream for you. It's a universal seal of approval that whatever is trending might actually be worth our time... and who wants to mess around when it comes to finding something to watch?
Since last week, an pretty unknown title has been dominating the charts, and according to fans, it's for good reason. As one X/Twitter users puts it: "Currently one of the best spy shows, every episode is riveting."
They're talking about Unfamiliar, which follows ex-spies Meret (Susanne Wolff) and Simon (Felix Kramer) fleeing from Russian agents, old flames, and the ruins of their marriage.
So why haven't you heard of it before? Well, the surprise hit is German, first landing internationally on the streamer on February 5. With only six episodes to binge, this is one spy safe house worth running towards.
Why you need to stream surprise Netflix hit Unfamiliar this week
Read the full Netflix synopsis for Unfamiliar and tell me it doesn't sound like an absolute must-watch:
"Meret and Simon Schäfer’s quiet night at home celebrating their daughter Nina’s (Maja Bons) 16th birthday hits a snag when they get a call from a man claiming he’s been injured and needs their assistance. It’s not an unusual request: The couple run a safe house in Berlin and — as former German foreign intelligence (BND) agents — they’ve handled their fair share of emergencies.
"But Simon and Meret are suspicious, and they have a right to be: the man’s wounds are self-inflicted, he’s behaving erratically, and they can’t figure out who he is."
I'm immediately hooked. Any show where you're introduced to a stranger you cannot trust means the stakes are going to be incredibly high, with impressive twists and turns along the way. The fact that we're introduced to the guy so early means we're also just scratching the surface of what's to come... and I love a well-crafted narrative arc.
"The person who sent the man to them? Josef Koleev ( Samuel Finzi), a high-ranking Russian military intelligence (GRU) officer suspected of espionage and who recently arrived in Berlin. At the safe house, Simon and Meret know they have a problem when the man who won’t identify himself hints at a disastrous mission from 16 years ago in Belarus, one that involved the villainous Koleev.
"That mission set them on their current path, and has defined their family’s life ever since — whether all of them are aware of it or not. When new details emerge, Nina realizes just how many skeletons are in her parents’ closet, and Meret uncovers Simon’s greatest betrayal. Can the couple grapple with their past to save their family’s future? Or will their secrets be their undoing?"
Scandal? A daughter kept in the dark who is now paying the price? A family in the brink of life-threatening ruin? Unfamiliar is the spy series that keeps on giving, and that's just from reading the overview.
One of the most important pieces of fan feedback is how well the series holds its tension from start to finish. Don't expected a killer premiere before things taper off, because Unfamiliar is in it for the long haul.
If nothing else, think The Americans meets Safe House... so good luck keeping your heart rate steady.
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