German Series in the USA
“Dear Child” — Devious Mind Game: The Kidnapper in Your Head

Disturbing plot twists, brutal cliffhangers, plenty of creepy atmosphere, and in the middle of it all, a mysterious little girl: For thriller series like "Dear Child," the term "binge-watching" was invented. The addictive mix of horror and high tension made the six-part psychological crime drama by Isabel Kleefeld and Julian Pörksen one of the most successful Netflix titles worldwide to date — a feast for nerves of steel and binging night owls.

By Angela Zierow

"He makes day and night. Like God."

In a windowless hut somewhere in the middle of nowhere, the two children, Hannah (Naila Schuberth) and Jonathan (Sammy Schrein), along with their mother (Kim Riedle), are subjected to the draconian rules of their "father." Meals, homeschooling, even bathroom breaks are strictly regulated, and the twisted family game must be meticulously followed. When the woman referred to as Lena escapes her high-security prison one night, stumbles in front of a car on a forest road, and ends up in the hospital, she seems to be safe from her tormentor. Or is she? Along with her, the 12-year-old Hannah also escapes. "I'm with you, Mom," she whispers to the severely injured woman in the ambulance. Does it give her courage, or is it a threat? For the escapee, the horror trip is far from over.

"Those are the rules, Lena!"

"Dear Child" begins where most thrillers end. The six-part series portrays the aftermath of abduction and abuse as a nightmarish, intricate puzzle in which nothing seems to fit together. Flashbacks reveal fragments of the events, only to raise new questions. Who is Lena really? The daughter missing for 13 years, as Father Matthias fervently hopes? Are Hannah and Jonathan actually Lena's biological children? Is there more than one kidnapper? What role does a shattered snow globe play? And what's the deal with the peculiar behavior of little Hannah?
While the investigative duo Aida Kurt (Haley Louise Jones) and Gerd Bühling (Hans Löw) tumble through the increasingly complex case, uncovering more horrors along the way, the severely traumatized "Lena" tries to slowly find her way back to life. However, the voice of the kidnapper continues to rage in her head: "If you don't do exactly what I say, I'll kill you. If you think something wrong, I'll kill you. Those are the rules, Lena!" Are these the consequences of diabolical brainwashing, or is her torturer still watching her? The solution to the puzzle holds a final shocker — at least for those unfamiliar with the crime specialist Romy Hausmann's novel "Perfect Day."

Panorama of horror

In her award-winning debut "Dear Child" (2019), Hausmann shines as a master of psychothrills. Her twisty, multiperspective page-turner skillfully plays with the conventions of the genre, giving even strong-nerved readers sleepless nights. "Panorama of horror that exceeds all human imagination," said Hausmann's publisher dtv at the time. While that may be a bit exaggerated, the Spiegel bestseller does not lack in horrifying scenarios: stalking, kidnapping, rape, psychological terror, torture, murder — "Dear Child" leaves nothing out.

Is the adaptation equally gripping? Absolutely, according to thriller fans worldwide. The six-part series made it into the top ten of the most successful non-English Netflix series of all time, not a common feat for a "Made in Germany" production. "Classy crime chamber play," wrote Spiegel Online about the "dark, exciting series that dares to ask uncomfortable questions." The RedaktionsNetzwerk Deutschland praised lead actress Kim Riedle ("Back For Good"), known for various TV crime dramas and the soap opera "Forbidden Love": "There's a horror buzzing in her eyes, reminiscent of Shelley Duvall in Kubrick's 'The Shining' (1980)." And the Süddeutsche Zeitung warned that "Dear Child" is not for those "who only have time for one episode": "Having to switch off with such tension is mean."
The fact that the six-parter captivates until the last minute is due in no small part to the award-winning author and director Isabel Kleefeld (Grimme Prize for "Arnie's World") and dramatist Julian Pörksen (DEFA Sponsorship Prize for "Whatever Happens"), who shared the work on the screenplay and directing. Head writer Kleefeld explained to netflixwoche.de why the story fascinated them so much: "'Dear Child' differs in that the story is told from the victim's perspective, never from the perpetrator's perspective." This had "a great pull" on the two filmmakers.

And what about author Hausmann? She was thrilled with the mini-series and initially overwhelmed by the project's scale: "It was really crazy. I spent a day on set and thought: Oh my God, this can't be true!" Whether there will be further adaptations of her novels is still open. Hausmann fans can shorten the waiting time with the podcasts "Hausmann & Benecke - True Crime" and "Crime Scene meets True Crime." In the latter, the author and journalist Florian Gregorzyk compare "Crime Scene" topics with real criminal cases. Risk factor for sleepless nights: elevated. 

Liebes Kind / Dear Child
Six episodes of approx. 45 minutes each
Germany / USA 2023, Dir.+Wr. Isabel Kleefeld, Julian Pörksen D Kim Riedle, Naila Schuberth, Sammy Schrein, Julika Jenkins, Justus von Dohnányi, Hailey Louise Jones, Hans Löw, Birge Schade, Ozgur Karadeniz
Rating: R