Dear Child Netflix Series Review: Dramatic and Emotional Thriller That Captivates with its Plot and Storytelling
Cast: Kim Riedle, Naila Schubert, Sammy Schrein, Justus von Dohnányi, Julika Jenkins, Haley Louise Jones, Hans Löw, Eskindir Tesfay
Director: Isabel Kleefeld, Julian Pörkse
Streaming Platform: Netflix
Filmyhype.com Ratings: 3.5/5 (three and a half stars)
Dear Child ( Liebes Kind) is a German psychological thriller miniseries based on the novel of the same name by Romy Hausmann. It debuted on Netflix on September 7, 2023. The series stars Kim Riedle, Naila Schuberth, Sammy Schrein, Hans Löw, and Justus von Dohnányi. It was created by Isabel Kleefeld and Julian Pörksen. “Dear Child” is a thriller that, in addition to its obvious and necessary concessions to melodrama, has all the emotion, surprises, and mystery to make for one of those TV marathons that have become so popular since the advent of streaming.
A young woman missing for 13 years. A mysterious female figure appears suddenly, at night, together with a little girl with a particular behavior of hers. A mystery to be solved to finally find peace. There are a few ingredients in the Netflix miniseries, Dear Child, inspired by the novel of the same name by Romy Hausmann. Few and all very tasty because despite a plot that may seem already seen, this German production is well packaged, written, and directed. As we will see in the review of Dear Child, we are faced with six heart-pounding episodes, where every twist is revealed effectively, leaving us both with a sense of anxiety and relief.
“Dear Child” Netflix Series Review: Story Plot
The series follows the story of a young woman who escapes her captivity after 13 years. She is found at the scene of a car accident with her unconscious mother. The investigation into the woman’s disappearance leads to a dark and twisted truth. A woman is run over at night in the middle of the woods. Next to her is a little girl who is behaving strangely. For investigators, it is a case to be solved quickly and which could be connected to the disappearance of Lena Beck. The Beck family is still dealing with the disappearance of their daughter Lena, which occurred 13 years earlier. When a mysterious blonde is run over in the woods and then rescued, hope is rekindled in them that she could be their girlfriend. This hope is also validated by the fact that Hannah, the little girl accompanying the woman, tells the doctors that her mother’s name is Lena. The truth, however, is much more complex.
It will soon be discovered that the person invested is not Lena but Jasmin. And although in some way the woman has touched the existence of Lena, the two have no point in common. If not the tragic experience that they both went through, together with Hannah and her little brother Jonathan: the imprisonment organized by a ferocious figure. It will be up to two policemen, Gerd Bühling and Aida Kurt, to put together the pieces of the puzzle that will open a Pandora’s box full of monstrosities. A puzzle that will be difficult to solve, also because the victims, Jasmin, Hannah, and Jonathan, have lived a nightmare from which it seems impossible to escape. And whose marks they bear on their body and soul.
“Dear Child” Netflix Series Review and Analysis
Imagine being a prisoner of a crazy psychopath for years and not knowing what exists outside that shelter home. You will thus find yourself in the shoes of Hannah and Jonathan, two children who have never known the sweetness of a real family and who somehow, despite themselves, manage to break the narrow confines of their prison, to escape with what they consider their mom. Yet, the outside world is frightening, full of dangers, without any point of reference. In the miniseries directed by Isabel Kleefeld, Julian Pörksen perfectly manages to convey this sense of restlessness that envelops every single protagonist. The little ones, obviously, but also Lena or rather Jasmin, a brilliant copywriter kidnapped and transformed by the executioner into his favorite Lena.
And Gerd, a depressed policeman who for years has been trying to return the missing daughter to the Beck family. The anguish is effectively conveyed by the space in which the characters move, narrow and breathless. The lugubrious atmosphere that precludes any salvation is the most successful part of Dear Child which, starting from a rather classic crime setting – crime, or rather a chain of crimes, investigation, resolution with a twist – tells the facts in an empathetic way and throbbing. Despite, indeed, the glacial air that envelops the protagonists. In short, it is not so much the detection that is important as how each character lives and deals with that great unresolved issue which is Lena’s disappearance.
Dear Child is a story that talks above all about motherhood, not only biological but emotional. Lena/Jasmin is a healthy parental figure for Hannah and Jonathan, so much so that the deep affection nourished by the child will prove essential in saving the woman from certain death. It is a story in which women have a predominant role, in terms of caring for and resolving the matter. And they are female characters of great strength, intelligent, intuitive, shrewd, not at all bent by events, who know the saving power of a story. It is no coincidence that the bond that unites Jasmin and the two children develops precisely through fairy tales. Just as the tenderness of the nurse who takes care of Hannah is manifested with the gift of the book One Thousand and One Nights. Women, unfortunately, are also victims of senseless and terrible male violence and this obviously cannot be kept quiet. This is a point of view which, if not brand new, certainly contributes to giving three-dimensionality to the whole story.
Dear Child limps a bit in the revelation of the villain that we can only identify in the last few episodes, whose reasons for criminal behavior are never explained in depth. And the motive that pushes a character to move in a certain way is not a small narrative element. Everything, on the other hand, is resolved rather quickly, attributing it to a sort of Oedipal complex that has never been fully addressed. Conflict that we don’t want to spoil you, but which is rather elementary in its dynamics. More effective, however, is the description of his foibles, which is expressed in the strict rules that he imposes on his victims. Which aims to erase his identity. Just like when, hitcock-like, dyes Jasmin’s hair platinum blonde to make her look like Lena.
All the elements of a good thriller, with that twisted, mysterious touch and an extra for those who want more authentic stories: a narrative that, at every moment, feels like a true story, well told and that knows how to find its rhythm in every instant. “Dear Child” is not a horror thriller like “The Silence of the Lambs”, although at times it may seem so because of the dungeons, kidnappings, and more: it is more of a thriller with social nuances, in which investigators and feelings have a lot to say. It is a very human thriller, which appeals to feelings, but which does not allow itself to be trapped by them and which, in this combination, manages to have its personality and a peculiar, interesting, and solid narrative. A terrible case, with social services, investigators, and the environment trying to shed light on a case that seems simple in the first scenes. But the plot becomes complicated, and nothing is as it seems: the series immerses itself in a game of identity, past and present which, intertwined with memories, makes up an intricate, very well-managed detective plot.
“Dear Child” Netflix Series Review: The Last Words
“Dear Child” is a surprise that came without notice, without making much noise, but it is a miniseries that will surely find space among fans of good thrillers. Dear Child is a miniseries that is followed with great passion and trepidation and which, despite the rather superficial and hasty description of the villain, remains an enjoyable show. A series that also allows you to get into the characters: it’s not a Hollywood thriller that takes us from one surprise to another without giving us a breather. It allows space for reflection, knows how to take breaks and at times behaves like a television film and then resumes its most macabre dark thriller aspect.
Dear Child Netflix Series Review: Dramatic and Emotional Thriller That Captivates with its Plot and Storytelling - Filmyhype
Director: Isabel Kleefeld, Julian Pörkse
Date Created: 2023-09-07 19:12
3.5
Pros
- the story is both heartbreaking and disturbing
- A dark and twisted tale of revenge and redemption
- A powerful and disturbing look at the effects of trauma
- The suspenseful plot. The series kept me guessing until the very end, and I was always eager to find out what would happen next.
- The strong performances. The cast did a great job of bringing the characters to life, and I was especially impressed by Kim Riedle's performance as Lena.
- The atmospheric visuals. The series was beautifully shot, and the dark and twisted atmosphere really added to the suspense.
Cons
- Sometime the length of the series feels long
