In the Face of Crime

Im Angesicht des Verbrechens is a German television series about the Russian mafia in Berlin. It received high critical acclaim, but the viewer figures were disappointing. It was broadcast by ARTE and Das Erste.

In the Face of Crime (Im Angesicht des Verbrechens) (2010) is a German crime drama miniseries created by Rolf Basedow for Das Erste, broadcast alongside ARTE. Across ten episodes of roughly forty-five minutes each, it follows the uneasy collision between Berlin police investigators and the Russian mafia operating in the city's streets. Max Riemelt plays Marek Gorsky, and Ronald Zehrfeld plays Sven Lottner, a detective whose pursuit of the organization drags him deeper into dangerous territory. Marie Bäumer, Mišel Matičević, and Alina Levshin round out the principal cast as figures caught between loyalty, survival, and the law. The engine of the story is the slow tightening of a criminal network around people who have every reason to stay hidden, with each episode advancing investigations, betrayals, and shifting alliances. Its shape is that of a single continuous crime story rather than a case-of-the-week format. Set in contemporary Berlin, the series feels gritty and unglamorous, with a tense, sober atmosphere that lingers on the costs of violence and distrust. Critics praised its seriousness and craft even though audiences were fewer than hoped. Viewers drawn to European crime sagas in the vein of Gomorra and The Wire will find a similarly grounded, morally weighted world here.

• Gomorragritty organized crime drama, criminal underworld power struggles, police investigation
• The Wireserialized crime drama, police and criminal milieu in a European city, morally grey characters
• Montalbanoeuropean crime thriller, police and mafia intersect, dark urban atmosphere

Created by

Rolf Basedow

Release Date

2010-04-27

Episode runtime

45 min

Rating

8.0 / 10 (26)

What is In the Face of Crime about?

A German crime drama following police and Russian mafia figures battling for control of Berlin's underworld.

What is In the Face of Crime like to watch?

Ember's analysis rates the pacing of In the Face of Crime as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.

Is In the Face of Crime violent?

Somewhat. Ember rates the violence in In the Face of Crime as moderate.

Which shows are like In the Face of Crime?

Shows with a similar feel include Gomorra, The Wire, and Montalbano.

How long is In the Face of Crime?

In the Face of Crime: 1 season, 10 episodes.

Is In the Face of Crime still running?

No, In the Face of Crime has ended.