Shadowplay

In 1946 Berlin, an American cop searches for his missing brother while helping a novice German policewoman fight the violent crimes engulfing the city.

Shadowplay (2020) is a German-produced English-language historical crime limited series created by Måns Mårlind and broadcast on ZDF. Set in 1946 Berlin, a shattered city of rubble and black markets, the story follows American cop Max McLaughlin (Taylor Kitsch) who is searching for his missing brother Moritz (Logan Marshall-Green) while he works alongside a novice German policewoman, Elsie Garten (Nina Hoss). Their partnership is strained by occupation-era suspicion and the moral debris of a country still reckoning with its recent past. Tom Franklin (Michael C. Hall) and Claire Franklin (Tuppence Middleton) add further entanglements, and the investigation pulls the pair through a run of brutal murders across the city. Across eight episodes of one continuing case, the series builds a grim, claustrophobic procedural, with each hour tightening the search for both the killer and the brother. The tone is bleak and atmospheric, with noir shadows and a haunted sense of postwar guilt. Fans of Babylon Berlin, The Killing and Dark will find resonance in its historical texture and moody criminal intrigue.

Audience reception is mixed, with viewers rating the single season middling at 5.4/10 across eight episodes.

• Babylon Berlinpostwar German setting, violent crime investigation, dark moral atmosphere
• The Killingserial killer hunt in a shattered city, brooding noir tone
• Darkpost-war European crime drama with grim atmosphere and historical weight

Created by

Måns Mårlind

Release Date

2020-10-30

Episode runtime

52 min

Rating

7.1 / 10 (66)

What is Shadowplay about?

In 1946 Berlin, an American detective hunting his missing brother teams up with a novice German policewoman to tackle a wave of brutal murders.

What is Shadowplay like to watch?

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

Is Shadowplay violent?

Yes. Ember rates the violence in Shadowplay as graphic.

What did critics think of Shadowplay?

Audience reception is mixed, with viewers rating the single season middling at 5.4/10 across eight episodes.

Which shows are like Shadowplay?

Shows with a similar feel include Babylon Berlin, The Killing, and Dark.

How long is Shadowplay?

Shadowplay: 1 season, 8 episodes.

Is Shadowplay still running?

No, Shadowplay has ended.

Where can I watch Shadowplay?

In United States, Shadowplay streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.