Dear Child


Dear Child is a German crime drama miniseries directed by Isabel Kleefeld and Julian Pörksen, who also wrote the show. Based on Romy Hausmann's book, which was translated into English by Jamie Bulloch, the season premiered on September 7, 2023, on Netflix. The show won Best TV Movie or Miniseries at the 52nd International Emmy Awards.

Synopsis

The series follows a woman who was imprisoned with two children for a long period. After managing to escape, the police begin an investigation into a disappearance case that occurred 13 years ago.

Cast

  • Kim Riedle as Fake “Lena Beck” / Jasmin “Jassy” Grass
  • Naila Schuberth as Hannah
  • Sammy Schrein as Jonathan
  • Haley Louise Jones as Officer Aida Kurt
  • Hans Löw as CID Officer Gerd Bühling
  • Justus von Dohnányi as Matthias Beck
  • Birge Schade as Nurse Ruth
  • Seraphina Maria Schweiger as Officer Ines Reisig
  • Julika Jenkins as Karin Beck
  • Özgür Karadeniz as Dr. Benedikt Hamstedt
  • Juri Senft as Sven
  • Christian Beermann as Lars Rogner
  • Jeanne Goursaud as Lena Beck
  • Christian Kerepeszki as Ulrich Grass

Release

All six episodes of Dear Child were made available on Netflix on September 7, 2023. In the first two weeks after its release, the series stood out as the most-watched non-English language show on the platform, appearing in the top 10 in over 90 countries.

Critical reception

The series received very positive reviews. Oliver Gaebel from Der Spiegel describes it as a "dark and thrilling series" that tackles uncomfortable questions, calling it a "police thriller of its own class". Julian Weinberger from Prisma highlights the intense first episode and the performance of Justus von Dohnányi but notes that the series becomes increasingly conventional, which may overshadow the overall strong impression.