Channel 4 Drops Mysterious Thriller That Viewers Can’t Stop Talking About

Ever wonder why the best plot twists seem to hail from Germany these days? I mean, trust the country that gave us the Christmas pickle and techno to keep serving up TV shows so tense, you’ll need an extra glass of Riesling to unwind after each episode . Channel 4 has gifted us with another delicacy on the psychological thriller platter—a German-language mini-series crammed with more suspense than a season’s worth of The Great British Bake Off finals. And yes, dear binge-watchers, you’ll want to pop your subtitles on for this one . As someone who binges subtitled series with the zeal of a caffeinated copywriter, I can say that if you’ve ever caught yourself frantically Googling plot explanations for Dark, Deutschland 83, or Babylon Berlin, grab your blanket because you’re in for another deliciously twisted ride . Adapted from Melanie Raabe’s book and now available for free, The Shadow wraps you up in its web of what-if questions: What if someone predicted you’d kill a complete stranger in six weeks? Would you believe it—or would you plan your next vacation very, very far away from Vienna? Intrigued? Thought so . LEARN MORE

Fans of psychological thrillers listen up, as Channel 4 has just added a new German language series which is full of ‘twists and turns’.

From Netflix’s mind-bending series Dark to shows such as Deutschland 83 and Babylon Berlin, Germany has been doing a good job of exporting tense and nail-biting thrillers over the years.

And anyone who doesn’t mind watching their television with subtitles should be adding this mini-series to their ‘to watch’ list right away.

Recently made available for free on the streaming platform, it is adapted from Melanie Raabe’s 2021 book of the same name and is packed full of psychological suspense.

The series stars Swiss actor Deleila Piasko as Norah Richter, a journalist who has relocated from Berlin to Vienna with the hope of leaving her old life behind her.

Deleila Piasko as Norah Richter (Channel 4/ZDF)

Before Norah can settle into her new life she is approached by a mysterious woman who delivers a decisively chilling prophecy: she will soon meet a man named Arthur Grimm and in six weeks time she will murder him.

The encounter obviously leaves Norah feeling freaked out and she tries to brush off the message, until she ends up crossing paths with a man named Arthur Grimm (Christoph Luser).

When Norah realises the six weeks will be up on a day which coincides with a previous tragedy which had befallen her many years ago, she begins to wonder who exactly Arthur is and what he would do to drive her to commit murder?

The six-part series – called The Shadow (originally titled Der Schatten) – came out in 2023 on German network ZDF and had previously been available on Netflix in certain countries, meaning the addition to Channel 4 will be the first time Brits are able to watch the thriller for free.

Although the reaction to the series has been more mixed than the book, reviews for The Shadow are mostly positive, with it receiving an overall score of 6.7 out of 10 on IMDb.

Reviews say the show is ‘character driven’ and full of ‘suspense’ (Channel 4/ZDF)

“The finale delivers a powerful conclusion that resonates without relying on conventional twists. Der Schatten is a testament to the potential of television as a medium for nuanced, character-driven narratives,” one person wrote, adding that The Shadow diverges from the original source material, which means you can watch the series without having the book completely spoilt.

“Der Schatten unfolds as a meticulously crafted psychological thriller, distinguished by its atmospheric storytelling and compelling performances,” the review adds.

A second viewer penned: “The story is gripping, thrilling, full of twists and turns, many facets, and surprises. Excellent entertainment, as tense as the daily heat in Vienna.”

While a third added: “Great series. Germans can do things differently.”

The Shadow is available to stream in full on Channel 4 now.