Netflix’s ‘Unfamiliar’ Blends Spy Thrills with a Domestic Twist in Berlin

Unfamiliar is a new Netflix original series from Germany that puts a fresh spin on the classic spy thriller. Premiering globally on February 5, 2026, the six-episode drama centers on a Berlin couple whose past in espionage comes back to haunt them. Susanne Wolff and Felix Kramer star as Meret and Simon Schäfer, former intelligence agents who have traded the field for running a clandestine safe house in the heart of the city. When a threat they thought they’d buried re-emerges, the pair is forced on the run and plunged into a web of assassins, Russian operatives and domestic intelligence — all while struggling to keep their marriage intact and their young daughter safe. It’s a high-stakes premise that arrives at a moment when audiences are craving sophisticated international thrillers, and Unfamiliar wastes no time in delivering intrigue with a distinctly German edge.

At its core, Unfamiliar balances pulse-pounding espionage action with a story about trust and truth between spouses. The show’s tagline hints that the biggest challenge for these seasoned ex-spies isn’t the car chases or shootouts, but rather coming clean to each other. In tone, the series interweaves suspenseful set-pieces with quieter, nerve-fraying domestic moments. One minute, Meret and Simon might be outsmarting professional killers in a Berlin back alley; the next, they’re wrestling with personal revelations at the dinner table. By spotlighting the emotional fallout of a life lived under cover, Unfamiliar offers more than just cloak-and-dagger thrills — it examines the toll that years of deception can take on relationships. The result is a thriller that’s as much about the secrets between two people as it is about secret agents.

Behind the camera, Unfamiliar brings together an experienced creative team, signaling Netflix’s confidence in the project’s pedigree. The series is created and co-written by Paul Coates, a British showrunner with a background in espionage dramas (he previously worked on the international spy thriller Red Election). Directing duties are led by Lennart Ruff, known for the sci-fi film The Titan, alongside German filmmaker Philipp Leinemann, who garnered attention for his gritty 2019 intelligence drama The End of Truth. Production comes courtesy of Gaumont, the storied studio behind global hits like Narcos and Lupin, as well as Netflix’s own German epic Barbarians. That pedigree is evident in the show’s polished production values — from atmospheric on-location filming around Berlin’s historic streets to tightly choreographed action sequences. The city itself, with its Cold War shadows and modern cosmopolitan bustle, serves as an evocative backdrop, grounding the series in a locale long synonymous with espionage.

Fronting the cast is Susanne Wolff as Meret, the ex-spy whose steely exterior guards a trove of buried secrets. Wolff is a celebrated actress in Germany, lauded for her award-winning turn in the high-seas drama Styx (2018), and Unfamiliar marks one of her most prominent roles on an international stage. Opposite her is Felix Kramer as Simon, Meret’s husband and former field partner. Kramer will be familiar to Netflix viewers from his roles in the mystery sensation Dark and the crime series Dogs of Berlin. Together, the two leads share a chemistry that oscillates between trust and tension — fitting for a couple who have lived through both the best and worst of what covert life offers. Their performances give the series a human heartbeat amid the subterfuge, making Meret and Simon feel like real partners grappling with extraordinary circumstances.

In addition to the core duo, Unfamiliar’s supporting ensemble is packed with notable talent and a few fresh faces. Newcomer Maja Bons plays Nina, the Schäfers’ young daughter, quietly raising the emotional stakes as the innocent caught in the crossfire. Andreas Pietschmann — known internationally for pivotal roles in Netflix’s Dark and 1899 — appears as Jonas Auken, a figure from the couple’s past whose return raises as many questions as it answers. Veteran actor Henry Hübchen lends gravitas as Gregor, a mentor-turned-threat entangled in the crisis. Meanwhile, Barbarians star Laurence Rupp features as Ben, one of several characters whose loyalties remain unclear. Natalia Belitski (Perfume), Samuel Finzi and Genija Rykova round out the cast as figures caught up in the intrigue, including a pair of antagonists with echoes of Cold War-era espionage that lend the story a sense of history coming full circle. This mix of established and emerging actors not only links Unfamiliar to the broader Netflix ecosystem of shows, but also ensures a dynamic range of performances to match the story’s twists.

Genre-wise, Unfamiliar positions itself at the intersection of spy thriller and intimate drama, a combination that speaks to current viewer appetites. It follows in the footsteps of recent espionage series that favor character depth alongside action — akin to how The Americans explored marriage amid spycraft, or how British dramas like London Spy layered personal stakes onto international intrigue. Yet Unfamiliar carves out its own identity by embracing its German perspective. The inclusion of the Bundesnachrichtendienst (Germany’s federal intelligence service, known as BND) as a key player and the legacy of Russian spying in the plot give the series a regional authenticity distinct from its English-language counterparts. In an age of renewed real-world espionage tensions, the show’s themes of hidden pasts and shifting allegiances feel timely. But beyond any ripped-from-the-headlines resonance, Unfamiliar remains, at heart, a story about reconciling who you love with what you’ve done — a universal conflict dressed up in thriller attire.

As Netflix continues to broaden its slate of international originals, Unfamiliar exemplifies the platform’s push for local productions with global reach. German series have already proven their crossover potential — from the mind-bending sci-fi of Dark to the opulent period drama The Empress — and this new entry adds a high-adrenaline spy saga to that growing list. It reflects the streaming era’s appetite for genre storytelling that transcends language barriers, where a show grounded in Berlin can engage viewers in Buenos Aires or Bangalore just as readily as those in Bonn. With its blend of crisp action, emotional storytelling, and a culturally specific lens on a familiar genre, Unfamiliar is poised to intrigue both thriller aficionados and those drawn to complex, character-driven narratives. And as the series reaches its finale, it underscores a broader trend: in a world still defined by secrets and uncertainty, our fascination with spies — and the human dramas behind them — remains as strong as ever.