Liebes Kind is a German miniseries in six parts, based on the book by Romy Hausmann. The story of Liebes Kind is inspired by the kidnapping cases of Kampusch and Fritzl. The series is one of the most watched non-English Netflix series worldwide.
A remote home with darkened windows and a closed door. Lena, a young woman, and her two children, Hannah and Jonathan, are locked up. When 'father' enters, they jump up, line up and obediently show the inside and outside of their hands to show that they are not hiding anything. The children receive an energy bar as a reward. Lena is shaking and sobbing; she doesn't get a candy bar, but she does get the comment that a punishment will follow because she didn't follow the rules (don't cry in front of the children).
Shortly afterwards we see Lena running through a dark forest in panic and fear. She reaches a road but is hit by a car. Hannah is with her. An ambulance takes them both to a hospital. Hannah's quirky traits and sociopathic tendencies set alarm bells ringing among the nursing staff. When a police inspector reads the report of the incident, he thinks he recognizes Lena as the student who disappeared thirteen years ago after a night out.
But not everything is what it seems.
It's terrifying to watch a largely invisible man condition his "family" into jaded slaves with a laundry list of absurd rules. Meals, toilet visits and class times must take place at exactly the same time every day. After their escape, he manages to stay one step ahead of the police and continues to exert his influence. Who is this man and how did he stay under the radar for so long? And is Lena really Lena, or not?
In the episodes you get to see different perspectives through the eyes of various characters, which always gives a new interpretation to the mystery. The strength of this series lies in the constant plot twists, which provide surprises until the very last moment. The viewer must revise accumulated hypotheses with each new event. The excellent cast includes Kim Riedle (Tod von Freunden), Sammy Schrein (German Crime Story: Gefesselt) and Hans Löw (Charité). The performance of the young Naila Schuberth (Blackout), who plays Hannah, is particularly impressive, as she emotionlessly portrays the Stockholm syndrome.
In terms of tension and plot, this series offers everything you would expect from a thriller, but a warning is in order: it is grim and sometimes unpleasant material. Nevertheless, turning off the tv is not an option. A featured nightmare.
