← Binge

Kleo (2022)

2022 · Action,Crime,Drama · spy-cold-war, period-near-history, crime-procedural

Kleo poster

Kleo is a German Netflix dark-comedy spy-thriller set across the fall of the Berlin Wall, following a Stasi assassin who is betrayed and jailed by her own handlers, then released at reunification and sets about a gleefully violent revenge quest. The tone blends Tarantino-esque farcical action and deadpan absurdist humor with genuine period atmosphere, political critique of GDR dehumanization, and an oddly touching buddy dynamic between the cold-blooded protagonist and an accidental stoner housemate. Jella Haase's range as Kleo — switching disguises, registers, and emotional modes — anchors the show, while Dimitrij Schaad provides scene-stealing comic relief. Production design, soundtrack, and costumes are widely praised as immersive and period-precise. Audiences expecting either pure thriller or pure comedy may be surprised; the show earns its identity precisely from the irreverent hybrid.

From the reviewers

it blended drama with humour successfully and is set at an interesting time in German history; the short time between the wall of the wall and reunification of the two Germanys
The humour doesn't get in the way of the drama; much of it is provided by Kleo's accidental housemate Thilo, a perma-stoned West German, who claims to be from the planet Sirius B, planning to introduce techno music to the East before returning home, and at other times is fairly subtle, like the squeaky footwear Kleo wears on one job.
it's not just a comedy thriller about a killer trained by the former GDR, it's an accusation of that dehumanising political system and how it ruined lives and corrupted characters.
Excellent writing, acting and direction. The actress playing Kleo is very, very good. Plus good production quality - locations, costumes, cars...
Each episode raises the stakes in thriller AND dark comedy.

Explore all 293 prestige TV dramas on Binge →

The Curator's Index

Binge.

Curated Prestige Streaming

Opening up shop.

← Sightlines · the film atlas
Binge.

Curated Prestige Streaming

Find shows to watch based on real reviewer language. No collaborative filtering, no popularity boost. Your taste is the only algorithm here.

The collection

— shows

Browse the library. Filter by sub-genre, register, era, or popularity tier. Click a show to see its full characterization.

—