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Mistreatment, plot twists and Kampusch inspiration: This German psychological thriller satisfies our voyeurism and, according to Netflix, ends up in the top 10 of the streaming charts in 92 countries – even at number one in Switzerland.
There’s something wrong with this family. While mother Lena plays happily with the children in the living room, a man whose face we do not see approaches the house ominously. The front door, behind which the mother is waiting full of fear and the children are full of hope for the man they call “Dad”, is unlocked from the outside. Mother, daughter and son line up, the mother shaking in fear.
According to surveys by the streaming service, the mini-series “Liebes Kind” has enjoyed international success on Netflix since its launch on September 7th and has also become number one in Switzerland. The German series spreads tension for almost five hours.
Captivity scenes and plot twists
A man robs his family of their freedom. If he doesn’t adhere to his strict regime, such as fixed times for going to the toilet, eating, or going to bed, he punishes him – especially his mother. The oppressive world of the prisoners becomes visible in flashbacks.
A second time level tells how mother Lena and daughter Hannah manage to escape – in the first episode. The spectators accompany the victims on their first steps to freedom.
While the police are trying hard to find the brother who was left behind in captivity and the perpetrator, Lena and Hannah seem less and less as if they are pursuing the investigators’ goals. The initially clear family relationships also turn out to be unclear. The mother who fled does not seem to be the Lena who has been searched for for 13 years.
Inspired by the Kampusch case
So much for the plot – but why is the series so successful? One possible reason is the original: the novel of the same name, with which Romy Hausmann, now 42, became a crime shooting star in 2019. However, a bestseller alone is hardly enough to achieve success.
Legend:
In “Dear Child” the children are raised to absolute obedience. This makes the investigation against the father difficult.
Netflix
Rather, Hausmann’s inspiration plays a crucial role. According to her own statement, the German writer used the true story of Natascha Kampusch as a model. The Austrian was kidnapped in 1998 at the age of ten and held captive for over eight years.
True events satisfy our voyeurism. This is sufficiently taken into account through flashbacks in the six episodes.
Who is the perpetrator, who is the victim?
Because the victims manage to escape in the first episode, we can regularly recover from the goosebumps. However, additional tension is generated by giving all characters as much emotional ambivalence as possible.
Legend:
Kim Riedle plays Lena, who is taken to the hospital after escaping due to a car accident. But is she really the one who was thought lost?
Netflix
Concepts such as freedom, fear, care, perpetrators and victims begin to falter. Daughter Hannah, for example, seems unpredictable in many scenes. She seems out of this world. There’s something demonic about her, which adds to the thrill.
A universal psychological thriller
The creators Isabel Kleefeld and Julian Pörksen set the event in the Aachen area. But basically that doesn’t matter. There is neither rich nor poor, no social agenda and no climate or geopolitical concerns.
In this psychological thriller, an undefined global middle class struggles with its own abysses. We can all see ourselves in this: terror can strike anyone, at any time.