19 reviews
(Translated with DeepL from German)
The short series (6 episodes) begins with the disappearance of 13-year-old Josie and a completely distraught father who, at the start of the series two years later, travels to the island of Parkum (similar to a North Sea island) to find peace with his dog. By smoothly alternating between events on Parkum, which don't always seem coherent or logical from the viewer's eye, and memories of the past between the father, mother and daughter, it's still possible to get a good picture of the characters. As is typical in German crime/thriller productions, the characters are somewhat overdrawn, though less noticeably so than in other examples. Therefore, it is easy to immerse oneself in the thoughts and needs of the various roles, and to gain some appreciation for many of the important characters.
The story remains permanently exciting and offers some surprises, which greatly reduce the predictability of the plot. Thus, the viewer is kept guessing until the very end. There are a few plot holes, but they are only minor and therefore don't interrupt the thread.
In terms of setting, much of the action takes place on the island of Parkum with its classic North Sea/Baltic Sea charm. Wide sand dunes as panoramic shots and gloomy forests with stormy weather regularly remind you that this series is originally German. Other locations include the city of Berlin, the main protagonist's villa, and a clinic run by the second main protagonist, Dr. Roth, which is introduced as a second story strand at the beginning.
The Cons (Contains minor spoilers): While I had a lot of fun binge-watching the series, the setting on Parkum Island reminded me a bit unimaginatively of Shutter Island. Since other aspects of the series are also reminiscent of Shutter Island, they could have at least thought of something other than a vacation on an island. Some sub-aspects of the story were also only explained very briefly and therefore didn't fit too organically into the rest of the plot. This is exactly what other productions (like Shutter Island) do much better, probably because the roles already carry bigger signs of their past through the main plot than in "Therapy". However, the shift from thriller to heavily emotional moments (slightly overdrawn) was a pleasant refreshment.
Solid 7-8/10.
The story remains permanently exciting and offers some surprises, which greatly reduce the predictability of the plot. Thus, the viewer is kept guessing until the very end. There are a few plot holes, but they are only minor and therefore don't interrupt the thread.
In terms of setting, much of the action takes place on the island of Parkum with its classic North Sea/Baltic Sea charm. Wide sand dunes as panoramic shots and gloomy forests with stormy weather regularly remind you that this series is originally German. Other locations include the city of Berlin, the main protagonist's villa, and a clinic run by the second main protagonist, Dr. Roth, which is introduced as a second story strand at the beginning.
The Cons (Contains minor spoilers): While I had a lot of fun binge-watching the series, the setting on Parkum Island reminded me a bit unimaginatively of Shutter Island. Since other aspects of the series are also reminiscent of Shutter Island, they could have at least thought of something other than a vacation on an island. Some sub-aspects of the story were also only explained very briefly and therefore didn't fit too organically into the rest of the plot. This is exactly what other productions (like Shutter Island) do much better, probably because the roles already carry bigger signs of their past through the main plot than in "Therapy". However, the shift from thriller to heavily emotional moments (slightly overdrawn) was a pleasant refreshment.
Solid 7-8/10.
- magnuswagner-88050
- Oct 27, 2023
- Permalink
Really interesting story, a 10 but average editing, a 5.
I highly recommend.
Very good acting.
The English dubbing was excellent, I usually prefer to watch in the original language but this time I made an exception and I was very pleased.
I am usually not too fond of German cinema (of course with some exceptions). This was similar to a British production/series.
I liked the fact there was no clichés or any politically correct agenda. It is refreshing that there's wasn't any agenda forced on us.
Don't miss it.
Not predictable at all: a bonus as I tend to guess and it takes away the experience.
Maybe a bit slow as well.
I highly recommend.
Very good acting.
The English dubbing was excellent, I usually prefer to watch in the original language but this time I made an exception and I was very pleased.
I am usually not too fond of German cinema (of course with some exceptions). This was similar to a British production/series.
I liked the fact there was no clichés or any politically correct agenda. It is refreshing that there's wasn't any agenda forced on us.
Don't miss it.
Not predictable at all: a bonus as I tend to guess and it takes away the experience.
Maybe a bit slow as well.
I like this type of mystery series and movies. The series itself did not reinvent the wheel. And it didn't need to. What matters is how the story is told and whether the narrative holds you on all the way.
One of the key strengths of the series was that it was only six episodes long. A longer series would have meant an artificial extension and content. I would like to see more series of 4-6 episodes. With the growing popularity of series, it seems that many film scripts are being turned into 8-12 episode series. Slowly warming up a series is one thing, but artificially lengthening it without adding value is another.
But as I said, this series was the right length and had enough to hold you watching. Granted, the series did contain various silliness, but that's the way it is usually. All in all, the series was quite watchable, but this series isn't memorable. You can easily watch it and enjoy, but after somedays you won't probably remember that's much about it. And that is quite ok.
One of the key strengths of the series was that it was only six episodes long. A longer series would have meant an artificial extension and content. I would like to see more series of 4-6 episodes. With the growing popularity of series, it seems that many film scripts are being turned into 8-12 episode series. Slowly warming up a series is one thing, but artificially lengthening it without adding value is another.
But as I said, this series was the right length and had enough to hold you watching. Granted, the series did contain various silliness, but that's the way it is usually. All in all, the series was quite watchable, but this series isn't memorable. You can easily watch it and enjoy, but after somedays you won't probably remember that's much about it. And that is quite ok.
- Kukkahattuseta
- Nov 27, 2023
- Permalink
This is the story of a psychiatrist who believes he has "misplaced" his daughter. It contains several clever plot twists, dramatic incidents and insightful vignettes of family life. The first two episodes leave us quite confused and unable to predict what will happen next. Then things take a decidedly eerie turn. Of course, all is resolved in the sixth and final episode. In fact I did not believe all the puzzles could possibly have a convincing resolution, but to my surprise they did and the story held together well.
The cinematography alone made this a gorgeous viewing experience. English speakers can avoid the dubbed version, I found the original German dialogues together with English subtitles just perfect. This is a very European mini-series, thankfully missing the plastic acting that defines Hollywood these days. More on the lines of the great Nordic noir serials. Strongly recommended for the discerning viewer.
The cinematography alone made this a gorgeous viewing experience. English speakers can avoid the dubbed version, I found the original German dialogues together with English subtitles just perfect. This is a very European mini-series, thankfully missing the plastic acting that defines Hollywood these days. More on the lines of the great Nordic noir serials. Strongly recommended for the discerning viewer.
- sunil_mukhi
- Nov 27, 2023
- Permalink
- koundinya1986
- Nov 25, 2023
- Permalink
This is truly a psychological mystery and contains twists and turns and unexpected imaginings. I am surprised there are such low ratings by some people. The cinematography was beautiful, the acting was very well done especially the main character Victor. Such a range of emotions. The two teenage girls also I think did an excellent job of being typically moody in a very believable way. The second main character Roth also carried off his part very well. The layers upon layers of imaginings versus reality gave the plot a lot of mysterious ambience that was enhanced by the musical score. There were some very tender and moving moments especially at the end. The dubbing was pretty good so all in all I really was captivated by this Limited series.
Surprised to see a German TV series on Amazon Prime just as we were getting bored with other programmes. We started watching this without much expectation knowing the ratings and reviews of this series being just about average. While we persisted in watching it, the story is getting better and better with twists and turns and a very surprising ending.
The story was weird to start with as the protagonist - Dr Victor Larenz, a psychiatrist with his wife and daughter living in a luxury villa near Berlin - was experiencing a personal crisis after the disappearance of his only child. The story goes back and forth mixing the present and flashbacks to trace the trajectory of his daughter's experience of growing up in a bourgeois family with a strict discipline imposed by her parents. Then we see the usual story of a teenager's rebellion and her final disappearance which resulted in the bitter separation of the parents. The personal crisis prompted Larenz to quit his job and travelled to a completely deserted North Sea island in the middle of a cold winter to have a soul-searching holiday alone. With excellent cinematography, the bleak winter beach scene perfectly conveys the feeling of desolation and despair of the protagonist. Then a series of weird things happened on the island.
At the same time, a side-plot developed in Berlin with Dr Larenz's colleague Dr Roth working in the same psychiatric clinic. The story exposes some of the common problems in the West - drug abuse and other social ills in the streets of Berlin. Roth helped Larenz to the end to solve the mystery of his daughter's disappearance.
A thought-provoking series which mixes the hallucinatory scenes with the bleak reality in the style of a psychological thriller. The story is not tinted by the usual "political correctness" and does not seek to sell any political agenda. It is both satisfying as an intriguing story as well as an example of aesthetically appealing cinematography without any special effects. Well worth watching. Highly recommended.
The only regret is the dubbing voices (in English) which sound a bit robotic - not natural enough as the native speakers.
The story was weird to start with as the protagonist - Dr Victor Larenz, a psychiatrist with his wife and daughter living in a luxury villa near Berlin - was experiencing a personal crisis after the disappearance of his only child. The story goes back and forth mixing the present and flashbacks to trace the trajectory of his daughter's experience of growing up in a bourgeois family with a strict discipline imposed by her parents. Then we see the usual story of a teenager's rebellion and her final disappearance which resulted in the bitter separation of the parents. The personal crisis prompted Larenz to quit his job and travelled to a completely deserted North Sea island in the middle of a cold winter to have a soul-searching holiday alone. With excellent cinematography, the bleak winter beach scene perfectly conveys the feeling of desolation and despair of the protagonist. Then a series of weird things happened on the island.
At the same time, a side-plot developed in Berlin with Dr Larenz's colleague Dr Roth working in the same psychiatric clinic. The story exposes some of the common problems in the West - drug abuse and other social ills in the streets of Berlin. Roth helped Larenz to the end to solve the mystery of his daughter's disappearance.
A thought-provoking series which mixes the hallucinatory scenes with the bleak reality in the style of a psychological thriller. The story is not tinted by the usual "political correctness" and does not seek to sell any political agenda. It is both satisfying as an intriguing story as well as an example of aesthetically appealing cinematography without any special effects. Well worth watching. Highly recommended.
The only regret is the dubbing voices (in English) which sound a bit robotic - not natural enough as the native speakers.
- xiaowei-bond
- Nov 24, 2023
- Permalink
I have not read the book so I'm not sure how true the series is to the book. However, I found the series to be a very enjoyable watch and highly engaging.
The focus of the story is regarding the missing daughter of the main character, Dr. Larenz. Josy goes missing at the age of 13. The series moves between different time points starting with the day of her disappearance and it moves into the past and into the future, 2 years after her disappearance. Ultimately we learn the fate of Josy, but I won't give any spoilers away.
As well as moving between different timelines, we are also moving between different sub-plots and everything came together at the end.
The characters are believable and well acted. I watched the version with the English dubbing and it was good.
The setting of the series is in Germany. In some episodes we are taken to an atmospheric island in the North Sea called Parkum, a setting that I enjoyed.
The number of episodes and the length of the episodes was right, in my opinion.
Overall, I can highly recommend this series.
The focus of the story is regarding the missing daughter of the main character, Dr. Larenz. Josy goes missing at the age of 13. The series moves between different time points starting with the day of her disappearance and it moves into the past and into the future, 2 years after her disappearance. Ultimately we learn the fate of Josy, but I won't give any spoilers away.
As well as moving between different timelines, we are also moving between different sub-plots and everything came together at the end.
The characters are believable and well acted. I watched the version with the English dubbing and it was good.
The setting of the series is in Germany. In some episodes we are taken to an atmospheric island in the North Sea called Parkum, a setting that I enjoyed.
The number of episodes and the length of the episodes was right, in my opinion.
Overall, I can highly recommend this series.
- hannahlloyd-85936
- Mar 29, 2024
- Permalink
My friend picked this movie to watch, the scenes are amazing, the location, the photography, the atmosphere. That's when it all comes crashing down to a psychological state of boredom, the dialogue, the moment the characters are on set, the unwatchable start to unfold itself into a psychological drama of an out of body overacting. The stagnant gestures the protagonist makes it hard to engage with. Lame amazon offering, some enjoy this, good luck to the few that has nothing much to do but labor over this endless cycle of nonsense of the therapy. Wasted up to episode six just to say, I'm done. Boring stuff.
- novaculabklyn
- Jan 21, 2024
- Permalink
Hi...I recently finished watching Psychology based webseries on Prime "Sebastian Fitzek's Therapy - Season1". Its amazing. Its surely complicated and has events which keeps going in past and present frequently, the way our brain keeps recalling and act very quickly. You might feel leaving it in-between due to complexity. But just hold the patience for a while.
It gives interesting insights of how our Conscious level of mind/brain responds to things happening around, has impact of or drivers coming from Subconscious and Unconscious level of mind/brain. Sometimes we may not be able to identify what is really driving responses and reaction in current environment but this Webseries tracks it down to peep deep into both Subconscious and Unconscious level of mind/brain, to correct the Conscious level of mind/brain.
Though the event discovered at the end of this Webseries is the key context of this Webseries, we call it Climax. But you can look at this as indicating context to find our own or someone else's contexts which possibly are driving our/their current Conscious level of mind/brain i.e. The Responses/Reactions of our own or people around.
Its a journey of following the Shadows to find the Good and Bad Characters playing in our deep in mind/brain which brings the show on the stage of Responses/Reactions.
I liked one dialogue from this Web Series i.e. "the more you try to hold things inside (unresolved), it will make you more uncomfortable and ill"
It gives interesting insights of how our Conscious level of mind/brain responds to things happening around, has impact of or drivers coming from Subconscious and Unconscious level of mind/brain. Sometimes we may not be able to identify what is really driving responses and reaction in current environment but this Webseries tracks it down to peep deep into both Subconscious and Unconscious level of mind/brain, to correct the Conscious level of mind/brain.
Though the event discovered at the end of this Webseries is the key context of this Webseries, we call it Climax. But you can look at this as indicating context to find our own or someone else's contexts which possibly are driving our/their current Conscious level of mind/brain i.e. The Responses/Reactions of our own or people around.
Its a journey of following the Shadows to find the Good and Bad Characters playing in our deep in mind/brain which brings the show on the stage of Responses/Reactions.
I liked one dialogue from this Web Series i.e. "the more you try to hold things inside (unresolved), it will make you more uncomfortable and ill"
- sameerpanchal-70142
- Feb 12, 2025
- Permalink
- Waldorf-1979
- Nov 6, 2023
- Permalink
I woke from sleep in a panic - I had not yet done my civic duty and warned people about this crapload! I watch so many movies, streamed, in theaters, whatever. And I love good twisted thrillers/mysteries with flashbacks, conundrums and so on. But if you have any loathsome chore to spend time on - clipping your cat's or your own nails, cleaning grit out of your porcelain pedestal, making donations to fake charities - you should opt to do that instead of watching this. This thing should have a HAZMAT symbol stamped on it, like you are forbidden to drive over a bridge or through a tunnel with it locked in your trunk. It's like antimatter and dark matter colliding, causing something like an explosion of marshmallows! The main character carries on like a dolt's attempt to imitate Max Von Sydow, but with the hysterical soul of Julia Roberts, AND her scenery-chewing brother Eric. I won't tell you any details or spoilers, because there are no details worth mentioning, and it's already spoiled like stuff left in the fridge too long. Like the infamous Norwegian Blue parrot, it is deceased! It has gone to meet its maker! Thump thump! - it is a "late parrot!" It is pretentious twaddle and makes NO sense whatsoever. Phew - now that I have conscientiously warned you I think I'll go jump in a lake.
Not one character worth caring about.
A monotone atmosphere where literally every character is frantic, all the time.
After two episodes, it is impossible to give a damn about whatever this alleged "mystery" might turn out to be.
Everything about this production reeks of desperation.
The acting is pathetic, the writing and direction even worse.
Not one character worth caring about.
A monotone atmosphere where literally every character is frantic, all the time.
After two episodes, it is impossible to give a damn about whatever this alleged "mystery" might turn out to be.
Everything about this production reeks of desperation.
The acting is pathetic, the writing and direction even worse.
Not one character worth caring about.
A monotone atmosphere where literally every character is frantic, all the time.
After two episodes, it is impossible to give a damn about whatever this alleged "mystery" might turn out to be.
Everything about this production reeks of desperation.
The acting is pathetic, the writing and direction even worse.
A monotone atmosphere where literally every character is frantic, all the time.
After two episodes, it is impossible to give a damn about whatever this alleged "mystery" might turn out to be.
Everything about this production reeks of desperation.
The acting is pathetic, the writing and direction even worse.
Not one character worth caring about.
A monotone atmosphere where literally every character is frantic, all the time.
After two episodes, it is impossible to give a damn about whatever this alleged "mystery" might turn out to be.
Everything about this production reeks of desperation.
The acting is pathetic, the writing and direction even worse.
Not one character worth caring about.
A monotone atmosphere where literally every character is frantic, all the time.
After two episodes, it is impossible to give a damn about whatever this alleged "mystery" might turn out to be.
Everything about this production reeks of desperation.
The acting is pathetic, the writing and direction even worse.
- davidhenmanmusic
- Jan 2, 2024
- Permalink
I rarely watch a movie or series that is dubbed. I would rather read subtitles. The voice actors in dubbed movies usually are so bad and the audio sounds like an afterthought. What a mistake this series was. Maybe if I understood German and watched the original I would l would have enjoyed this show. But this series was so dull that in the middle of episode two, I had to jump to episode six because I just couldn't stand the pace and the overlaid audio track. All of the reveals at the end didn't make up for the meandering storyline. It was very unsatisfying that I could have skipped episode six and wouldn't have thought twice.
- slappysquirrel_2000
- Nov 10, 2023
- Permalink
At some point I stopped counting the unpredictable twists and turns.
This wasn't a problem of language - it was a problem of history.
That wasn't a joy, it was just a waste of time! It would be very difficult to base the criticism of this series on catchy examples, as such examples would probably have to be seen as spoilers. The basic idea for this film is certainly not bad and ultimately it may be that the story is exciting when read and can be understood better.
I wish those involved in the creation of this series a much happier hand for future projects. Amazon Prime is recommended to stop advertising this production.
This wasn't a problem of language - it was a problem of history.
That wasn't a joy, it was just a waste of time! It would be very difficult to base the criticism of this series on catchy examples, as such examples would probably have to be seen as spoilers. The basic idea for this film is certainly not bad and ultimately it may be that the story is exciting when read and can be understood better.
I wish those involved in the creation of this series a much happier hand for future projects. Amazon Prime is recommended to stop advertising this production.
- groszernanuk
- Nov 10, 2023
- Permalink
I wasn't aware of the original novel, so I came to this without prior knowledge or expectations. It seemed like the sort of thing I would usually enjoy. I watched the dubbed-in-English version which probably made it less enjoyable than a subtitled version.
At the end of episode one, my partner was keen to continue. I would have abandoned it. The pace was glacial! Oh well, only two more to go, I mistakenly thought. Unfortunately, there were six in total! Three too many!
The "what happened to Josy" mystery was quite easy to solve, unfortunately. I grew to quite like Dr Roth and the spiky older woman though, which was the only saving grace.
At the end of episode one, my partner was keen to continue. I would have abandoned it. The pace was glacial! Oh well, only two more to go, I mistakenly thought. Unfortunately, there were six in total! Three too many!
The "what happened to Josy" mystery was quite easy to solve, unfortunately. I grew to quite like Dr Roth and the spiky older woman though, which was the only saving grace.
- morrataxco
- Sep 28, 2024
- Permalink