City of Blood – Review | Hulu Series

CITY OF BLOOD on Hulu is a dystopian vampire series set in Berlin. With eight episodes, it does move rather slowly. As someone who didn’t enjoy all the stories equally, it evolved too slowly. Mostly, I found myself getting impatient and wanting the pace to be much faster. Read our City of Blood series review here!

CITY OF BLOOD is a Hulu series from Germany. The story is set in dystopian post-apocalyptic Berlin. No, not a zombie apocalypse, but rather the pandemic that finally broke the world. This is the kind of premise that I always find intriguing. Yes, even without zombies, though I never mind when they’re part of the plot.

Also, City of Blood has something else. It’s virtually teased right there in the title: Vampires. Of course, this word isn’t used directly, but human-like creatures that drink blood and can’t be in the sunlight, so… vampires. The series has eight episodes, but after watching just two, I was ready to admit defeat: This is not my kind of series. Not the pace, the characters, or the storyline. It’s not bad, but it is not for me.

Continue reading our City of Blood series review (based on the first two episodes) below.

Welcome to Dystopian Berlin

In City of Blood, the city in question is Berlin in a very dystopian version. Not only did the city (and the world at large) suffer a pandemic of apocalyptic proportions, but it is also ravaged by climate change. There is an unbearable heat hanging over the city. Everything is filthy from dust and dirt, as water obviously isn’t a resource used to make cars look shiny.

Also, everyone is sweating constantly.

What I found strange was that people looked the same. Most still have nice haircuts, clothes that look like what you’d see on the streets now. Also, smartphones, television news, and the Internet are all pretty much the same as now.

Maybe it’s just me, but I think most of us still remember the most recent pandemic, which resulted in crazy hair. Here, we’re talking about a pandemic that resulted in Germany being divided into separate states, and we’re in Berlin, which has become its own country of sorts.

Blood is the true currency of the new world

As much as the world hasn’t changed, there are some new things; mostly a strange new form of crime consisting of blood smuggling. A way in which the world has not changed is that those who have enough wealth live as they wish. They have their own world inside a fully air-conditioned dome. A dome where the sun shines, but is also shining through a barrier.

Could this be good news for vampires perchance?!

Officially, City of Blood focuses on (in theory, anyway) the two sisters, Bea and Phoebe. They were separated as children, and while Bea is living the good life, her older sister Phoebe struggles to survive. And yet, all isn’t great for Bea, who, despite growing up in privileged surroundings with her adoptive mother, is chronically ill. Just as they are reconnecting, they make a crazy discovery: Vampires control organized crime and are now seeking political power.

When I say that City of Blood is about these two sisters “in theory”, it’s because there are so many other stories around them. Again, I know they are all part of the same universe, but we see several other characters as much as Bea and Phoebe. It’s fine by me, because I enjoy the other storylines more.

A vampire series… and then some

Sure, City of Blood on Hulu is a vampire series. But not just. In fact, not nearly enough, if you ask me. The vampire element is just one part of the plot. Another deals with estranged sisters trying to reconnect, politicians in a power struggle, and the rich having a grand ol’ time, while the poor are living in the dirt and heat.

Yeah, it’s a few too many stories.

Even if they are clearly connected, it all feels very fragmented at first, and I am not intrigued enough to want to keep watching. Two episodes in, and I am more annoyed with some characters than I am obviously meant to be.

Meanwhile, the villains are more interesting, so I’d rather follow their storyline. And yes, villains are often fascinating, but usually because they are the counterpart to the hero you root for. I didn’t care much for anybody in City of Blood after the first two episodes. Surely, this is not as intended by the writers.

Watch the City of Blood series on Hulu & Disney+

The new Hulu and Disney+ series is inspired by the graphic novel “Berlinoir” by cult illustrator Reinhard Kleist and author Tobias O. Meißner. For the record, I think Berlinoir would have been a much better name for this series instead of the generic “City of Blood”.

I mean, Berlin is famous for being a cool city full of all kinds of lovely weirdos – think “We are the weirdos, mister!” in The Craft. And I mean that in a very nice and positive way. Berlin is an amazing city! And the title of Berlinoir is just too good not to use. At least that’s what I think.

The City of Blood series was created by Philipp Kadelbach and Elena Lyubarskaya (Pauline). They wrote the scripts with Kim Zimmermann (Unfamiliar), Daniela Baumgärtl (Welcome Home Baby), Martin Behnke (Christmas Crossfire), Nicki Bloom, and Tillmann Roth. Additional writing was provided by Bernd Lange and Niko Schulz-Dornburg.

The series is directed by co-creator Philipp Kadelbach (Perfume), who renewed his collaboration with Amusement Park following the critically acclaimed Munich Games series. Amusement Park Film also produced the breathtaking All Quiet on the Western Front (2022). A movie that won four Academy Awards® very deservedly and was nominated for a total of nine.

I don’t know that City of Blood will win any awards, but I doubt it. Maybe fans of the graphic novel will enjoy this adaptation. It just wasn’t for me.

City of Blood streams on Hulu in the United States and on Disney+ internationally starting September 16, 2026.

Details

Creators: Philipp Kadelbach & Elena Lyubarskaya
Director: Philipp Kadelbach
Writers: Philipp Kadelbach, Elena Lyubarskaya, Kim Zimmermann, Daniela Baumgärtl, Martin Behnke, Nicki Bloom, Tillmann Roth, Bernd Lange, Niko Schulz-Dornburg
Cast: Lea Drinda, Soma Pysall, Mouataz Alshaltouh, Franz Hartwig, Jördis Triebel, David Schütter, Jenny Schily, Dagmar Manzel, Melika Foroutan, Jan Georg Schütte, Lars Eidinger