City of Shadows – Series Review | Netflix

CITY OF SHADOWS on Netflix is a Spanish Thriller Series (org. title: Ciudad de sombras) with six episodes. It plays out in the city of Barcelona, so you get to see that gorgeous city. Okay, and also a brutal murder, so this isn’t a travel show but very clearly a murder mystery. Read our City of Shadows Netflix series review here!

CITY OF SHADOWS is a new Netflix series from Spain (org. title: Ciudad de sombras). This new Spanish thriller series has six episodes. As revealed by the official plot and trailer, it revolves around a rather spectacular murder. Yes, spectacular. You’ll see.

Except for the whole murder element, this series also shows the beautiful city of Barcelona, where it plays out. As someone who has been to (and will return to) Barcelona, I loved the role of this location in the plot. This is how you see the city, unlike Bird Box: Barcelona, for obvious apocalyptic reasons.

Continue reading our City of Shadows Netflix series review below. Find all six episodes on Netflix from December 12, 2025.

A body on the iconic Gaudí building

With City of Shadows (org. title: Ciudad de sombras), it’s all about a macabre crime. One that occurred in one of the most iconic places in Barcelona: at La Pedrera, also known as Casa Milà, the stunning building by Gaudí. There, on the façade of Gaudí’s iconic building, a burned body is found.

Or maybe not found as much as displayed!

Enter Inspector Milo Malart (Isak Férriz), who was recently suspended from the Mossos d’Esquadra for insubordination. However, his talents are needed for this case, so he returns to duty in Barcelona. Alongside Deputy Inspector Rebeca Garrido (Verónica Echegui), he is determined to find the perpetrator of the crime.

Shot on location in beautiful Barcelona

The filming of City of Shadows took place on location, and it shows. In the very best sense. We see one gorgeous and fascinating location after another. All across Catalonia, really, which includes some of Barcelona’s most iconic landmarks. Not least the aforementioned Gaudí building, where the burned body has been put on display.

I love how the city of Barcelona itself virtually becomes a character within the story.

Of course, the actual characters are also portrayed by a wonderful cast. In fact, many should be familiar to anyone who has been watching Spanish Netflix productions. This new police thriller series stars Isak Férriz (Bank Under Siege, Burning Body, Below Zero) and Verónica Echegui (Unknown Origins) in the two key roles as police detectives on the murder case.

DEDICATION TO VERÓNICA ECHEGUI

At the end of episode 1, there is a loving dedication to Verónica Echegui, who stars as Rebeca Garrido. She passed away from cancer in August 2025 at just 42 years old.

Also in the cast are Ana Wagener (The Last Night at Tremore Beach), Manolo Solo (The Legacy of the Bones), and Jordi Rico (Fuerte Apache). Overall, you can expect to see many familiar faces.

Watch City of Shadows on Netflix

This Netflix series adaptation was written by director Jorge Torregrossa (Élite, Burning Body) alongside screenwriters Carlos López and Clara Esparrach. It’s a well-produced thriller series that should please most fans of the genre. For many, it may even land on their favorite series from Spain. I was certainly very entertained, and that counts for a lot.

Could this be the beginning of a longer-running Spanish Netflix series? Well, it’s certainly not impossible, as these six episodes were adapted from the first novel by Aro Sáinz de la Maza. This is the author of the “Milo Malart” tetralogy published by Destino (Grupo Planeta).

For the record, tetralogy means a group of four related works. Just like a trilogy is a group of three. We’ve already seen a trilogy of Spanish Netflix movies based on a book trilogy. So, there’s a history of successful adaptations.

If these first six episodes are a success, it seems obvious that we’ll get to see adaptations of the other three books as well. This was also the case with the Netflix series Dept. Q, which was a success and will continue. I suspect the same will be the case with this one.

City of Shadows is out on Netflix on December 12, 2025.

Details

Director: Jorge Torregrossa
Script: Jorge Torregrossa, Carlos López, Clara Esparrach
Cast: Isak Férriz, Verónica Echegui, Ana Wagener, Manolo Solo, Jordi Rico