Freud: Season 1 – Netflix Review

FREUD is a Netflix crime thriller series from Austria. Season 1 is out now and has just eight episodes. The plot plays out much like a psychological thriller while being a crime story. I was intrigued from the beginning. Read our Freud season 1 review here!

Freud is a new Netflix series from Austria. The series is a crime thriller but it does feel like a psychological thriller at times. Also, it does have elements of something supernatural – or paranormal, if you will. I suppose it depends on your personal beliefs.

Season 1 of Freud has eight 1-hour episodes, so you can watch it relatively fast, if you want to. Personally, I found it very intriguing from the very first episode. Especially because it reminded me of some other series, I’ve enjoyed in the past. More on that later in this review.

Continue reading our Freud season 1 review below.

The Alienist with a hint of Penny Dreadful

First of all, no, Freud does not feature vampires, werewolves or any kind of Frankenstein (or his monster). Or actually, some of the doctors in Freud can seem a bit like Doctor Frankenstein. Only in much more realistic and historically founded ways.

When I compare Freud to the amazing Penny Dreadful series, it’s merely to explain the feel and vibe of this new Netflix series. Especially the character Fleur Salomé, who immediately reminded me of Eva Green as Vanessa Ives. Fleur Salomé certainly has some gifts and she is (more or less voluntarily) using them.

In terms of the title character, Sigmund Freud, the comparison to The Alienist is obvious. However, while I expected Freud to feature an equally unlikeable character, he seems a lot more sympathetic.

You might like: Read more about The Alienist TV series here >

The cast of Freud on Netflix

The title role as Sigmund Freud is portrayed by Robert Finster, who I wasn’t really familiar with prior to this. Maybe that’s actually an advantage. I certainly feel that he’s doing a really good job. Even if he is far from the most interesting person in the series named after him.

Instead, the character of Fleur Salomé is extremely fascinating. She is portrayed by Ella Rumpf, who you should recognize if you’ve watched the award-winning horror-drama Raw. She’s the sister of the main character in that movie, which means she’s key to the entire plot in many ways.

Recommended reading: Check out our review of Raw (which we gave a top-rating) here >

In Freud, Fleur Salomé works with Sigmund Freud to find a young girl, who has gone missing. However, that’s just one small part of Fleur’s involvement with this story. Ella Rumpf is sure to be a fan favorite due to her very intense and engaging portrayal of this character.

Also, I have to mention the character Alfred Kiss. He’s a police officer in charge of finding the person who murdered a young woman. At first, I thought he was a real creeper, but he turns out to just be very broken in many ways. This leads to a PTSD storyline that’s also very important in many ways.

Georg Friedrich portrays Alfred Kiss and does so wonderfully.

Watch season 1 of Freud on Netflix now!

All eight episodes in season 1 of Freud were directed by Marvin Kren, who is also one of the creators. Marvin Kren previously directed a segment of the horror anthology ABCs of Death 2. Also, he directed Rammbock: Berlin Undead which is a zombie horror-drama from 2010.

The other creators of Freud are Stefan Brunner and Benjamin Hessler. The latter has been a co-writer on virtually everything Marvin Kren has directed in the past.

For the record, do not choose the “British English CC” subtitles if available. They are very flawed – to put it mildly. I chose the “CC” version to catch background events, I might otherwise miss. However, I do also speak German and quickly noticed how wrong the translations were. Just choose the subtitles labeled “English” instead.

If you watched The Alienist and enjoyed it, then you definitely need to check out Freud. Also, if you just like a good crime thriller, this one is worth your time.

Freud is out on Netflix with season 1 from March 23, 2020.

Details

Creators: Benjamin Hessler, Marvin Kren, Stefan Brunner
Stars: Robert Finster, Ella Rumpf, Georg Friedrich, Brigitte Kren, Anja Kling, Philipp Hochmair, Christoph F. Krutzler