75 Best German Thrillers and Crime
by Channing_F | created - 05 Oct 2011 | updated - 19 Apr 2022 | Public- Instant Watch Options
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1. Antibodies (2005)
Not Rated | 127 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Wanted for a long time, serial killer Gabriel Engel gets arrested in a spectacular police raid. Small town cop Michael Martens travels to the big city to interrogate him and finds out more than he is looking for.
Director: Christian Alvart | Stars: Norman Reedus, Christian von Aster, André Hennicke, Waltraud Witte
Votes: 9,029
2. Tatort (1970– )
TV-14 | 90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
An anthology series that follows the work of homicide detectives in Germany, Austria and Switzerland.
Stars: Klaus J. Behrendt, Miroslav Nemec, Udo Wachtveitl, Dietmar Bär
Votes: 3,059
3. Police Call 110 (1971– )
TV-14 | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Alexander Bukow is a cop who doesn't mind working at the edge of the law to get results. His straight-laced partner Katrin Koenig is a control freak whose life is the job. Together, they're... See full summary »
Stars: Peter Borgelt, Jürgen Frohriep, Wolfgang Winkler, Jaecki Schwarz
Votes: 568
4. Mord am Meer (2005 TV Movie)
90 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Hans Jacoby is found in his house, tied to a chair and shot to death, near Husum. Anton Faithberg from the local police takes over the first investigations
Director: Matti Geschonneck | Stars: Heino Ferch, Nadja Uhl, Birge Schade, Ulrike Krumbiegel
Votes: 89
5. Straight Shooter (1999)
Unrated | 88 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
After his daughter died of cancer, former French foreign legionnaire "Straight Shooter" alias Volker Bretz threatens those who financed, built, favoured and now work the nuclear power plant... See full summary »
Director: Thomas Bohn | Stars: Dennis Hopper, Heino Ferch, Katja Flint, Hannelore Hoger
Votes: 741
6. Perfume: The Story of a Murderer (2006)
R | 147 min | Crime, Drama, Fantasy
Jean-Baptiste Grenouille, born with a superior olfactory sense, creates the world's finest perfume. His work, however, takes a dark turn as he searches for the ultimate scent.
Director: Tom Tykwer | Stars: Ben Whishaw, Dustin Hoffman, Alan Rickman, Francesc Albiol
Votes: 265,555 | Gross: $2.22M
7. Entführt (2009 TV Movie)
180 min | Thriller
A girl is kidnapped and a family falls apart. But the kidnappers don't just want money; they want to destroy an empire
Director: Matti Geschonneck | Stars: Heino Ferch, Nina Kunzendorf, Friedrich von Thun, Andrea Sawatzki
Votes: 130
8. Das Phantom (2000 TV Movie)
95 min | Thriller
After the partner of a policeman is killed he is drawn into a mysterious plot of conspiracy and terrorists.
Director: Dennis Gansel | Stars: Jürgen Vogel, Nadeshda Brennicke, Mathias Herrmann, Hilmi Sözer
Votes: 320
9. Ein mörderisches Geschäft (2011)
90 min | Thriller
Director: Martin Eigler | Stars: Christiane Paul, Devid Striesow, Friedrich von Thun, Jürgen Heinrich
Votes: 86
10. Die Tote vom Deich (2006 TV Movie)
Thriller
Lona Vogt is a target investigator at the BKA and, together with her friend and colleague Simonkatzer, has been on the trail of the murderer Manuel for some time
Director: Matti Geschonneck | Stars: Christiane Paul, Martin Wuttke, Marcus Mittermeier, Devid Striesow
Votes: 60
11. Tattoo (I) (2002)
R | 108 min | Crime, Drama, Horror
Two police detectives, a grizzled veteran and one fresh-faced rookie, hunt a ritualistic serial killer murdering people with tattoos and skinning them.
Director: Robert Schwentke | Stars: August Diehl, Christian Redl, Nadeshda Brennicke, Johan Leysen
Votes: 3,291
12. Lautlos (2004)
94 min | Action, Crime, Romance
Viktor, a methodical hit man, probably on his last job, has no plan for his retirement. He does not kill Nina, a woman sleeping beside his latest mark; then he follows her and rescues her ... See full summary »
Director: Mennan Yapo | Stars: Joachim Król, Nadja Uhl, Christian Berkel, Rudolf Martin
Votes: 1,052
13. Nachtschicht (2003– )
89 min | Crime, Thriller
Night shift thriller story.
Stars: Armin Rohde, Minh-Khai Phan-Thi, Barbara Auer, Özgür Karadeniz
Votes: 277
14. Death in the Eifel (2008 TV Movie)
90 min | Crime, Drama
A money transporter is ambushed near the small Eifel village of Eschbach. The young LKA chief inspector Lona Schanz then determined in the village and its surroundings.
Director: Johannes Grieser | Stars: Maria Simon, Christian Redl, Jacob Matschenz, Karl Kranzkowski
Votes: 79
15. Kommissarin Lucas (2003–2023)
90 min | Crime, Mystery
A crime series based in Regensburg, Bavaria.
Stars: Ulrike Kriener, Michael Roll, Tilo Prückner, Alexander Lutz
Votes: 149
16. Under Suspicion (2002– )
90 min | Crime
Under suspicion crime series.
Stars: Senta Berger, Rudolf Krause, Gerd Anthoff, Michael Lerchenberg
Votes: 173
17. Wilsberg (1995– )
90 min | Comedy, Crime
Wilsberg: the thriller from Münster.
Stars: Leonard Lansink, Rita Russek, Roland Jankowsky, Oliver Korittke
Votes: 419
18. KDD - Kriminaldauerdienst (2007–2010)
45 min | Crime
Big and small stories surrounding a police station in Berlin-Kreuzberg.
Stars: Götz Schubert, Manfred Zapatka, Saskia Vester, Barnaby Metschurat
Votes: 303
19. In the Face of Crime (2010)
479 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The worlds of a young Russo-German cop who investigates within the Berlin Russian mafia milieu and a young Russian woman who is forced into prostitution, intertwine when they meet and fall in love.
Stars: Max Riemelt, Ronald Zehrfeld, Marie Bäumer, Alina Levshin
Votes: 1,670
20. The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008)
R | 150 min | Action, Biography, Crime
A look at Germany's terrorist group, The Red Army Faction (RAF), which organized bombings, robberies, kidnappings, and assassinations in the late 1960s and '70s.
Director: Uli Edel | Stars: Martina Gedeck, Moritz Bleibtreu, Johanna Wokalek, Bruno Ganz
Votes: 40,089 | Gross: $0.48M
21. Das Konto (2004 TV Movie)
180 min | Thriller
Michael Mühlhausen, crafty manager of a big food company, dreams of being promoted. While he plans the contested takeover of a main competitor, he doesn't notice the estrangement from his ... See full summary »
Director: Markus Imboden | Stars: Heino Ferch, Julia Jäger, Jürgen Schornagel, Hermann Beyer
Votes: 174
22. Run Lola Run (1998)
R | 80 min | Action, Crime, Thriller
After a botched money delivery, Lola has 20 minutes to come up with 100,000 Deutschmarks.
Director: Tom Tykwer | Stars: Franka Potente, Moritz Bleibtreu, Herbert Knaup, Nina Petri
Votes: 206,817 | Gross: $7.27M
23.
Nord Nord Mord (2011– )
Episode:
Nord Nord Mord
(2011)
90 min | Crime
After a Chicago profiler training, young commissioner Hinnerk Feldmann accepts the deputy post in Theo Clüver's tiny, singular precinct covering German Frisian North Sea Island Sylt. A ... See full summary »
Director: Josh Broecker | Stars: Robert Atzorn, Julia Brendler, Oliver Wnuk, Ulrike Grote
Votes: 105
24. Flemming (2009–2012)
TV-14 | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Police psychologist Flemming and his detective ex-wife live next door to each other and work together to solve crimes.
Stars: Samuel Finzi, Claudia Michelsen, Oliver Bröcker, Anna Thalbach
Votes: 108
25. Der letzte Zeuge (1998–2006)
45 min | Crime
"The Last Witness" is a crime series aired by the Second German Television. It's about medical examiner Dr. Robert Kolmaar (Ulrich Mühe).
Stars: Ulrich Mühe, Gesine Cukrowski, Jörg Gudzuhn, Renate Schroeter
Votes: 248
26. Bella Block (1993–2018)
Crime
For more than 20 years, determined Hannelore Hoger ruled on ZDF as Bella Block, Hamburg police-chief commissioner against criminals.
Stars: Hannelore Hoger, Hansjürgen Hürrig, Rudolf Kowalski, Devid Striesow
Votes: 203
27. The Lives of Others (2006)
R | 137 min | Drama, Mystery, Thriller
In 1984 East Berlin, an agent of the secret police conducting surveillance on a writer and his lover finds himself becoming increasingly absorbed by their lives.
Director: Florian Henckel von Donnersmarck | Stars: Ulrich Mühe, Martina Gedeck, Sebastian Koch, Ulrich Tukur
Votes: 409,844 | Gross: $11.29M
28. Die Katze (1988)
118 min | Crime, Thriller
Two bank robbers hold the clerks hostage and demand 3 million German marks as ransom. What the police do not realise is that the true criminal mastermind watches them from outside the bank, anticipating every move.
Director: Dominik Graf | Stars: Götz George, Gudrun Landgrebe, Joachim Kemmer, Heinz Hoenig
Votes: 972
29. The Invincibles (1994)
Not Rated | 130 min | Action, Drama, Thriller
The members of a special police task force uncover a conspiracy involving leading politicians, organized crime masterminds and an ex-colleague who was believed dead. When they are to be silenced, they investigate on their own initiative.
Director: Dominik Graf | Stars: Herbert Knaup, Katja Flint, Hansa Czypionka, Heinz Hoenig
Votes: 784
30. Bang Boom Bang - Ein todsicheres Ding (1999)
110 min | Action, Comedy, Crime
A violent chain of events ensues as a jailed criminal arranges to buy a car from a shady car dealer, unaware that his partner in freedom has squandered most of the money from their last bank robbery on horse race betting.
Director: Peter Thorwarth | Stars: Oliver Korittke, Markus Knüfken, Ralf Richter, Diether Krebs
Votes: 10,816
31. Eine Stadt wird erpresst (2006 TV Movie)
90 min | Thriller
Strangers are blackmailing the city of Leipzig. An attack and further threats underline their demands.
Director: Dominik Graf | Stars: Uwe Kockisch, Misel Maticevic, Julia Blankenburg, Thomas Neumann
Votes: 164
32. Rette deine Haut (2001 TV Movie)
Thriller
Director: Lars Becker | Stars: Ken Duken, Katharina Böhm, Henriette Heinze, Gregor Törzs
Votes: 93
33. Fürchte dich nicht (2007 TV Movie)
90 min | Drama, Thriller
Director: Christiane Balthasar | Stars: Maria Simon, Justus von Dohnányi, Herbert Knaup, Matthias Brandt
Votes: 76
34. Der Staatsanwalt (2005– )
Crime, Drama
Cases and complicated lives of a public prosecutor and a police unit, a member of whom is the prosecutor's son, who work in Wiesbaden.
Stars: Rainer Hunold, Fiona Coors, Astrid Posner, Simon Eckert
Votes: 188
35. Der Kriminalist (2006–2020)
Crime
Crime series about a police unit in Berlin's Friedrichshain-Kreuzberg district.
Stars: Christian Berkel, Antonia Cäcilia Holfelder, Nils Nelleßen, Suzan Anbeh
Votes: 223
36. Der Schattenmann (1996)
600 min | Crime, Thriller
Undercover cop Charly Held sneaks into the organization of Jan Herzog, the head of organised crime in Frankfurt. Slowly, he gains the Herzog's trust and is pulled deeper and deeper into the... See full summary »
Stars: Stefan Kurt, Mario Adorf, Heinz Hoenig, Günter Strack
Votes: 295
37. Der Fahnder (1984–2005)
50 min | Crime
Der Fahnder was an evening crime series of the ARD.
Stars: Dietrich Mattausch, Dieter Pfaff, Norbert Wartha, Klaus Wennemann
Votes: 239
38. Arnie's World (2005 TV Movie)
88 min | Crime, Drama
Isabel Kleefeld's crime drama deals with a little boy whose life is in danger after he had watched a road accident. In a small village, the young police officer Marc Fischer celebrates ... See full summary »
Director: Isabel Kleefeld | Stars: Caroline Peters, Jörg Schüttauf, Enno Hesse, Bruno Schubert
Votes: 62
39. Die Frau, die im Wald verschwand (2009 TV Movie)
87 min | Drama
Germany, mid 1950s. One night, the wife of the mayor, Dr. Gerd without a trace. That same night, a detonation is reported in nearby 'Bone Forest'.
Director: Oliver Storz | Stars: Karoline Eichhorn, Stefan Kurt, Matthias Brandt, Jürgen Hentsch
Votes: 69
40. Operation Guardian Angel (2009 TV Movie)
89 min | Thriller
A female police officer is charged with protecting the son of a rich industrialist.
Director: Peter Fratzscher | Stars: Silke Bodenbender, Camille Dombrowsky, Benjamin Sadler, Vadim Glowna
Votes: 64
41. 23 (1998)
99 min | Drama, Thriller
When the orphaned Karl Koch and his friend David start breaking into government and military computers, an acquaintance senses that there is money in computer cracking - and travels to east Berlin to try to contact the KGB.
Director: Hans-Christian Schmid | Stars: August Diehl, Fabian Busch, Dieter Landuris, Jan-Gregor Kremp
Votes: 7,281
42. Windland (2007 TV Movie)
89 min | Crime, Drama
Oskar lives with his ill father in a quiet village. Twenty years ago, his brother Theo was caught with an underage girl and has since left their lives. Then the village is startled: Theo reappears when eight-year-old girl is murdered
Director: Edward Berger | Stars: Joachim Król, Anna Schudt, Michael Schenk, Birge Schade
Votes: 53
43. Knockin' on Heaven's Door (1997)
Not Rated | 87 min | Action, Crime, Comedy
Two terminally ill patients escape from a hospital, steal a car and rush towards the sea.
Director: Thomas Jahn | Stars: Til Schweiger, Jan Josef Liefers, Thierry van Werveke, Moritz Bleibtreu
Votes: 33,629 | Gross: $0.00M
44. Die Musterknaben (1997)
91 min | Comedy, Crime, Drama
Anticipating a major drug deal the Düsseldorf LKA (state police) conducts an observation of a flat in Cologne. The night shift in the camera-equipped camper is assigned to local police ... See full summary »
Director: Ralf Huettner | Stars: Jürgen Tarrach, Oliver Korittke, Ellen Ten Damme, Herbert Knaup
Votes: 766
45. Hafendetektiv (1987–1991)
45 min | Crime
Stars: Klaus Löwitsch, Hellmut Lange, Horst A. Fechner, Christiane Rücker
Votes: 16
46. Der Leibwächter (1989 TV Movie)
210 min | Drama, Crime, Thriller
Director: Adolf Winkelmann | Stars: Franz-Xaver Kroetz, Raymond Pellegrin, Aurélie Tolédano, Hanns Zischler
Votes: 33
47. Die dunkle Seite (2008 TV Movie)
90 min | Thriller
After the greengrocer Mehmet Üsker was murdered, the police officer Inspector Menemenci is put on the case.
Director: Peter Keglevic | Stars: Melika Foroutan, Misel Maticevic, Janek Rieke, Ufuk Bozkurt
Votes: 92
48. Freunde (2000)
100 min | Drama, Thriller
Director: Martin Eigler | Stars: Benno Fürmann, Erdal Yildiz, Christiane Paul, Michael Gwisdek
Votes: 183
49. Blackout - Die Erinnerung ist tödlich (2006– )
480 min | Crime
Stars: Misel Maticevic, Roeland Wiesnekker, Claudia Michelsen, Dominic Raacke
Votes: 93
50. Der Hammermörder (1990 TV Movie)
90 min | Crime, Thriller
This TV-Movie is based on real events that took place in southern Germany in the mid 80's. A policeman tries to build a house for his family while he experiences financial troubles; everything goes tragically wrong from then on.
Director: Bernd Schadewald | Stars: Christian Redl, Ulrike Kriener, Silvan Oesterle, Timmy Vetter
Votes: 104
51. Blank, Meier, Jensen (1992– )
Thriller
Stars: Guido Föhrweißer, Dietmar Bär, Joachim Kemmer, Nikola Kress
52. T.E.A.M. Berlin (1998–2000)
90 min | Crime
Stars: Georges Claisse, Nina Kronjäger, Ralph Herforth, Jens Nünemann
Votes: 11
53. Zwölf Winter (2009 TV Movie)
85 min | Crime, Drama
Two Robbers - several banks - and why not leave some traces for the cops, but the wrong?
Director: Thomas Stiller | Stars: Jürgen Vogel, Axel Prahl, Matthias Koeberlin, Wotan Wilke Möhring
Votes: 451
54. Der Totmacher (1995)
110 min | Crime, Drama
Fritz Haarmann, who has killed at least 27 boys, is questioned by a psychology professor in order to find out whether he is sane and can be held responsible for his crimes. During this ... See full summary »
Director: Romuald Karmakar | Stars: Götz George, Jürgen Hentsch, Pierre Franckh, Hans-Michael Rehberg
Votes: 2,346
55. Gambit (1987 TV Movie)
205 min | Thriller
Director: Peter F. Bringmann | Stars: Despina Pajanou, Rolf Zacher, Dominic Raacke, Max Tidof
Votes: 77
56. 14 Days to Life (1997)
105 min | Thriller
Konrad von Seidlitz is a young yuppie lawyer currently celebrating his engagement with Cornelia, daughter of minister of justice Volkerts.
Director: Roland Suso Richter | Stars: Kai Wiesinger, Michael Mendl, Katharina Meinecke, Axel Pape
Votes: 564
57. The Experiment (2001)
R | 120 min | Drama, Thriller
For two weeks, 20 male participants are hired to play prisoners and guards in a prison. The "prisoners" have to follow seemingly mild rules, and the "guards" are told to retain order without using physical violence.
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel | Stars: Moritz Bleibtreu, Christian Berkel, Oliver Stokowski, Wotan Wilke Möhring
Votes: 96,070 | Gross: $0.14M
58. The Silence (2010)
Not Rated | 118 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
13-year-old Sinikka vanishes on a hot summer night. Her bicycle is found in the exact place where a girl was killed 23 years ago. The dramatic present forces those involved in the original case to face their past.
Director: Baran bo Odar | Stars: Ulrich Thomsen, Claudia Michelsen, Wotan Wilke Möhring, Katrin Sass
Votes: 8,158 | Gross: $0.10M
59. Todfeinde - Die falsche Entscheidung (1998 TV Movie)
96 min | Thriller
Nico has just shot and killed a man by accident. The two friends cover it up but it soon turns out that the victim was a big fish in the drug world. And that he was on his way to hand over ... See full summary »
Director: Oliver Hirschbiegel | Stars: Heino Ferch, Tobias Moretti, Julia Jäger, Michael Mendl
Votes: 85
60.
Stralsund (2009– )
Episode:
Mörderische Verfolgung
(2009)
90 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
Murderous persecution.
Director: Martin Eigler | Stars: Katharina Wackernagel, Janek Rieke, Harald Schrott, Bernadette Heerwagen
Votes: 77
61. Der Fall Gehring (2003 TV Movie)
90 min | Crime
After the attempted suicide of an alleged sex killer who has been in prison for nine years, a young public prosecutor takes up the investigation again and comes across a similar crime ... See full summary »
Director: Markus Imboden | Stars: Susanne Schäfer, Christoph Waltz, Hermann Lause, Thomas Schmauser
Votes: 170
62. Vanished (2011 TV Movie)
183 min | Drama
Alexandra disappears from Krems in Lower Austria on her 17th birthday. When the police seem to fail, father Walch starts his own investigation and learns unwanted details about his daughter's life .
Director: Andreas Prochaska | Stars: Richy Müller, Ann-Kathrin Kramer, Hary Prinz, Julia Koschitz
Votes: 148
63. Nichts als die Wahrheit (1999)
128 min | Crime, Drama, Thriller
The infamous Dr. Josef Mengele - the "Angel of Death" of Auschwitz, who killed more than 300,000 people - comes back from his hideout in Argentina to Germany as a 87-year-old man. He must ... See full summary »
Director: Roland Suso Richter | Stars: Kai Wiesinger, Götz George, Karoline Eichhorn, Doris Schade
Votes: 887
64. Schwarz Rot Gold (1982–1995)
90 min | Crime
Black Red Gold is the title of an ARD television series with Uwe Friedrichsen.
Stars: Uwe Friedrichsen, Edgar Bessen, George Meyer-Goll, Siegfried Kernen
Votes: 89
65. Happy Birthday, Türke! (1992)
109 min | Crime, Thriller
Kemal Kayankaya, a private detective, is hired by a Turkish woman, Ilter, to search for her husband Amend, who has been missing since the death of her father, Vassif. Unbeknownst to him, he... See full summary »
Director: Doris Dörrie | Stars: Hansa Czypionka, Özay Fecht, Meret Becker, Doris Kunstmann
Votes: 250
66. Der Fall Jakob von Metzler (2012 TV Movie)
92 min | Drama
Director: Stephan Wagner | Stars: Robert Atzorn, Uwe Bohm, Johannes Allmayer, Wolfgang Pregler
Votes: 154
67. Das unsichtbare Mädchen (2011 TV Movie)
105 min | Crime, Thriller
Director: Dominik Graf | Stars: Elmar Wepper, Ulrich Noethen, Ronald Zehrfeld, Silke Bodenbender
Votes: 389
68. Das Geheimnis im Wald (2008 TV Movie)
89 min | Drama, Thriller
A girl disappears on her way to school. The prime suspect is Hans Kortman a former teacher, who spent the last 15 years in prison for the murder of his 15 year old student Melanie Bauer. But Kortman is declaring his innocence.
Director: Peter Keglevic | Stars: Pierre Besson, Christoph Waltz, Sophie von Kessel, Thomas Sarbacher
Votes: 214
69. Mord in Eberswalde (2013 TV Movie)
90 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
Director: Stephan Wagner | Stars: Ronald Zehrfeld, Ulrike C. Tscharre, Florian Panzner, Godehard Giese
Votes: 204
70. Harms (2013)
102 min | Crime, Drama
Tough felon Harms comes out of jail and plans the next big thing with his old crew: rob the central bank.
Director: Nikolai Müllerschön | Stars: Ben Blaskovic, Martin Brambach, Hans-Maria Darnov, Blerim Destani
Votes: 184
71. Ein Kind wird gesucht (2017 TV Movie)
89 min | Crime, Drama
When Mirco's parents check on their boy in the morning, he isn't there. The alerted police begin to search for him. At the latest when the boy's clothes are found, the fear becomes certain:... See full summary »
Director: Urs Egger | Stars: Heino Ferch, Silke Bodenbender, Johann von Bülow, Felix Kramer
Votes: 223
72. Spuren des Bösen (2010– )
Crime, Drama, Mystery
Criminal psychologist Richard Brock teaches at the University of Vienna.
Stars: Heino Ferch, Gerhard Liebmann, Gerda Drabek, Sabrina Reiter
Votes: 219
73. Neben der Spur (2014– )
Crime
Stars: Ulrich Noethen, Juergen Maurer, Lilly Liefers, Petra van de Voort
Votes: 123
74. Marnow Murders (2021– )
TV-14 | 45 min | Crime, Drama, Mystery
The city of Schwerin is sweltering under a heat wave never seen before. Detectives Lona Mendt and Frank Elling are on the trail of a serial murderer, who seems to choose his victims at random. But nothing is what it seems.
Stars: Petra Schmidt-Schaller, Sascha Alexander Gersak, Amer El-Erwadi, Antonio Wannek
Votes: 865
75. Blochin: Die Lebenden und die Toten (2015– )
TV-14 | Crime
A homicide cop with a mysterious past and a bad attitude works the seedy underbelly of Berlin in this gritty, complex thriller from the director of 'Cenk Batu Undercover Agent'.
Stars: Jürgen Vogel, Thomas Heinze, Jördis Triebel, Maja Schöne
Votes: 239
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