Based on the best-selling book by Romy Hausman, “Dear Child” is a thriller series created by Isabel Kleefeld and Julian Pörksen that tells a compelling story. The German mystery series, originally called “Liebes Kind,” centres on a mysterious woman and a bright little child who are found after a terrifying hit-and-run incident. A 13-year-old missing persons case is reopened as a result of this incident, sending the plot into a tailspin of tension and surprises. The show’s ensemble, which includes Julika Jenkins, Kim Riedle, and Naila Schuberth, is exceptionally skilled and effectively brings the nuanced people at the core of this intriguing story to life.
“Dear Child” centres on Lena, who lives in total solitude and is responsible for two well-behaved children, Hannah and Jonathan, in a strictly regulated setting. Everything in their world is planned out, including meals and bedtimes. But after a nearly fatal vehicle accident, Lena escapes and ends up in the hospital with Hannah by her side. This crucial point is only the start of an exciting adventure that will expose dark secrets and hidden truths as the past and present meet. Are you looking for more television programmes like “Dear Child” that will have you gripped from start to finish? Prepare to solve puzzles, reveal secrets, and immerse yourself in thrilling thrillers that will leave you wanting more.
Bates Motel (2013-2017)
The psychological thriller series “Bates Motel,” conceived by Carlton Cuse, Kerry Ehrin, and Anthony Cipriano, is a modern precursor to Alfred Hitchcock’s “Psycho.” The episode, which stars Freddie Highmore as Norman Bates and Vera Farmiga as Norma Bates, examines the dark and complicated bond between a mother and son as well as the causes of Norman’s mental instability. Comparable to “Dear Child,” both shows deal with psychological stress and secrets. While “Dear Child” centres on solving riddles surrounding a hit-and-run incident, “Bates Motel” explores the dark secrets of the Bates family, who own and operate a spooky motel with their own mysteries.
Broadchurch (2013-2017)
In Chris Chibnall’s British criminal drama series “Broadchurch,” a small boy’s lifeless body washes up on the coast, shocking the village and setting off a chain reaction of events that devastates the sleepy town. Detectives Ellie Miller (Olivia Colman) and Alec Hardy (David Tennant) set out on a mission to uncover the terrible truth behind the boy’s death and reveal the town’s hidden truths.
The idyllic façade of the town crumbles under their research, revealing hidden tensions, intimate tragedies, and a convoluted web of interwoven ties. The plots of “Broadchurch” and “Dear Child” both centre on close-knit groups with dark secrets that are forced to come to light by the entrance of an investigator or outsider. This reveals a network of interrelated relationships and unseen conflicts.
Ozark (2017-2022)
‘Ozark,’ a crime thriller series created by Bill Dubuque and Mark Williams, stars Jason Bateman and Laura Linney as married couple Marty and Wendy Byrde, who move their family to the Lake of the Ozarks in order to work as money launderers for a Mexican drug cartel. After their first scheme to launder money goes awry, Marty comes up with a bold plan to establish a bigger laundering operation deep in the Lake of the Ozarks in central Missouri. Similar to “Dear Child,” “Ozark” depicts the high-stakes world of secret and deception, when characters must face dangerous circumstances in order to save their loved ones and solve riddles. The common subject of both shows is high suspense and difficult moral decisions.
Sharp Objects (2018)
Marti Noxon’s psychological thriller series “Sharp Objects” is based on Gillian Flynn’s 2006 book of the same name. The crime drama, which stars Amy Adams as crime reporter Camille Preaker, chronicles her return to Wind Gap, Missouri, to go into the killings of two young girls. Preaker struggles with alcoholism and self-harm. Camille becomes caught up in her own dark past as she works through the town’s mysteries.
Tension is increased throughout by Camille’s relationship with her mother Adora, a prominent local socialite. Both “Dear Child” and “Sharp Objects” examine the psychological effects of terrible experiences and the complex challenges of its main characters as they look into mysteries in their own settings and face their pasts.
The Killing (2011-2014)
Veena Sud’s American criminal drama television series “The Killing” is based on the Danish serial “Forbrydelsen” (The criminal). The drama, which is set against the moody backdrop of Seattle, Washington, follows the painstaking murder investigations carried out by the committed homicide detectives Stephen Holder (Joel Kinnaman) and Sarah Linden (Mireille Enos). The themes of rigorous murder investigations and the tenacious pursuit of justice by committed detectives against a backdrop of mystery and suspense are shared by “Dear Child” and “The Killing.”
The Stranger (2020)
The Stranger is a British mystery thriller series created by Harlan Coben, based on his 2015 book of the same name. In this engrossing adaption, Adam Price’s life is upended by a mysterious young woman who divulges a secret that causes his wife to vanish out of nowhere. As the narrative progresses, the stranger’s connections to hidden facts get more intricate, drawing several characters into a convoluted web of danger and deceit.
The central themes of “The Stranger” and “Dear Child” centre on the characters’ life being abruptly invaded by strangers, which sets off a series of secrets, enigmas, and internal turmoil that threatens the entire fabric of their existence.
The Undoing (2020)
The 2014 book “You Should Have Known” by Jean Hanff Korelitz served as the inspiration for the captivating television series “The Undoing,” which is firmly positioned in the mystery and psychological thriller genres. Hugh Grant and Nicole Kidman both had outstanding performances in the series, which highlights the creative vision of David E. Kelley and Susanne Bier. In “The Undoing,” a successful therapist’s seemingly perfect life falls apart when her spouse is named as a key suspect in a violent death.
She finds herself traversing the complex maze of her broken reality in search of the elusive truth as secrets and deceit start to surface. Both “The Undoing” and “Dear Child” include compelling stories whose protagonists must face the cracks in their seemingly perfect worlds while negotiating the difficulties of truth and deceit as a result of personal lives coming apart and hidden secrets coming to light.
The Vanishing (2017)
The captivating German criminal drama series “The Vanishing,” also known as “Das Verschwinden,” by Hans-Christian Schmid follows 20-year-old Janine as she inexplicably disappears without a trace, leaving her mother as the only person who believes that her daughter has suffered a dark fate. Leaving herself on her own, she sets out on a terrifying quest to fit the pieces of a confusing puzzle in her unwavering search for her missing child.
Similar to the compelling story of “Dear Child,” “The Vanishing” delves into the intense emotional agony that follows a loved one’s unexplained absence. Through their common themes of suspense, familial ties, and the unwavering search of truth, both works explore the difficulties of solving mysteries.
