THIS ADDICTIVE EUROPEAN CRIME THRILLER ABOUT A RET...

THIS ADDICTIVE EUROPEAN CRIME THRILLER ABOUT A RETIRED SAFE CRACKER FORCED BACK INTO THE UNDERWORLD IS QUICKLY BECOMING NETFLIX’S NEXT HIDDEN GEM!

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Out of all the streaming platforms, Netflix is the one that spotlights international TV shows the most. From Brazil’s Radioactive Emergency that premiered earlier this year and reached up to #5 worldwide, to Spain’s beloved Money Heist that became a cultural phenomenon and ran for five action-packed seasons, Netflix has consistently debuted shows from around the world that are brilliantly made, and aren’t afraid to pack a punch. Among them is Crooks, a crime thriller from Germany that just released its second season.

The series, which was first released on April 4, 2024, has become a must-watch on the platform, reaching an impressive 80% on Rotten Tomatoes for Season 1. The warm reception from critics at the time was coupled with high streaming numbers, reaching the top 10 non-English-language series for four weeks, as well as #2 on Netflix worldwide in the second week after its release, per Netflix. With such critical acclaim and viewership numbers, it’s no surprise that Crooks got renewed for Season 2, which premiered on Apr 14, 2026, and is slowly becoming one of the platform’s best crime shows.

What Is ‘Crooks’ About?

The first season of Crooks starts off with former safe cracker Charly (Frederick Lau) as he’s forced out of quiet retirement in Berlin, Germany, to do one last mission: To steal the valuable “Big Maple Leaf” coin. As it turns out, however, the heist becomes the riskiest mission of his career when the assignment takes a fatal turn, and he has no choice but to partner with his driver, Joseph (Christoph Krutzler), a lowly gangster based in Vienna, in order to survive. Together, the unlikely pair must flee a dangerous crime boss, Hassan Al-Walid (Erdal Yildiz), and his clan, as well as rival gangs, all while trying their best to keep Charly’s family safe.

Throughout the first season, as no-nonsense Charly and more thoughtful Joseph bond and become partners in crime, the duo flee from Berlin, traveling to Vienna and later Marseille. In Season 2, the valuable coin goes missing again and the two unlikely “crooks” find themselves on the run for the second time, but this time outside of Europe in all the way to Bangkok, Thailand. Created by Benjamin Hessler, Crooks also stars Svenja Jung as Charley’s wife Samira, Jonathan Tittel as his son Jonas, as well as Kida Khodr Ramadan, Karl Welunschek and Lukas Watzl as criminals with their own agendas.