‘Gritty’ 6-part crime thriller returns to Netflix – and fans hail it as ‘best series ever’

Netflix fans can rejoice as the second season of Crooks had landed, and viewers have hailed the German-language show as the streamer’s ‘best series ever’

ack in 2024, Netflix dropped the first season of Crooks, a German-language crime thriller. The show followed Charly (Frederick Lau) who is forced to travel around Europe in order to rescue his kidnapped family following a disastrous heist job.

The second season, which released back in April, goes even more international, with much of the action now taking place in Thailand. The second season follows the same golden coin, with Charly now receiving pressure to recover the object from the government, who threaten to imprison him and his family for a crime he didn’t commit.

A small synopsis for the series teases: “A priceless coin puts rival gangs at odds, forcing a retired safe cracker to team up with a gangster for one last heist.”

Fans of heist shows like McMafia will find plenty to enjoy, while the six-part drama will also appeal to fans of stylish action thrillers like The Gentlemen.

What have fans made of Crooks’ return?

Fans have been overwhelmingly positive about the show’s return, with one enthusing: “This is the best series ever,“ while a second agreed: “I agree that the first season was something else. To be fair, it would be very hard to catch up with that season anyways. However, I still loved the second season and looking forward to third.”

A third added: “Some shows with this kind of repetitive narrative about saving family and stuff can sometimes get a bit boring, HOWEVER I REALLY loved Crooks, and I’ll admit the second series was not as great as the first, but it was still bloody good. Really enjoyed both seasons.”

Frederick Lau and three other men stand in a dimly lit room with red lighting.© Netflix
The show stars Frederick Lau and Christoph Krutzler

A fourth noted: “If you like gangster, hood and lots of action, then this series is for you. I give it an 8/10, I don’t really like cartel movies that much, but I couldn’t get enough of it.”

This approval extended to its critical reception, with Joel Keller saying in Decider: “Character development isn’t front and centre in this show, written by Benjamin Hessler, Georg Lippert and Marvin Kren. Charly is forever in ‘one last job and I’m done’ mode, and Joseph likes to get drunk and help make schnitzel at the restaurant where he works.

A woman in a black leather jacket and orange scarf stands in a dimly lit setting.© Netflix
Many hoped that Crooks would return for a third season

“It’s always fun to watch him beat the crap out of thugs, given his relative size and lack of conditioning. It’s fun to watch these two guys fumble their way through a heist or a search and somehow get over people like Kees, who are supposed to be more calculating.”

At the time of writing, Crooks hasn’t yet been renewed for a third season, but many viewers are hoping that the gritty thriller be returning soon.

Who stars in Crooks?

Crooks continues to be led by Frederick Lau (Victoria) and Christoph Krutzler (Therapy for a Vampire), while also starring Svenja Jung (Fall for Me), Karl Welunschek (Freud), Georg Friedrich (Bright Nights), Kida Khodr Ramadan (Alltag), Erdal Yildiz (Collide) and Nimo (Skylines).

Frederick Lau and three other men stand in a dimly lit room with red lighting.© Netflix
The show stars Frederick Lau and Christoph Krutzler

The series also stars Lukas Watzl (Alles Finster), Maya Unger (Islands), Jonathan Tittel (Eden), Virginie Peignien (Highlander) and Klara Mucci (Seventh Heaven).