True crime has a captive audience for a reason – the simple allure of something that could possibly happen right in your very own city, or maybe even something terrible that could befall your next-door neighbour. With the German police procedural Tatort (lit. “Crime Scene”) running since 1970, having racked up over 1,200 episodes, crime series also hold a unique place in the German media imagination. Based on the crime podcast Verbrechen (lit. “Crime”) from renowned German weekly newspaper Die Zeit, an audio series from investigative journalists Sabine Rückert and Andreas Sentker now comes to the small screen in Zeit Verbrechen. Boasting distinct approaches to mise-en-scène, narrative diversions and sub-genres, each episode of this anthology miniseries – based on episodes of the podcast – is directed by one of four emerging filmmakers of different ages and backgrounds. Together, they are four standalone, full-hour-long works, bound only by their individual fascination for local German crimes. Zeit Verbrechen enjoyed its world premiere in the Berlinale’s Panorama section earlier this year and now makes its broadcast debut on RTL+.

“December”, written and directed by Mariko Minoguchi (Relativity [+lee también:
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As a whole, Zeit Verbrechen is hardly ever stylistically coherent, but the rich directorial freedoms taken in each episode altogether make for a compelling anthology. Depending on taste, viewers are bound to be drawn more towards one of the four episodes, each of which uses a different angle on a boilerplate drama. “December” leads with its mystery upfront and a nostalgic, early-2000s flair; “The Panther” leans heavily into a freewheeling style in the characters, lensing and pacing. “Your Brothers” acts, in part, as a courtroom drama and, through its non-linearity, encourages the audience to contemplate the ethics presented; and “Love by Proxy” reveals itself to be an ever-surprising, tightly crafted transnational thriller.

The most unique feature about “December” – the appearance of it having been shot in one take, in real time – also ends up being its greatest hindrance, as it struggles to remain captivating in slower moments. “The Panther” is undoubtedly a winner in the eyes of viewers who root for the anti-hero, with Bonny relying heavily on mood-setting electronic music (but never as a crutch) to keep up with the episode’s unstoppable pace. At over 70 minutes, this instalment also clocks in as the longest, occasionally running off the rails but managing to entertain with the help of an exuberant performance by Eidinger and heavily handheld camerawork capturing Johnny’s chaotic lifestyle.

The latter two episodes are likely those that will have the widest appeal, combining the intensity of two edge-of-your-seat stories with polished visual identities. “Your Brothers” develops in bursts between tense legal drama and strong ensemble scenes toplined by Smith-Gneist, moving between thrilling, frustrating and heartbreaking. Playing with voiceover and sleek montages, Shariat cuts his teeth well on the thriller genre for “Love by Proxy” with a more commercially appealing but never-too-serious script co-written by Shariat, Raquel Dukpa and Paulina Lorenz (of Berlin-based production company Jünglinge). Sandra Hüller also makes a supporting appearance as Ralf’s daughter Susanne in this thriller chapter, scattering gleeful clues along the way, an event that satisfyingly unfolds at the episode’s midway point.

Zeit Verbrechen was produced by German outfit X Filme Creative Pool and is now available on the RTL+ streaming platform.