Les Meurtres zen

Imagine you are a lawyer who can't find proper work-family balance, who gets no respect at work, is mistreated by his clients and whose family is falling apart. Would you go to a class that teaches you how to be mindful, how to live in the now, how to reduce stress? Yes? Well, that's what our hero does, albeit reluctantly at first.

And it helps, it truly does! He uses his newly learned skills to deal with dead bodies, suspicious mafia lieutenants, rival crime bosses, police.... And at home, with his family.

There are some plot holes in terms of how his actions play out, how others treat him and the like, but if you take the series as a comedy operating on comedic rules that don't always correspond with real life rules this is a funny series worth your time. Bite sized length episodes help in that each subplot doesn't drag out too much.

It consists of 8 episodes and is based on a bestselling novel following Björn Diemel, a defence lawyer entangled with a mafia boss, who turns to mindfulness to regain control over his chaotic life. However, his newfound serenity leads him down a dangerous path, as he begins to or is involved at eliminating those disrupting his peace and endangering the existence of his own and people close to him. Björn's meditative practices are combined with violent acts, creating a darkly humorous tone reminiscent of shows like Barry and Dexter and depiction elements like in The Office or Alo.

The writing walks a fine line between absurdity and insight, often leading viewers to genuinely reflect on mindfulness techniques while chuckling at the ridiculous situations the protagonist finds himself in. The direction maintains a balance between suspense and character development, with smooth transitions between comedic and dramatic moments: crimes are never funny, but the parties to it can be.

Tom Schilling's portrayal of Björn is central to the series' success. His splendid performance captures the character's internal conflict and descent into moral ambiguity. Several supporting actors provide emotional grounding amidst the chaos, although their presence on screen is often limited. Special mention goes to Peter Jordan as mindfulness coach with an almost hypnotic calmness that's both soothing and comically out of place amid the darker elements.

In short, Achtsam Morden is a fresh, genre-blending surprise that turns out to be both thought-provoking and entertaining. As Season 1 ended in an intriguing manner, I am looking forward to Season 2.

If you are a Fan of Black comedy or mystery Crime Shows this is for you after "Dark" we have finally got another high quality TV series it feels kinda like Breaking Bad but alot faster story progress without the Drama and more Black Comedy the tension is all the time there and the Methodic of "Achtsamkeit" is brilliant involved into the Show it is very well made. The casting is great Tom Schilling one of the best actors Germany has plays this Role perfectly from Caring family man to his other side also his crime Partner plays pretty good. This show is Based of a novel you can Tell its very well made into a TV Show. Its one of those Shows you cant get enough off because it is so good. A total suprise never heard much of it only after the Release. Hopefully we see more of this Show it has alot of Potential.

This is an 8-ep, 30 mins each, dark comedy thriller that has steadily been gaining some popularity by word of mouth. Call it a...'breezy' crime thriller; which doesn't make sense, because you'd use 'breezy' for something lighthearted and not for shows/films about murder but here we are.

The protagonist is an overworked, undervalued employee at a law firm whose life is beginning to fall apart, and his asks him to sign up for a series of classes on Mindfulness. As expected, he's totally against, as he calls it, 'such BS' but as the plot goes on, he buys into the idea of mindfulness to get rid of his 'problems' in life. Can't reveal anything more without getting into spoilers.

As he attends these classes, you hear everything you've seen/heard/practiced on mindfulness. The writing is so well done that you're likely to take deep breaths and follow along with the class instructor. Wh...how?

While the show isn't mind-blowing, in fact, one may even find several flaws, but if you're looking for something quick and different to watch, I'd totally recommend this show on Netflix. It's surely worth a watch.

My First German series and it didn't disappoint. I loved Tom Schilling's acting. He is perfect for the role. Absolutely entertained me and kept me coming for more. The Mindfulness lessons by the doctor (Who is also cast perfectly) worked well for me too Haha :D

Can't wait for S2 ! Kudos to the team. They've gone above and beyond with the camera work and I loved watching every frame. Emily was too cute. The whole plot combining Murder and Mindfulness, was not only bringing two extreme poles to work together, but also was fresh and engaging to watch. It goes to show that even Murder when committed with Mindfulness still works ;) Not planning to do any, but it instilled a quaint picture in my head of how being mindful in intense situations can look and feel like and that's a great takeaway from this series..