New Netflix No. 1 Hit Is This German Sci-Fi Wonder – It Already Has 100% on Rotten Tomatoes
This is a heartbreaking family drama wrapped in a convincing sci-fi shell.
In recent years, AI has become an integral part of pop culture, especially in the horror genre. Cinema continues to ponder the boundaries between machine and human nature, and is generally convinced of the negative consequences of technological progress.
The German Netflix miniseries Cassandra, however, offers more than just another story about a rebellious AI. Rather, it is an intelligent drama with thriller elements that explores the consequences of emotional isolation in a retro 1970s landscape.
What Is Cassandra About?
Samira, David and their two children move from Hamburg to a provincial town. Their house, a large old mansion with antique furniture, has been in disrepair for half a century, so the family was able to buy it at a low price.
When the children notice the abundance of outdated TVs around the house, their parents tell them that the previous owners built a smart home system in the 1970s, but it has long since stopped working.
The family finds a network storage device and a strange-looking robot in the basement that unexpectedly starts up and promises to serve the family. It soon turns out that the robot is named Cassandra and has an arsenal of bladed weapons hidden inside.
Like The Substance, Cassandra Focuses on Women and Their Struggles
The story unfolds in two timelines – the present and the 1970s, when Cassandra was still human. The creators give information in measured doses: the stories of two families are revealed gradually, which allows you not to miss facts important for understanding the plot and to get a full picture of the events of both the past and the present.
Human Cassandra from the 1970s tries to find a way to reach her husband, who is too busy with work and his mistress to devote time to his wife and son, and Samira from the present, who recently survived the suicide of her sister, doesn't find support from David, who is busy writing a new book.
As in the recent horror hits The Substance and MaXXXine, the topic of female fatigue – from housework, from oppression, from an imposed role – is clearly heard in Cassandra. Cassandra is not just a machine, but a person with her own tragic story and a thirst to be heard.
Cassandra Is One of the Most Unique Sci-Fi Projects in Recent Years, Mixing Technology With Family Drama
The series engages the viewer on several levels – it invites you to take the position of a silent witness who knows a little more than the character but can do nothing, and conversely, someone who knows less and is completely shocked by the plot twists.
Cassandra is not another story about AI rebelling against humans. It is a gripping drama disguised as science fiction, which combines action scenes with a thoughtful conversation about problems within the family.