Fans of the dark crime series had to be patient for a long time, but the wait is over: after two years of radio silence, the eccentric investigator Martin Brühl is finally celebrating his comeback on free TV. His fourth film The inspector and fear runs tonight at 8:15 p.m. on ZDF.
That’s what the ZDF crime thriller The Inspector and Fear is about
Inspector Brühl (Roeland Wiesnekker) has only flickered across the screens three times since 2017 and yet he was still able to inspire an audience of millions. Today the eccentric investigator returns in the fourth part for his most personal case yet.
Much to the chagrin of his employees, Martin Brühl isn’t exactly easy to get along with. The Berliner is headstrong, mentally unstable and uses unconventional methods to solve his cases. But then fate strikes mercilessly: Brühl’s partner Susanne (Meike Droste) disappears without a trace and all evidence points to her having fallen into the hands of dangerous criminals. Even though the inspector has often been confronted with gruesome crimes, the investigative work is increasingly taking a toll on his psyche. Can Brühl save what is dear to him, or will he break under the emotional pressure?
ZDF/Stephan Rabold
Can Susanne (Meike Droste) free herself from her captivity?
That’s what the reviews say about the fourth crime thriller with Martin Brühl
Even though the series about the quirky inspector takes a lot of time between films, the main actor Wiesnekker in particular seems to have a safe place in the hearts of those watching.
Matthias Hannemann from the Frankfurter Allgemeine shares this impression:
Roeland Wiesnekker, as Martin Brühl, is rarely allowed to investigate but every film is a win.
Susanne Bald from prisma also praises Wiesnekker’s presentation:
The Inspector and Fear is solid crime fare with a charismatic lead actor, Roeland Wiesnekker, who plays the role of the highly sensitive and rough investigator written on the body seems to be.
Martina Kalweit praises the cast’s performance in an interview with tittelbach.tv, but the film relies too much on common genre conventions:
A look behind the inspector’s furrowed brow, a breakthrough into worlds of thought, an escape from the immediate narrative would have been an attractive addition. Instead – somewhat too predictably – a few crows take up their position again. Where there is no sound, their croaking reminds us of the tonality of the dark format. Okay for this time, but survivors should dare more in the next case. Then comes The Inspector and the Fear on TV
The Inspector and Fear is on ZDF tonight at 8:15 p.m. All four parts are available on demand in the ZDF media library.