This brand-new Spanish Netflix show has debuted to an impressive perfect 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes, and it looks like it could be everyone’s next binge-watch.
City of Shadows, whose co-lead actor, Verónica Echegui, tragically passed away from cancer back in August 2025, boasts a compelling crime drama story about a disgraced reporter seeking redemption.
We’re fairly positive this show will end up in the Netflix top 10 soon enough, and Watch With Us loves to be ahead of the pack.
We break down why City of Shadows is your new favorite crime show.
‘City of Shadows’ Is a Compelling and Well-Made Crime Drama
The plot of City of Shadows follows disgraced cop Milo Malart (Isak Férriz), who is currently suspended because he punched a colleague. He is nevertheless tapped by Judge Susana Cabrera (Ana Wagener), who needs him to investigate the mysterious death of a construction company CEO found burned to death.
Malart’s reappearance at work isn’t met with much welcome, and he’s ultimately paired up with Deputy Inspector Rebeca Garrido (Verónica Echegui) to look into the CEO case. But the single murder turns into a series of ritualistic killings, which are all linked to the historic buildings of architect Antoni Gaudí in Barcelona. With this compelling plot that neither reinvents the wheel nor diminishes it, City of Shadows succeeds by working within its genre conventions and focusing on good pacing, performances, atmosphere and strong overall quality.
It Emphasizes Mood and Atmosphere Over Shock and Awe
While City of Shadows is light on shocking surprises (although there are some twists and turns, of course), that doesn’t mean the show is bad — far from it. Instead, the filmmakers emphasize creating the perfect mood and pacing. This is helped tenfold by some exceptional production design and aesthetically pleasing visuals; the type of sleek craftsmanship that has become standard for Netflix’s Spanish thrillers in particular.
With a wonderfully dark tone that the show fully leans into, City of Shadows embraces emotional impact and creates a powder keg of tension that allows the show to be perfectly binge-worthy. Plus, the fact that City of Shadows was filmed on location in Barcelona also adds to the texture of the show, which feels unmistakably lived in. This adherence to detail in order to make a solid thriller world is in service of a show that might not be wildly ambitious, but is competent and mature.
The Performances Elevate the Familiar Material
Ultimately, it’s not just atmosphere and tension alone that elevate the familiarity inherent to City of Shadows — the performances do much of the heavy lifting as well. Echegui’s calm proficiency is a nice foil to Malart/Férriz’s more manic energy. She excels as a no-nonsense cop, and she trusts Malart’s instincts in spite of his ostracization from his colleagues.
Férriz and Echegui have excellent chemistry that evolves over the course of the series, but they aren’t alone in their acting prowess. The cast is overwhelmingly good, and it’s a huge part of what makes City of Shadows a bit more than just standard crime drama fare. The rest of the cast includes Aina Clotet, Manolo Solo, María Adánez, Marc Clotet and more.
Is ‘City of Shadows’ Worth Streaming?
Does City of Shadows justify its 100 percent score on Rotten Tomatoes? Yes and no. While not perfect, it provides enough drama, thrills and suspense every decent thriller needs to stand out from the crowd. With its distinctive visual style and arresting performances, City of Shadows is a worthwhile addition to any Netflix subscriber’s watchlist this December.
Stream City of Shadows now on Netflix.
