Unfamiliar is a crime thriller set against the backdrop of Berlin’s underworld, where a violent chain of events pulls several characters into a tense and escalating conflict.
Planet X contributed a range of supporting visual effects to help realise the film’s action and atmosphere. Our work included the creation of muzzle flashes, enhancements to practical action elements, screen replacements and a number of additional 'invisible' contributions.
The breakdown below highlights a selection of these moments and offers a brief look at how these elements came together within the finished scenes.
A look behind the scenes of some of the VFX work on Unfamiliar.
Hidden in the centre of Berlin, former spies Simon and Meret run a discreet safe house for people who need to disappear. After years spent in intelligence work, it is an attempt to maintain control, stability, and a private life they barely manage to hold together.
When a threat from their past resurfaces, that balance collapses. Simon and Meret are forced back into flight, pursued by hitmen, Russian agents, the BND, former lovers, and old enemies who know exactly where to look. As pressure mounts and old loyalties resurface, professional instincts clash with personal fault lines, putting both their survival and their marriage at risk.
With no safe place left, they must rely on the skills they tried to leave behind, while confronting the consequences of the lives they once led.
Unfamiliar is a German Netflix Original series, premiering globally on February 5, 2026.
Planet X is proud to have contributed visual effects to Unfamiliar, and excited to be part of bringing this tense Berlin-set story to the screen.
