Sartaj Singh
‘Crooks’ is a German-language series that follows a heist gone wrong with two crooks on the run across international borders with members of a criminal syndicate hot on their tail. Charly and Joseph are forced to take up a job by their underworld contacts, which involves the theft of an invaluable gold coin and transporting it from Berlin to Austria. When a shootout takes their plans off the rails, the duo must work together to fend off gangs from Berlin, Vienna, and Marseille, who are after the gold coin and their lives.
Created by Benjamin Hessler, Marvin Kren, and George Lippert, the Netflix crime action series traverses multiple exciting settings with heists, car chases, shootouts, and fight scenes delivering a pulse-pounding experience. As Charly, his family, and Joseph go on the run, the show presents us with various picturesque European backdrops, including the streets of Berlin, the seafront of Marseille, and the grand monuments of Vienna, prompting questions regarding its real-life shooting locations.
Crooks Filming Locations
True to the settings seen in the series, ‘Crooks’ is shot across sites in Berlin, Germany; Vienna, Austria; Marseille, France; and a few locations in Italy. Principal photography began in April 2022 under the working title ‘Criminal,’ and was completed for the first season by August 2022. Taking up the sizable task of filming across several locations in different nations, the series lives up to its tagline: One heist, two crooks, three cities.
Berlin, Germany
The capital city of Germany is the primary filming location of ‘Crooks.’ The production team utilizes the city’s streets to recreate the gritty urban environment synonymous with modern crime dramas. While shooting takes place on location in most instances, the series does use studios to create interior settings and action set pieces, especially ones requiring visual effects.
Much of the Berlin backdrop can be seen when Charly is reluctantly pulled back into the criminal world owing to his past associations. The juxtaposition of Berlin’s vibrant neighborhoods and neon-lit clubs mirrors the conflict between Charly’s peaceful present and dark past.
Vienna, Austria.
The production team sets up shop in Vienna to capture its historical grandeur and stately locales, which provide a refreshing visual contrast to the gritty underworld depicted in ‘Crooks.’ Scenes of Vienna are observed when Joseph begins his journey from the city, hoping to set things right for the sake of his family. Vienna’s role as a crossroads between Eastern and Western Europe mirrors the protagonists’ own journey across borders as they flee with the gold coin.
Marseille, France
A vibrant port city on the Mediterranean coast, Marseille becomes a central shooting site for ‘Crooks.’ Especially for the first season, much of the series’ action took the characters to the city in southern France. In an establishing shot of its picturesque urban sprawl, we can spot the Basilique Notre-Dame de la Garde, with its golden statue of the Virgin Mary towering over the city as an emblematic landmark.
Italy
Shooting for ‘Crooks’ also took the team to various destinations in Italy. Bordering both Austria and France, the production crew entered Italy’s territories to lens scenes in its diverse locales. Interestingly, a number of the show’s cast and crew also work on the German crime series ‘4 Blocks,’ which is also filmed in many of the same locations as ‘Crooks.’
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