The 2025 Spy Series Taking Over Netflix's Global Charts Needs To Be On Your Watchlist

A brisk, high-octane spy thriller is a perfect match for the binge-watching formula. Danish crime drama "The Asset" is proof of this, as it's steadily climbing up Netflix Top 10 charts in the US (via FlixPatrol). The series is currently sitting at #4, sandwiched between the divisive new season of "The Witcher" and the hit reality show, "Love is Blind." While the Netflix algorithm doesn't always highlight shows worth watching, "The Asset" lives up to the hype, thanks to a high-stakes premise and a more-than-serviceable exploration of traditional genre tropes.

So, what's "The Asset" about? Samanou Acheche Sahlstrøm and Kasper Barfoed's recently released spy series follows Tea (Clara Dessau), an undercover operative tasked with infiltrating a criminal network. While such a premise sounds straightforward enough, the six episodes focus on Tea's emotional landscape, as her job demands the constant fabrication of identity. You see, this mission is an opportunity for Tea to prove her mettle, which is why she goes to great lengths to befriend Ashley (Maria Cordsen), the wife of crime boss Miran (Afshin Firouzi).

Miran is no easy target, as he has a track record of spotting undercover spies and murdering them. This adds layers of anxiety to Tea's mission; she must embody the false identity of Sara Linneman as if her life depends on it. But Tea's loyalties to the police academy are tested once she starts empathizing with Ashley's suffering and realizes that her handlers aren't much interested in protecting innocent civilians. 

Crime thrillers tend to do well on Netflix, especially ones with a frenetic bent like "Ballad of a Small Player," which invites comparisons to the uber-thrilling "Uncut Gems." Some arly 2000s spy thrillers, like the Ben Affleck-starrer "The Sum of All Fears," have also made a resurgence on the platform for no rhyme or reason (that one is a pretty lackluster Jack Ryan flick). "The Asset" falls somewhere in the middle. It isn't a genre marvel by any stretch of the imagination, nor is it thematically inept as an entry into the espionage genre. Although flawed, there's a lot to like here. "The Asset" doesn't focus on traditional action but embraces the workings of a suspenseful crime drama instead.

Sahlstrøm spoke to Netflix to explain the core appeal of "The Asset," which lies in the nuances of Tea's journey as an undercover agent whose empathy overrides the moral aloofness she's supposed to embody:

"I was drawn to tell this story because it explores the complexities of identity and loyalty under extreme pressure. Through Tea's journey, we see how far someone is willing to go to do what they believe is right, and when the lines between good and evil become blurred. I have always wanted to work on a crime series that puts its characters, their development, and their relations to each other at the very center of the story. This is precisely what 'The Asset' does."

"The Asset" is currently streaming on Netflix.