Cassandra Review: However, the history of audiovisuals has shown us on more than one occasion that the four walls of a house, beyond its topography, size and geolocation, can transform into a hostile habitat where you cannot set foot or from which to escape as in the case of the one that frames Cassandra, the German miniseries in six episodes of about 45 minutes each, released by Netflix on February 6, 2025, almost two years after the first announcement. It was written and directed by thirty-nine-year-old Benjamin Gutsche, already known for his work in Der Antrag and All You Need.
Cassandra: the family must try to survive an electronic home assistant in a dangerous smart home
The director of Luckenwalde tells the story of a family who moves into a small house located in the heart of the Teutonic Forest, which is also the oldest smart home in Germany, left empty for five decades after the mysterious death of the previous owners. Husband, wife, and two children end up inadvertently activating Cassandra, an electronic home assistant developed in the 1970s.
Throughout the story, the fear of abandonment and the need for company from the assistant lead to increasingly controlling and dangerous behavior. Thus begins a domestic odyssey that will force the four protagonists to fight for their survival, but only after having brought to light the truth about the tragedy that took place years ago within those four walls.
For those who don't know, the expression smart home, or intelligent home, refers to the latest generation homes that can be managed automatically by an AI agent thanks to the evolution of the Internet of Things.
And it is precisely on the possibilities, but above all on the worst nightmares related to the aforementioned technologies applied to the homes of the future that the series and its author start to examine the potential dangers of artificial intelligence in smart home technology and at the same time triggers the frightening and disturbing narrative path of a show that skillfully and seamlessly mixes family drama and thriller, with retro sci-fi horror elements and dark fairy tales.
With and through them, the series addresses ethical considerations and current issues such as the relationship between man and technology, the power of artificial intelligence and the consequences of dependence on smart devices, resonating with contemporary concerns about the integration of AI and intelligent technologies in everyday life.
This exponentially increases the specific weight and value of the arguments raised by a show that turns out to be a hard Sci-fi product capable of going beyond mere genre entertainment to raise important questions and point the finger.
Cassandra Series Analysis:
After all, the name of the virtual assistant that controls the smart home and the homonymous title of the show do not promise anything good, recalling the feared priestess of Greek mythology who prophesied terrible misfortunes in the temple of Apollo.
The Cassandra on duty, unlike the priestess called into question, instead quickly moves from words to deeds, revealing behind the friendly and collaborative facade her true nature, the dark one of a murderous digital assistant with clear psychopathic tendencies.
In this sense, it is not the first time that an electronic brain seriously puts the life of a human being at risk, subverting the dominant positions enough to take command and become an executioner and tormentor.
In the wake of the alarm sirens set off by Isaac Asimov with his writings, all political fantasy literature, and by extension also cinematography and genre series, have begun to reflect on the consequences of technological development and the risks associated with artificial intelligence.
From here an inexhaustible series of audiovisual products for the small and big screen have shown the threats and collateral effects, starting with that masterpiece that answers to the name of 2001: A Space Odyssey.
Cassandra follows in the footsteps of recent quality German series that have won over international audiences, such as Dark and 1899, and draws inspiration from famous science fiction works including Her, Ex Machina and Smart House.
However, the mind for analogies goes back to The House by fellow countryman Rick Ostermann and Manny by Indian director Dace Puce where the domotic house that hosts the protagonists is increasingly transformed from a peaceful refuge into a dangerous adversary.
However, what is most convincing about Gutsche's show is how it delves with the lens of the genre into such complex themes to deliver to the viewer a vision that makes you think and at the same time manages to involve you with an up and down of tension.
This is thanks to a writing that manages to skillfully juggle the timelines of the past and the present, creating a thriller structure that resembles a mosaic. All are supported by an effective group of interpreters, where an extraordinary Lavinia Wilson stands out in the role of Cassandra in Flesh and Blood and in the robotic one, but also of a retro-futuristic design that acts as a glue between the aforementioned plans, with the photography of Mortiz Kaethner contributes significantly to the atmosphere of the series, emphasizing the claustrophobic nature of the environment.
Cassandra: evaluation and conclusion
The dangers of artificial intelligence in the domestic sphere starring a killer digital assistant with clear psychopathic tendencies that make life impossible for a poor German family in a miniseries that effectively mixes science fiction, drama, horror and thriller. Cassandra is a well-structured miniseries that addresses sensitive, complex and very current issues.
It does so with the tools, stylistic features and lens of the genre, creating a story that manages to simultaneously make the viewer reflect on the arguments raised and involve the viewer with the mystery line and a rise and fall of tension. The rest is taken care of by an attractive and functional retro-futuristic design and a truly effective cast, in which Lavinia Wilson stands out in her dual role as human and robotic.