'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,/9j/2wBDAAYEBQYFBAYGBQYHBwYIChAKCgkJChQODwwQFxQYGBcUFhYaHSUfGhsjHBYWICwgIyYnKSopGR8tMC0oMCUoKSj/2wBDAQcHBwoIChMKChMoGhYaKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCgoKCj/wAARCAAGAAoDASIAAhEBAxEB/8QAFgABAQEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAMF/8QAIRAAAgEDBAMBAAAAAAAAAAAAAQIDAAQRBRIhMQYTIiT/xAAVAQEBAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAEBf/EABsRAAICAwEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAECACIDIVHw/9oADAMBAAIRAxEAPwDB0NGudVu4Cv5ZJTvhWUoHRQuQSASM7+cd9E1Y+cvGTHFYW/rX5XK84HVKVORA5tyOzMUFdeE//9k='%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Netflix’s latest offering in the sci-fi thriller genre, Cassandra, invites fans into a spine-chilling reality where AI starts to blur the distinction between a helpful aid and a daunting menace. This six-episode series features Mina Tander and Lavinia Wilson as the main characters.
It revolves around a family who shifts into an ancient abode that comes with a high-tech twist – a smart home assistant named Cassandra. This AI system was installed in the 1970s but was decommissioned under ambiguous circumstances, only to be reactivated, which inadvertently triggered a power struggle.
The show's eerie and suspenseful ambiance is heightened by its filming settings. Cassandra was shot in Cologne, Germany, and its nearby locales. This backdrop melds gadgetry with an aura of age-old enigma.
Netflix's Cassandra was filmed in Cologne, Germany
Cologne, one of the biggest cities in Germany, makes a perfect backdrop for a TV show like Cassandra. The story takes place in a super-modern but kind of scary house, and that spot was picked on purpose to show the push and pull between the past and what's coming next. The show was made by Rat Pack Film and shot in Cologne in September 2023.
This place has old buildings and fancy new ones that look like they're from the future. It's a contrast that fits the show's idea of looking back while also looking ahead. The city has a history and modernity. The setting practically looks like it was made for a show about an AI that's out of its time!
Cologne has some of the best studios and companies in Germany. They had everything they needed to make this world feel real. They used real spots around the city, along with well-thought-out sets.
The house aka the smart home was very important in the plot of Netflix's Cassandra
Unlike many science fiction thrillers that take us to far-off futuristic worlds, Cassandra keeps things close to home, quite literally. It's set in a place that's eerily familiar to most of us: a family's abode. The house has the out-of-this-world tech and a creepy vibe. It becomes a star player in the series.
The team looked at quite a few different homes before finding the right one. It had to be a place that felt lived in, with a story behind every wall, that could be both cozy and claustrophobic. They wanted it to be the kind of place that makes you feel safe but also makes you feel like maybe, just maybe, you're not alone.
They used real-life props and some CGI to bring the house to life, or rather, to make it feel alive. You've got smart gadgets that seem to have a mind of their own, whispering speakers and screens with the AI avatar's frankly horrifying smile on the walls and hallways that seem to swallow light. The house is always watching, waiting for the right moment to pounce.
The cinematographer, J. Moritz Kaethner, is good at playing with shadows and light. He took inspiration from old scary movies. Every corner hides a secret, and you can't help but wonder what's lurking there.
Must-read: 5 questions we have after the show ends
Trending
Cassandra made its debut on Netflix on February 6, 2025.
Don't get too comfortable, the house in this show might feel like your own!
Your perspective matters!
Start the conversation
