This German thriller with 46% RT score becomes one of Netflix’s most-watched non-English movies ever

Netflix has a surprise hit in the summer of 2025 as the German thriller film Exterritorial soars to the height of popularity after releasing on the platform on April 30. Written and directed by Christian Zübert, the film follows former special forces soldier Sara Wulf, who loses her son on the premises of the US Consulate in Frankfurt while applying for a work visa.

Sara suspects a conspiracy brewing as building officials deny the child’s existence.

As of May 15, Netflix stated that Exterritorial has been viewed more than 62.1 million times and ranks eighth in the list of most popular non-English movies on the platform of all time. The achievement is notable and seemingly exceeds expectations, since the film has been rated extremely poorly by audiences on the film and television rating website Rotten Tomatoes, getting a score of only 46%.

Exterritorial lies between the 2022 film Through My Window with 61.1 million views, and the 2025 film Ad Vitam with 63.1 million views, on Netflix’s list. The top spot is occupied by the 2022 Norwegian film Troll, which has amassed more than 103 million views.

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Exploring the plot of the Netflix film Exterritorial

Exterritorial's main character is Sara Wulf, a former US special forces agent. Sara, the only survivor of a squad stationed in Afghanistan, retires from active duty and returns home, stopping at the US Consulate in Frankfurt to secure a work visa. Josh, Sara's kid, is beside her. His father was one of the squad members who died in Afghanistan.

When Sara returns from taking care of the paperwork, she discovers her son has gone from the consulate's playroom. In response to her request for assistance, Sergeant Donovan and Regional Security Officer Eric Kynch informed her that Josh never checked in and was not visible on the CCTV footage of Sara's stay at the embassy.

Due to their lack of jurisdiction on US soil, the German police decline assistance, and Sara's mother questions whether she has taken her PTSD medicine.

But instead of leaving, she keeps looking for her son. When Sara digs deeper, she finds that Eric is a corrupt officer who is accountable for the attack her squad encountered while on duty in Afghanistan. As the sole survivor of the attack, Eric has set up a trap for Sara in the consulate so that he could perform a clean job, in accordance with his agreement with the Taliban.

Eric kidnapped her child and wanted Sara to lose her mind so he could shoot her, saying he was defending himself. Sara, however, offers a trade after successfully kidnapping his daughter Aileen. As Eric is about to complete his task, Sara lets Aileen go and confronts the pang of consciousness.

After she engages Eric, he shoots her and injures her, but she manages to apprehend him and place him in US custody.

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How to watch Exterritorial on Netflix

Exterritorial, a 109-minute film produced by Constantin Television, is available for streaming on Netflix.

Standard with Ads, $7.99/month: The majority of films and TV series are included in this package, which also permits downloads on two devices and simultaneous 1080p (Full HD) streaming on two devices.

Standard (Ad-Free), $17.99/month: The plan includes two devices for simultaneous 1080p streaming, two devices for downloads, and unlimited ad-free content. For a charge, subscribers can include one more person who is not from their home.

Premium, $24.99/month: This plan allows for downloads on six devices, ad-free viewing on up to four devices at once in 4K Ultra HD with HDR, and the ability to add up to two additional people from outside the home for a charge.

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