Netflix’s City of Shadows has quickly turned into a buzzing thriller owing to its intense crime drama and beautiful backdrop of Barcelona. However, its depiction of ritualistic public executions and horror mysteries makes the story seem too real.

The Spanish thriller's gripping setting and the use of actual city landmarks greatly contribute to the overall atmospheric realism. The show is not quiet mystery but makes viewers uncomfortable yet hooked.

But is City of Shadows based on a real-life incidents?

City of Shadows is not a true story, as in fact, it is all fiction, taken from a novel rather than being derived from any real-life criminal cases. The plot relies on Spanish literature by author Aro Sáinz de la Maza rather than Barcelona's documented history of murder. 

Viewers usually question whether the depicted crimes or murders really happened in real life Barcelona, but it is based on Aro Sáinz de la Maza’s crime novel El Verdugo de Gaudí, which is the first book in his Milo Malart tetralogy. 

City of Shadows draws the plot from the celebrated Spanish novel, introducing the detective Milo Malart. The Netflix series has no major divergence from the book in terms of theme, a detective being compelled to go to Barcelona for the investigation of a gruesome murder, but it has developed the elements to be in line with the serialized storytelling. 

The novel, which came out in 2012, is the first one in a series of four works where Malart’s cases are featured. The creators and the scriptwriters of the show decided to keep the psychological intensity and the complexity of the characters in the novel, sometimes changing the plot beats for dramatic pacing.

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So what is the Spanish thriller about that got the entire world hooked?

Directed by Jorge Torregrossa, Netflix's latest addition to its sizzling socio-political and crime thrillers follows Inspector Milo Malart and Deputy Rebeca Garrido as they investigate a gruesome case involving a burned body found at Gaudí’s Casa Milà. Alongside its quick pacing, Milo Malart's flawed and emotionally wounded state of time adds new depth and dimensions to the story, making it a must-watch this holiday season.

Malart, who was on suspension, is brought back to the police force to investigate a shocking crime: a powerful businessman’s body found burned on the façade of Gaudí’s iconic La Pedrera building in Barcelona. He is convinced that there is a ritualistic or serial pattern behind the murders that has deeper motives. 

While the investigators dig deeper into the case, they unveil the evil webs of corruption, personal traumas, and revenge that are fueling the killers’ motives. The show's stellar cast of Spanish heavyweight actors, such as Isak Férriz as Inspector Milo Malart, and Verónica Echegui as Deputy Inspector Rebecca Garrido, pulled in global viewers, making it Netflix's 4th most-watched TV show globally, per FlixPatrol.

Although City of Shadows builds on its noir feel, featuring real Barcelona sites like La Pedrera–Casa Milà and other Gaudí landmarks, its crimes and killers are fictional. Its sharp storytelling cuts through all the noise, making it one of the platform’s best non-English offerings.

‘City of Shadows’ on Netflix: What Makes the Spanish Thriller an Unmissable Must-Watch

Have you watched City of Shadows on Netflix yet? Comment your thoughts on its realistic potrof crimes below.