Close to Home Murder in the Coalfield (Lauchhammer – Tod in der Lausitz) is a German murder-thriller series that premiered on March 22, 2023, on Netflix. Directed by Till Franzen and written by Frauke Hunfeld alongside Silke Zertz, the story follows a series of unsolved murders that had been occurring for a long time in a small town.
The series stars Misel Maticevic alongside Odine Johne in the lead roles. The rest of the supporting and recurring cast includes Ella Lee, Marc Hosemann, Jacob Matschenz, Lucas Gregorowicz, Hilmar Eichhorn and more. Felix Novo de Oliveira is the cinematographer, and Andreas Weidinger, alongside Christoph Zirngibl, gives the music.
Close to Home Murder in the Coalfield Ending Explained
After Maik Briegand was suspended from his job following a violent incident, he could no longer investigate the murder. On the other hand, Ella is planning a city-wide environmental protest along with a group of climate activists. Meanwhile, Anna gathers new evidence during the investigation, which leads to fruitful results.
Who was the murderer?
Both the detectives, after a thorough investigation, concluded that the murder of Ramona was linked to the death of a victim that happened years ago. The victim was none other than Maik’s high school girlfriend, who was mysteriously killed. They both start to investigate the old murder case and ask around town. The identity of the suspect was kept hidden from the general public. After much effort, it is revealed that the killer was the son of the Party Secretary at Senftenberg Coal.
Maik and Anna review the old files and try to find the son’s name. Finally, they realise that the killer was Maik’s high school friend, Martin Jaschke, who had committed the gruesome crime. They head over to his house and try to find evidence linking him to Ramona’s murder. Anna manages to unlock his encrypted computer and finds various voice notes, pictures and videos of women in violent scenarios. They also find a picture of Ella, who was his next target.
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Could they save Ella?
Martin’s next plan was to disguise himself as a protestor and infiltrate the group. He manages to blend in perfectly and approaches Ella. When the police were breaking up the protest, he took the opportunity to lure Ella deep inside the forest. However, Ella grows suspicious of his intentions and tries to escape, but he catches up to her. However, a drone picks up their location, and the police are informed about their whereabouts. Scared by the drone, Martin loses his focus, and Ella manages to escape from his clutches.
What happened to Martin?
Martin reaches his car and tries to escape the scene. The police, however, had him surrounded and warned him to surrender, but he tried to drive off anyway. Maik and Anna shoot at the moving vehicle and successfully stops him from running away. Martin walks out of the car and takes his own life by jumping off the cliff.
Close to Home: Murder in the Coalfield is now streaming on Netflix. Did you watch the series yet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below!
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I liked it, though was a little confused about who the killer was and why that young boy was put down that well, which traumatized him
I enjoyed it. Enough red herrings to confuse the viewer as to who the killer was. Scenic views of the coal field, and scenery, good acting from them all especially the main two actors. Was a bit confused as to the ending and what was going to happen next.
I found the ending quite confusing. And I still don’t know who Martin was?????????????????????????????
I liked the message at the end about forgiving and changing. But why did the killer’s father have him sterilized when he was young? There were references to a past political issue, the reunification I think? Didn’t understand any of that.
What was the QR code significance found in the pic of his father