Netflix’s top 10 is always a good place to gauge what viewers are actually enjoying, and right now, the Danish crime thriller “The Asset” (titled “Legenden” in its native country) is proving to be a hit, sitting at No. 4 on the U.S. most-watched shows list. Impressively, it has even managed to overtake “The Diplomat.”
2025 has been a quiet year for spy-related crime thrillers, which makes this success somewhat surprising. Even with theatrical releases like “Black Bag” and “The Amateur,” the genre hasn’t really grabbed attention, so it’s nice to see it making a comeback on the biggest streaming service with a compelling international show.
“The Asset” follows a young cadet who assumes a false identity to get close to a key figure in a drug ring, balancing the demands of her mission with the emotional attachments she forms along the way. Even with a premise that feels familiar to fans of espionage stories, the limited series has clearly found a way to stand out on Netflix this month.
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If you’re looking for a bingeable, engaging thriller this week, here’s everything to know about “The Asset” and whether you should stream it.
What is ‘The Asset’ about?
The Asset | Official Trailer | Netflix – YouTube
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A young police cadet, Tea Lind (Clara Dessau), is recruited by Denmark’s intelligence service to go undercover and infiltrate a drug-smuggling network that law enforcement hasn’t been able to catch.
She assumes the identity of a jeweller and works to befriend Ashley (Maria Cordsen), the glamorous partner of the crime boss Miran (Afshin Firouzi). As Tea moves deeper into Ashley’s social circle and gains access to the criminal enterprise, she’s soon caught between conflicting loyalties and the dangerous manipulations of those around her.
When the operation overheats, Tea is pushed to the edge, and she must decide how far she will go and what she is willing to sacrifice to complete her assignment.
Should you stream ‘The Asset’ on Netflix?
(Image credit: Nikolaj Thaning Rentzmann / Netflix)
Whether “The Asset” is for you largely depends on your taste for spy thrillers. It reworks the classic undercover setup within a gritty criminal network, following a protagonist who must confront her own demons amid the pressure of her assignment. Granted, it doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but its position in the top 10 is clearly a testament to its bingeable quality.
“The Asset” actually opts for a more thoughtful approach than the usual action-driven fare in the genre, letting relationships and character dynamics unfold naturally. Its storytelling isn’t overly complex either. But that simplicity gives the narrative a realistic edge, while the emotional core often stands shoulder to shoulder with the crime-thriller elements, sometimes even taking the lead and turning the show, at times, into something resembling a character-driven drama.
Spanning six episodes, the show essentially explores a world of deception and manipulation while quietly raising doubts about whether every decision made in the name of justice is entirely justified.
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(Image credit: David Bauer / Netflix)
Clearly, its position in Netflix’s top 10 proves that viewers are finding something to enjoy, especially since it has an 83% rating on Rotten Tomatoes at the time of writing, with audiences giving it a slightly higher score of 86%.
Archi Sengupta from LeisureByte said: “The Asset, on Netflix, is an enjoyable watch that focuses a bit more on emotions than the thrill.” Meanwhile, Espinof’s Belen Prieto stated it “works as a stylistic exercise within a saturated genre, but one still capable of delivering adrenaline, moral dilemmas, and a brutal portrayal of loneliness.”
However, Joel Keller from Decider had a more mixed take: “The Asset barely skates by on an appealing lead performance by Clara Dessau and a spy premise that has some interesting possibilities. But the narrative feels mostly predictable and is mired in stereotypes that we thought were left behind five years ago.”
So, if you’re looking for something easy but compelling to binge-watch this week, “The Asset” is worth checking out, as long as you keep your expectations in check regarding its limited action and familiar storytelling. However, if you’re not feeling it, see what’s new on Netflix in November 2025.
Stream “The Asset” on Netflix.
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