Sara – Woman in the Shadows is a 2025 Italian crime drama series that premiered on 3rd June 2025 and is currently streaming on Netflix. Its original title is La donna nell’ombra. The series is based on a novel by Maurizio de Giovanni called Le indagini di Sara (The Investigations of Sara), a crime novel series published by Rizzoli.
The series is produced by Palomar, a Mediawan company, and directed by Carmine Elia. It is rated 16+.
The Premise
The suspicious death of her son, Giorgio Alberti, propels former secret service agent Sara back into her history. The unexplained death of her son was ruled as an accident by all except Sara, who knows something is not right—and that intuition will lead her on a path of discover and secrets.
This is not just a tale of finding truth, but it is also about finding what the price of the truth itself is. It explores themes of government conspiracy, media manipulation, and corruption. The series comprises a single season with 6 episodes.
Season 1, Episode 1
When her estranged son Giorgio Alberti dies under suspicious circumstances, former secret agent Sara is pulled back into the secretive world she left behind—reuniting with her old secret service team to uncover the truth and confront the past she thought she had buried. The episode runs for 58 minutes.
Season 1, Episode 2
Teresa, the head of the secret service team Sara once belonged to, urges her to retrace Sergio Minucci, a recruit of the secret service, in his last steps, and assist in uncovering the truth behind his disappearance. Meanwhile, Sergeant David Pardo, who handled Giorgio’s case, clashes with Sara and remains deeply distrustful of her. This episode runs for 53 minutes.
Season 1, Episode 3
An undocumented farm worker confesses to the murders of Sergio Minucci and Gaspare Russo, but Sara and Pardo sense something isn’t right, especially when a politician unexpectedly steps in. This episode runs for 52 minutes.
Season 1, Episode 4
Sara and Pardo pursue a relentless yet elusive journalist, determined to uncover the truth behind the deaths of Gaspare Russo and Sergio Minucci — and to expose everyone involved.
Meanwhile, Teresa faces a painful confrontation as she uncovers the lies her former lover told while worrying about the future of her unit. This episode runs for 51 minutes.
Season 1, Episode 5
The disappearance of Edoardo Belliti, the journalist looking into Tarallo, sets Sara in motion. When a familiar face from her past resurfaces, it offers her a chance to settle old scores—but she won’t risk Viola’s safety to do it. This episode runs for 49 minutes.
Season 1, Episode 6
With the election campaign nearing its end, Sara and Pardo follow a lead tied to one of Tarallo’s friends—only to uncover something far more dangerous than they bargained for. This episode runs for 58 minutes.
Cast and Performances
Teresa Saponangelo as Major Sara Morozzi
Sara is a quiet, retired Secret Service agent who has long been out of the game. But when her son suddenly dies in mysterious circumstances, despite being consumed by grief, she is forced back into action, determined to find out what happened.
Sara is not a damsel in distress, she is a flawed human being with distance. She is broken goods, but she does not run away.
Watching her return to the world she left behind, especially after she lost her son, gave the series so much depth of emotion. Her loss does not weaken her—it makes her stronger and hardens her. Her performance was extraordinary; she rightly wore the role.
Claudia Gerini as Teresa
Teresa is Sara’s former colleague and confidante, who helps Sara navigate the world of espionage once again. Despite their shared history, Teresa’s help comes with strings attached, as she blackmails Sara into returning to the dangerous life of secret agents.
Flavio Furno as Pardo
Pardo is a police officer who joins Sara’s investigation. He takes a more traditional approach to things and his perspective becomes crucial as the investigation reveals darker and more dangerous truths about Sara’s son and his death.
Chiara Celotto as Viola
Viola is a photographer and the pregnant partner of Sara’s son. She is involved in the mystery surrounding his death. As the investigation goes on, Viola’s connection to the case grows stronger, and her involvement gives Sara’s search for answers a personal touch.
What I Liked About the Series
Cinematography and Picture Quality
The cinematography is clean and captivating. The show is beautiful; the pictures are sharp with proper use of complementary lighting and colour, which greatly makes the series visually engaging from start to finish.
Strong Performances
The actors deliver a powerful performance by displaying the right amount of emotions that the series requires.
Music
The music was beautifully synchronised with each scene. It brought the visuals to life and made every moment more impactful. It never distracts; rather, it contributes to the mood of the story adequately.
Revenge Theme (Spoiler Ahead!)
I admired that Sara did not let the doctor get away with murdering her son. While some might say vengeance should be left to God, there is a certain extraordinary peace that comes from seeing justice served and making people answer for the wrongs they have committed.
The Ending Effect
I liked the final scene because it tied the whole series together in a way that felt satisfying. Sara – Woman in the Shadows ends with the promise that as long as injustice exists, there will be those who fight it and that true justice is born in the hands of those who refuse to give up.
Plot-Driven Flashbacks
I appreciated the subtle yet effective use of flashbacks because it helped clarify the characters’ actions in key scenes.
Positive Messages/Lessons Learnt
I learnt that you should not always take people at their word. It is important to verify things for yourself. After all, not everything that glitters is gold. The series taught me that you truly cannot trust anyone. Someone who claimed to be a friend did not hesitate to blackmail her friend when it suited her.
What Didn’t Work
Poor Pacing
Most of the scenes just dragged on, and there were lots of unnecessary scenes that I could not help but wonder what I was supposed to take from them.
Plot Inadequacies
For a crime series, I was expecting more action scenes, so I was a bit disappointed in that aspect. However, the suspense and thrills were spot-on at times and kept me engaged. One thing I did not quite understand was how Sergeant David Pardo so readily agreed to break the law with Sara, without even a moment of hesitation.
It is unsettling how we can see that Sara regrets leaving her son behind, yet she never speaks about it. Her silence is deafening. She does not explain, but the ache in her eyes tells a story all on its own.
I can not help but suspect her decision had something to do with work… and the fact that she fell in love with her boss, Massimiliano.
Character Solitude
Sara’s life felt incredibly sad and lonely. She had no one around her, no family, no friends. It was heartbreaking to see her so isolated, and I did not enjoy that aspect of her story.
Final Thoughts
Sara – Woman in the Shadows takes you deep into a murky world of political conspiracies and mafia cover-ups. It is also about women who refuse to play by the rules. It is noir, it is messy, and just when you think the dust has settled, someone pulls a gun or a fast one. This is a must-watch for lovers of the crime drama genre.
Rating
I would rate the series a 3 out of 5. The movie has an intriguing premise and some strong moments, especially with Sara’s unique skills and the suspense around her son’s death.
