Boris Kunz's 2023 German dystopian thriller Paradise remains one of Netflix's most unsettling sci-fi films three years after its release, exploring a near-future world where biotech firm Aeon can extract and transfer years of life between people. The film uses this premise to examine class division, ageing and the commodification of human existence, following married couple Max (Kostja Ullmann) and Elena (Corinna Kirchhoff/Marlene Tanczik), whose lives unravel after a fire destroys their home and leaves them unable to repay a loan.

Facing crippling debt, the couple are forced into a trade with Aeon that costs Elena 40 years of her life, transferred to the company's CEO, Sophie Theissen (Iris Berben) — a process depicted not as a gradual shortening of lifespan but as sudden, dramatic ageing within hours. On release, Paradise became a major international hit, ranking as Netflix's eighth most-watched non-English film globally and peaking at number two, with 27.4 million total views and 53.3 million hours watched. It continues to draw praise from critics and audiences for its pacing and disturbing central concept.