Diksha Sundriyal
Netflix’s ‘How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)’ follows the story of Moritz Zimmermann, whose desire to win back his girlfriend leads him to build a drug empire out of his house in the small German town of Rinseln. Over the course of four seasons, the show takes us through his turbulent journey, mostly focusing on the impact that his decisions have on his friendships and other relationships. In all of this, the town itself becomes an important factor in the story, steering Moritz’s story in unexpected directions.
The Fictional Nature of Rinseln Adds More Depth to the Story
The events of ‘How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast)’ take place in the fictional town of Rinseln, which is supposed to be located somewhere in the North Rhine-Westphalia region of Germany. The creators of the show wanted to keep the small town setup, but they also wanted to focus on the anonymity of the place to give the impression that this story could happen anywhere, giving it another realistic edge. The lack of specific markers allows the audience from all over to relate to it rather than connect the story to a specific place. So, they refrained from using well-known German cities, keeping the slate clean for the audience and the characters.
The show was filmed in real locations in Bonn and Cologne. Bonn, especially, features heavily in the show, with several of its neighborhoods being used to create Rinseln. Places like Ippendorf and Spreestraße were used to film exteriors. As for the interiors, especially Moritz’s room, where he and Lenny start and run their drug business, elaborate sets were created inside an abandoned school to give the crew more room to navigate during the filming process. In the same vein, locations all around the city of Cologne were employed to film important scenes in the show.
The fictional setting of a small town allows the story to be more intimate, bringing it closer to reality by making the audience believe that something so drastic doesn’t necessarily happen in big cities with higher crime rates. With the advent of the Internet, the world has become a small place, and given the resources, a person can create a system like the one Moritz and Lenny rely on to make hundreds of thousands of dollars in a matter of days. This believable nature of the town adds more thrill and depth to the story, making it even more impactful.
Read More: How to Sell Drugs Online (Fast) Season 4 Ending Explained: Who is M2000?
