Netflix is not new to bringing forth stories that tug at the audience’s hearts. More often than not, the streamer rolls out IPs that make viewers huff a breath, look up at the sky, and reflect on their moral standings in society. The theme sounds dark at first, but as spectators ease into such creations, it does not take them long to draw parallels between the fictional and the real world.

The platform’s upcoming release, Marked, is an enticing effort in the same vein, and below is everything to know about it.

Marked on Netflix: A treat for fans of neo-noir productions with spiritual undertones

The South African title, featuring an all-indigenous cast, chronicles the life of a devout ex-cop named Babalwa. Also a mother, her world shifts by a force too raw to measure when she learns her daughter’s life ahead depends on an expensive surgery, which neither she nor her husband has the means to fund. Driven by desperation, the ever-veracious former being finds herself on the porch steps of a morally ambiguous character whose darkness may consume her soul in exchange for help.

The plot may remind some of another, more global, Netflix offering, Ginny & Georgia—though this one will not have the balance of humor and heart, only the very aggressive pull of the latter aspect. Georgia, after all, never had to worry about Ginny’s impending demise. She instead walked a moral tightrope to secure for her daughter the life she was once denied. It is also worth noting that Ginny & Georgia Season 3 is now streaming on Netflix—and pop culture circles are already abuzz with conjectures on what the next season might hold, if and when it arrives.

Back to Marked, here is how its narrative packs internal and external turmoil into a powerful punch.

Release date of Marked revealed; plus, know the cast

With stakes skyrocketing beyond sight, thriller fans are required to mark July 31 on their calendars, as that is when all six episodes of the series hits Netflix. Lerato Mvelase plays the torn lead in the Akin Omotoso, Matshepo Maja, and Jono Hall directional while Sphamandla Dhludhu, S’dumo Mtshali, Bonko Khoza, Desmond Dube, and more round out the ensemble.

Will Babalwa let her values be stripped away, or will her faith in the supreme power help her escape the grip of the ungodly and pull off an unthinkable win? Whatever the outcome, viewers are sure to get their time’s worth from a rare non-Hollywood Netflix thriller presentation with a theft subplot in place. Who knows — it could be South Africa’s answer to the Spanish Money Heist.

Will you be streaming Marked on Netflix? Let us know in the comments below!