The French TV series,Les Revenants, is a much-watch for thriller TV show fans, but don’t be turned off by the American remake from 2015.Thriller TV shows have to be up therewith crime and drama series as the most popular genre of TV. There are just so many directions you can go with it.
While French cinema has long been a gold-standard for the art form,French television has only recently been growingin popularity. A result of it being easier to access TV from other countries thanks to streaming. This French series is worth the time, though you may ignore the American remake on Netflix.
Les Revenants Is A Harrowing Thriller That Every Fan Of The Genre Should Watch
Les Revenants, orThe Returnedin English, is a 2012 French thriller series that ran for two seasons. The series is based on the 2004 French film,They Came Back, which is also calledLes Revenantsin France.Les Revenantsthe show, is set in a small French mountain town that suddenly experiences something unbelievable.
All over the town, formerly dead people, from teenage bus crash victims to murdered serial killers, arise with no recollection of how they did so. These people, who seem to be normal humans in every other way, attempt to resume their old lives as best they can, but more strange and bizarre occurrences continue to beset the town.
It’s a chilling series that avoids the gore and obvious scares that would generally come from a show dealing with the undead. The story inLes Revenantsis slowly and deliberately unveiled, taking the audience down an engrossing and unexpected path that is equal parts spooky and satisfying.
The French Version Of The Returned Is Much Better Than Its Netflix Remake
The problem withLes Revenantsis that, unless you live in France, you’re going to have a hard time tracking it down. At the moment, in the United States,only the first season is available and that’s only on Apple TV+. However, there is an American remake available on Netflix that came out in 2015.
The remake only ran one season and currently has a 67% onRotten Tomatoes, a much lower score thanLes Revenants' 97% onRotten Tomatoes. The American remake is not terrible, but it’s certainly a poor imitation of the French version. The series follows the same storyline, now set in the mountains of Washington state.
The Returnedstill offers a creepy atmosphere and the drama between the characters is well written and well acted, but if you’re looking for something that feels fresh and delves into the stickier parts of an event as unbelievable as people coming back to life, try season one ofLes Revenantsfirst.
