With The Walking Dead: Daryl Dixon reaching its end and hopefully leaving France, I thought it would be a good idea to talk to you about another zombie series, or rather, living dead, that made the country north of the Pyrenees its setting. Premiered over 10 years ago, Les Revenants was widely praised by critics around the world, to the point of being recognized in the United States with the International Emmy Awards. There were plenty of reasons for its admirers to praise it.
I say living dead because, although many marketed it as a zombie series, myself included in this theme, the truth is that the creators of the show gave it a somewhat more realistic twist, and perhaps more terrifying, in which overnight, in a small alpine village, several men and women appear confused trying to return to their homes. “What they still do not know is that they have been dead for several years. Their arrival coincides with a series of horrific murders. From here, things become increasingly strange, as if a much more radical disorder were occurring.”
Yes, it can fit into the definition of zombies, as people who were supposed to be dead and have been brought back to life, by whatever means and for whatever purpose, but these are not the walkers with decrepit faces as in the AMC production eager to devour our brains and offer us some good gore scenes to remember, but ordinary people facing their return to the world of the living and how those who remained are dealing with the difficult reunion.
Engaging and also terrifying stories
But do not be mistaken, this does not mean that this is a cheerful series. It is very dark, chilling at times, and capable of leaving you shuddering when you discover it. More so than with TWD, I would compare it to The Leftovers, in the sense of exploring the drama of many characters with plots that can trap you from the very beginning and also surprise you until the last minute. Yes, because the end of its season is precisely one of its great strengths.
And if you are worried about encountering an eight-hour philosophical reflection, do not worry, because not everyone who returns from the dead has done so with good intentions, so emotional moments are guaranteed. In short, Les Revenants is a French TV series where terror, mystery, intrigue, and the existential drama of several individuals a la Lost come together in a story that you may want to devour over the All Saints’ Day weekend.
Additionally, as our colleagues at JeuxVideo indicate, Les Revenants is a joy to watch due to its artistic direction thanks to a photography as dark as poetic capable of creating an atmosphere that reinforces the natural character of the show. After all, as we said before, it places its action in a small alpine village. With those landscapes, the series needs no further defense.
Les Revenants has a 100% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes, but if you prefer to hear the opinion of the audience, you will be delighted to know that the show is rated 7.1/10 on Filmaffinity and 8/10 on IMDb. In other words, I am not the only one telling you to make time these days to watch it, especially since its first episodes can be seen on Prime Video. Its second season is absent and I have not been able to watch it, but its reception was more negative.
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