One of the best series of the last few years comes from a rather unexpected place. I do not remember having seen a French series of such a quality and intensity. With ‘Lost’ and ‘Fringe’ now over, with ‘X-Files’ back away in the remote history, ‘Les Revenants’ is strange and beautiful, discomforting and mysterious, and leaves enough things unexplained for the viewers to enjoy and for the fans to wait for the next season.
source www.imdb.com/title/tt2521668/
The setting immediately reminds David Lynch’s ‘Twin Peaks’, the American series that dared in the 90s break many taboos of the commercial TV fiction. A French village located between mountain peals and near a picturesque lake and a dam in a remote location in the Alps is faces a phenomenon that is impossible to explain by human logic. Dead come back, some only a few years after their violent deaths, some other many decades later. They do not seem to remember too much of the time spent in-between and are eager to continue their lives from where they left. Are the living ones ready to receive them back? Can the joy of seeing again a child or a lover though to be gone forever overcome the fear of death and unexplained, and the changes in the very own lives of the living?
(video source Madman Films)
As in Lars von Trier’s The Kingdom there is an original sin, a terrible story back in history that may be at the root of all that takes place. Do not worry, however – not two much is being rationally explained, and the scene in the final of the season provides a great opening for what is to come. Hopefully the second season will avoid the temptation to go too deep into the zombies genre. Until then I definitely recommend this series for all the fans of fantastic, mystery, science-fiction or horror genres and their combinations. It’s well written, beautifully filmed, the actors are good and expressive building characters that will be hard to forget, and the music will haunt you well after you turned off the TV. Look for the first season if you did not see it yet, watch with me for the next one.