Les Revenants Highlights Excellence in Foreign TV

The US is an exporter of pop culture but seldom imports it, a shame because many a marvelous foreign show has passed US dwellers by. The Returned is one such gem. Full of the supernatural, artful cinematography, and a light dose of creepiness, The Returned (Les Revenants) is a French TV show that first aired in 2012, and had its second and final season in 2015. The series, directed by Fabrice Gobert, won an International Emmy for best drama.

Set in a small mountain town, the inhabitants’ lives are disrupted when the dead start to reappear, dredging up the past. The dead do not appear as ghosts or zombies, but the same as they were when alive. There is Camille, who died in a bus crash, Simon who left behind his pregnant fiancée, a serial killer, and Victor, a small boy who died in the 70s. As more dead return, other strange occurrences take place, like the water level in the local dam inexplicably lowering.

The Returned is an excellently paced drama. Nothing is revealed too quickly, and the snippets of information in each episode leave you burning to find out more. The characters are complex and multidimensional; your opinion of them can change from one moment to the next. This is in large part due to the quality of each actor’s performance, making characters go from off-putting, to sympathetic and back again in turn.

In addition to a gripping story, The Returned is also a show that is simply beautiful to look at. Each scene seems to have a faint blue tint to it, as if the weather were always overcast. Show creator Fabrice Gobert puts the mountainous setting to good use, reserving its steep valleys and dark woods for the more unsettling scenes. A pervading sense of emptiness seems to lurk about the town, as though mimicking the increasing isolation felt by the characters. All of this is coupled with a soundtrack by Scottish band Mogwai, which is both somber and tantalizing. (As a side note, it’s not French TV without full frontal nudity, so be prepared).

There are plenty more great aspects to the show, but I’ll leave you to see them for yourself. I will say that part of what makes The Returned a show worth watching is that it manages to capture both the beauty and fragility of human life. The first season is available on Netflix and yes, you will have to read subtitles, but it really is worth it. I promise.