5 New Series to Watch in April

© Fred Grivois, Apple TV+, and Mika Cotellon

The series making waves with Booba, the fresh adaptation of The Talented Mr. Ripley, a hefty dose of action with Margot Bancilhon and Joey Starr, an extraordinary police series with Colin Farrell, and a French miniseries on home-jacking: what are the top series in April? Our shortlist.

For whom? Fans of Elie Yaffa, aka Booba, who co-created, produced, and starred in his very first groundbreaking series.

The pitch: In 2005, riots ignite in the Parisian suburbs. The cannabis trade is controlled by the Jebli family, whose father, off the grid, has handed over to his eldest, Moussa, to maintain order and an organization under the radar. In this tense context between youth and police, the intertwined story of two antagonists unfolds. The youngest of the Jebli, Driss, completes his finance studies at Sciences Po and moves in chic circles in the Golden Triangle, in love with a beautiful lawyer who works overtime to defend Moussa's rights. Soon, he finds himself forced to take over the family business.

His worst enemy is William, a fiery young cop with big ambitions, dreaming of launching his career by dismantling a big fish. Yet, this cat and mouse resemble each other, crossing paths as their ascents lead them to Ourika, the Moroccan valley where industrial quantities of cannabis grow.

Why you'll love it: Selected at the Séries Mania festival, Ourika captivates primarily with a finely crafted script that allows attachment to characters whose complexities unfold over the 7 thrilling episodes. Revelations of this urban western with a dark twist, actors Adam Bessa (Driss) and Noham Edje (William) steal the show, supported by the solid performances of Salim Kechiouche (magnetic as Moussa in Timberlands) and Slimane Dazi (the OCRTIS cop slightly overwhelmed by his protege's fervor). An ultimate curiosity is Booba, the King of French rap, who has left his mark not only in music (with his longtime collaborator Animalsons) but also in production and writing. Here he confidently makes his debut in front of the camera as Métis, a former associate of the Jebli whom Moussa has the (unpleasant) surprise of encountering in prison. Far from painting a simplistic picture of evil traffickers on one side and valiant heroes on the other, the whole affair takes on shades of The Godfather (note some references to the cult film) in the 2000s version, delighting both gangster genre enthusiasts and newcomers craving a good action-packed suspense series.

Available on Prime Video.

© Mika Cotellon

For whom? The fortunate ones who haven't seen the films Plein Soleil and The Talented Mr. Ripley yet.

The pitch: Tom Ripley (Andrew Scott) is a scam artist with many talents, capable of adapting to any situation, a master forger of official documents, an outstanding impersonator, and able to keep his cool. But there's one thing Tom doesn't have: money. As he miserably tries to make ends meet in his rundown apartment in New York, his life changes overnight when a wealthy man sends him to Italy to persuade his son to come home.

Upon arrival, Tom discovers a life he's never had. A bohemian life led by Richard "Dickie" Greenleaf (Johnny Flynn), filled with beautiful women, luxury clothing, trips to paradise locations, and money flowing freely. Who wouldn't lose their mind going from such poverty to such wealth? Tension quickly rises as Tom succumbs to lies, jealousy, and murder while trying not to arouse suspicions from Marge (Dakota Fanning), Dickie's girlfriend.

Why you'll love it: If you've never seen Plein Soleil or The Talented Mr. Ripley, you're bound to love this new adaptation of Patricia Highsmith's novels. The choice of black and white transforms the idyllic cities of Italy into monstrous and eerie places mirroring Tom Ripley. This time, it's Andrew Scott (Fleabag) who embodies the psychopath effortlessly. Success: he's perfectly sinister and unfathomable. As for Johnny Flynn (Emma) and Dakota Fanning (War of the Worlds), unfortunately, they don't have the charisma of their predecessors (not everyone can be Jude Law!). Nonetheless, Ripley is worth a watch, but it reminds us of how much of a masterpiece Anthony Minghella's film is, which is also available on Netflix.

Available on Netflix starting April 4.

Courtesy of Netflix 2024 - © Netflix Inc.

For whom? Fans of Kill Bill and Karl Marx.

The pitch: While actively pursued by the army's secret services, a young outcast (Margot Bancilhon) seeks refuge in her hometown in Eastern France. Hoping to stay with her grandmother, she discovers that the latter has passed away. Nevertheless, she decides to stay and finds a job in an appliance factory. Her dreadlocks, frankness, and brutality surprise the inhabitants of this small village... except JP (Joey Starr), a fellow worker. This former drug addict, who quotes Karl Marx speeches all day long, takes her under his wing and gives her the nickname "Machine", both for her deliberate anonymity and her combat skills.

Soon, she finds solace in the friendship she forms with the endearing JP and her daily routine in the factory. But amidst the brewing revolt, the Machine awakens when the company faces turmoil after being acquired by a Korean industrialist. This is without counting her past catching up to her: a formidable soldier (Guillaume Labbé, utterly unrecognizable!) relentlessly pursues her. An improbable yet cool encounter between kung-fu and working-class struggle...

Why you'll love it: An action series on Arte? Yes, it's possible! Machine draws inspiration from Kill Bill and fully embraces it. A blonde heroine in a yellow uniform, the parallel is quickly drawn. Impressive action and fight scenes balance the intellectual and social message of the series, thanks to an aging yet deeply touching Joey Starr (Polisse) in his role as mentor and Karl Marx fan. Facing him, Margot Bancilhon (Five) is surprising on screen as well as on the set, performing all her stunts with contagious energy. Between punches and social outbursts, Machine doesn't take itself too seriously and plays with absurdity with a lot of humor. An explosive action series!

Available on Arte and arte.tv starting April 4.

For whom? Fans of neo-noir crime series.

The pitch: John Sugar (Colin Farrell) seems to come from another time. A period where slicked-back hair, well-tailored suits, Corvettes, and chivalry were the norm. This private detective with almost superhuman abilities - impossible for him to get drunk - "doesn't like violence" but doesn't hesitate to use it when it comes to finding a missing person. It's his specialty.

After finding a Yakuza's child in Japan, John Sugar returns to Los Angeles, where he lives in a magnificent hotel suite. Upon his return, a prominent movie producer, Jonathan Siegel (James Cromwell), contacts him to find his missing granddaughter. A stroke of luck for the film buff, even though this mission doesn't bode well: a father who couldn't care less about his daughter's worrying absence, addictions to drugs, ancient and recent secrets unearthed, and even a #MeToo scandal. Not to mention Sugar's dark past, which will unfold over the episodes...

Why you'll love it: Unsurprisingly, Colin Farrell (Miami Vice) carries Sugar, effortlessly embodying this tortured detective. Through his suave voice-over, he takes us on his investigation through a Los Angeles far from the spotlights and glamour, paying homage to the film noirs of the golden age of cinema. Sugar is indeed a captivating crime series... until the sixth episode. It's impossible to talk about it without revealing its HUGE plot twist, which we won't do. Do we love it? Do we hate it? That, we'll be able to say if a second season of Sugar is ordered because the success of the twist relies entirely on a follow-up. To be continued...

Available on Apple TV+ starting April 5.

© Apple TV+

For whom? Those in search of a well-crafted thriller.

The pitch: Isabelle (Marie Dompnier) and Richard Deloye (Yannick Choirat) lead a bourgeois life in their large and beautiful villa lost in the middle of the forest, envied by everyone. She's a renowned surgeon heading a private clinic, and he's a successful professor and writer. But appearances are deceptive. This house hides heavy secrets. A lot of them... One morning, the Deloyes fall victim to a violent home-jacking: who is this man with the pink balaclava breaking into the Deloyes' home? Will he rob them? Kill them? One thing is for sure, the couple is more afraid of their secrets being revealed than of their aggressor. A great mystery hides in this house where the threads of a love story and a murder will unravel. A thrilling thriller!

Why you'll love it: All roads lead... to this terrifying villa. It's the true protagonist of Homejacking: an architectural marvel that actually represents hell for the characters and viewers who find themselves locked in with them in this confined space. The truth hides and reveals itself throughout the episodes that are devoured in one go through suspenseful cliffhangers. Even though the numerous twists and turns get exhausting after a while, the story told from different perspectives and across different time periods is its strength. In the cast of this successful thriller: Marie Dompnier (Cœurs noirs), Yannick Choirat (The Harkis), Sofia Lesaffre (Les Misérables), and Carl Malapa (Olympiads).

Available on OCS starting April 7.

© Lincoln TV 

For whom? Fans of Frédéric Pierrot who loved him in In Treatment.

The pitch. In 2030, in a major Southern city, imagined as Marseille or Nice, heatwaves and a garbage strike contribute to the proliferation of rats and a virus quickly identified as the plague, eliminating its first victims. However, the city is about to enter its summer season, and the abominable mayor decides to turn a blind eye, supported by a team of communicators and henchmen who prefer to focus their efforts on blatant misinformation and intense surveillance of the population. While a clandestine militia enforces its own law by beating (and more) the opponents of this authoritarian regime, Dr. Bernard Rieux teams up with a journalist, researchers, and a piano teacher neighbor to treat the sick and alert public opinion.

Why you'll love it? Albert Camus' cult novel, "The Plague," receives its first TV adaptation by the small screen maestros Gilles Taurand and Georges-Marc Benamou. It takes at least four big-budget episodes to extract the full force of the narrative. Shifting from post-Nazism Oran, the plot moves to the French Riviera in a post-Covid era that is absolutely terrifying, where villains in power clash with a few good Samaritans. To sweeten the pill of this Manichean plot: highly paced scenes, well-developed secondary characters (our favorite: the war profiteer reinventing himself as a gravedigger to line his pockets), and, of course, a 5-star cast. Frédéric Pierrot is stunningly natural as the kind-hearted doctor married to the sweet Pascale Arbillot, whose character quickly goes into exile in Rome, while Hugo Becker plays the rebellious journalist in search of truth, in love with his scientist girlfriend played by Sofia Essaïdi. Realistic and chilling, the series showcases the best and worst of the human soul in a society on the brink of catastrophe: not recommended for hypochondriacs!

Available on France.tv and broadcast on France 2 starting March 4.

© Jean-Philippe BALTEL / FTV / SIECLE PRODUCTIONS

For whom? Gossip enthusiasts who love listening to juicy rumors.

The pitch. New York, 1975. After experiencing fame and celebrity, Truman Capote (Tom Hollander) succumbs to alcohol and drugs, drowning in debt, enduring the violent actions of his lover, and lacking inspiration for his next novel. With his back against the wall, the Breakfast at Tiffany's author decides to reveal the juicy secrets of the lives of his best friends and society grandes dames to the press. Liaisons, murders, bankruptcy, lies – nothing is off-limits. But it's also Capote's own secrets that are unveiled, including his carnal encounters at the YMCA, addictions, and his conflicted relationship with his mother.

It took Ryan Murphy 7 years to unveil the second season of Feud. After a highly successful first season about the feud between Bette Midler and Joan Davis, the creator of Glee focuses on Truman Capote's descent into hell after betraying those he affectionately called his "swans." What drives a man to betray his best friends? Why did these women confide openly in him? These are the questions Feud: Truman Capote's Betrayals seeks to answer. Scandals on the horizon!

Why you'll love it? With Gus van Sant (Good Will Hunting) at the helm, Feud paints a portrait of New York's high society in the heart of the Upper East Side in the 60s and 70s – its decadence, scandals, and backstabbing. Although the series struggles to give prominence to the "swans," who are relegated to the background, viewers stay for the talented cast – Naomi Watts, Diane Lane, Chloë Sevigny, Demi Moore, Calista Flockhart, and Molly Ringwald – and especially for Tom Hollander's performance (Pirates of the Caribbean), who excels as Truman Capote. The British actor spent seven months preparing to perfectly mimic the writer's shrill voice. A gem!

Airing on Canal+ and available on MyCanal starting March 6.

© 2023, FX. All rights reserved

For whom? John Wick aficionados in need of adrenaline.

The pitch. Lyna's life (Lina El Arabi) changes overnight when her father is murdered before her eyes. No more student life cuddling with her policeman boyfriend, Elie (Jérémy Nadeau): the young woman will do everything to uncover her father's murderer. Immediately, her suspicions point to the Fury (Marina Foïs), a formidable hitwoman. Against her will, the young woman becomes entangled in the hidden world of the Parisian underworld. Imagine a Paris controlled by six families of gangsters, robbers, pimps, and drug barons sharing power and money. Seeking to control the violence that shakes this underworld, the Fury intervenes when a crime is committed among these criminals. When Lyna joins her team, she takes her under her wing. But what is the reason? What is the Fury hiding? Lyna will discover more about her past than she could have imagined. Warning: no one is safe from danger...

Why you'll love it? Dare we say it, Furies competes with the best American action series! Fights, chases, shootouts, and cliffhangers – everything is there for a great time. Furies embraces all its excesses: don't expect realism from this story. It's pure entertainment, savored with the added bonus of badass female characters, especially Marina Foïs (Polisse) who is simply brilliant as a modern, morally ambiguous sheriff. A guilty pleasure.

Available on Netflix.

© Emmanuel Guimier/Netflix - © 2023 Netflix, Inc.

For whom? Those who want to watch a series that challenges their minds.

The pitch. At the end of each season, the stars of French football gather at the Football Trophy for a final celebration. But the evening takes an unexpected turn when Fodé Thiam (Alassane Diong), the star of Racing Paris and the French national team, strikes his coach and insults him as a "dirty toubab" (white in Wolof). A media storm erupts, and all spheres of French society ignite: from the football club and media frenzy to the excessive reactions of pundits, the involvement of activists, and even worrying the government. To get out of this crisis, Racing calls on a communication agency.

How to deduce the possible repercussions of an event? This is what Kairos Conseil, a crisis management communication agency, tries to do. Talented spin doctor Sam Berger (Nina Meurisse) is assigned to the case. Although she excels in her field, she quickly becomes obsessed with the case due to her hypersensitivity and depression. Things don't get any better when polemicist Marie Kinsky (Ana Girardot) instrumentalizes the event. The rivalry that emerges between the two women hides a heavy past...

Why you'll love it? Both fascinating and stressful, La Fièvre plunges viewers into the heart of a crisis management company, whose employees must somewhat predict the future at the risk of being completely wrong. But the series primarily shows the fragility and troubles of our society: a slight spark can ignite a fire and lead to an identity war that mobilizes an entire country. In the cast of this thought-provoking series: Nina Meurisse (Tout va bien), Ana Girardot (La flamme), Benjamin Biolay (Room 212), Alassane Diong (Les tirailleurs), and Xavier Robic (Cœurs noirs). It's worth a watch!

Airing on Canal+ and available on MyCanal starting March 18.

© Thibault Grabherr/QUAD+TEN/CANAL+

© Rémy Grandroques/QUAD+TEN/CANAL+

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