The HIGHLY anticipated comedy by Igor Gotesman starring Pierre Niney and François Civil, a spine-chilling true crime series, a sci-fi story set to make waves, a hilarious talent show featuring Eric and Ramzy, and David E. Kelley's latest creation: what are the best series of May? Our shortlist.
Fiasco
For Whom? Die-hard fans of the Pierre Niney, François Civil, and Igor Gotesman trio.
Synopsis: Raphaël Valande (Pierre Niney) dreams of making a film about his grandmother, a resistance heroine during World War II. After writing a script since he was 14, spanning from prehistory to the Vikings to the D-Day landing, he finally starts filming. Everything should have gone smoothly, but the shoot turns into a... fiasco.
Raphaël and his team recount this disaster a year after the chaotic filming began. But this isn't without reason: an amateur director, Raphaël has never held a camera and is trampled by his actors. Meanwhile, his best friend, Tom (François Civil), thinks he's the next Leonardo DiCaprio and begs for a role, while the team suffers from food poisoning and the superstar actor abandons them last minute. To top it off? A team member tries to sabotage the film from within. Raphael tries to find out who while trying to complete his shoot, but the journey is fraught with escalating obstacles.
Why You'll Love It: Eight years after Five the trio formed by Igor Gotesman, Pierre Niney, and François Civil reunites much to our delight! Fans of puns, jokes so bad they're hilarious, and Pierre Niney will delight in Fiasco for a weekend. Although the sketches become repetitive over the episodes (perhaps one or two fewer would have sufficed), the Niney/Civil duo keeps us smiling (special mention for Bartabé). Not to mention the other gems of French cinema: Géraldine Nakache, Pascal Demolon, Louise Coldefy, and even Vincent Cassel. A star-studded affair!
Available on Netflix.
© Gael Turpo / 2023 Netflix, Inc.
Dark Matter
For Whom? Aficionados of excellent sci-fi series.
Synopsis: Jason Dessen (Joel Edgerton) leads a peaceful life in the suburbs of Chicago. A physics professor at the university, he's married to Daniela (Jennifer Connelly), the woman of his dreams, with whom he has a 15-year-old son. But what if he didn't share his life with her? If he had pursued his career as a physicist? An event can change everything in one's life, and Jason will discover this at his expense after being kidnapped by a masked stranger.
Jason then discovers multiple versions of his life: one where he doesn't meet his wife, another where a winter apocalypse has occurred, or one in which he's a famous physicist. To try to reclaim his own life and family, he travels through these alternate possibilities without knowing if he can escape. But his greatest challenge will be not crossing paths with his greatest enemy: himself.
Why You'll Love It: The multiverse has been trending in cinema in recent years. Adapted from Blake Crouch's novel, the series takes us on a quest for happiness as gripping as it is epic. Each episode is full of twists while remaining plausible, making it a sci-fi series accessible to all. A thrilling plot, twists, and stressful situations: Jason's paranormal adventure keeps us on the edge, making the wait for each episode impossible! As for Joel Edgerton (The Great Gatsby), he carries the series in this apparently fulfilling lead role. A huge favorite!
Available on Apple TV+ starting May 8.
© Apple TV+
The Assunta Case
For Whom? Fans of true crime.
Synopsis: On September 21, 2013, at 9:30 p.m., Rosario Porto (Candela Peña) and Alfonso Basterra (Tristán Ulloa) report the disappearance of their adopted daughter, Asunta. The news spreads quickly. In this small town near Santiago de Compostela, everyone knows the little girl from China who arrived as a baby and is moved when she's found dead a few hours after her disappearance.
Investigators quickly focus on the parents. Behind the facade of a perfect family, the couple is actually falling apart, and Asunta finds herself in the middle of their disputes. While they proclaim their innocence, everything indicates they're guilty, but why? What could lead parents to kill their own child? From their first interrogation to their trial and through flashbacks, The Assunta Case delves into this sordid and chilling affair. You'll need to watch all episodes to understand what happened and the outcome of their trial. Gripping!
Why You'll Love It: Warning: sensitive souls, refrain. The cold-blooded murder of this little girl has left a mark on the minds of Spaniards, explaining why Ramón Campos (The Cable Girls) brings it to the small screen today, staying quite faithful to the facts while allowing some deviations. While recounting a terrible true story - one we ourselves must recover from - the series manages to show the extent of the consequences of this headline-making case. Whether we already know (or not) its outcome, The Assunta Case is a thrilling series that's hard to let go of, thanks in large part to the performances of the protagonists, two Spanish stars: Candela Peña as the depressed mother and Tristán Ulloa as a father who takes us into his torments. Until the end, our hearts are tight watching this very successful fiction.
Available on Netflix.
© Manuel Fernandez-Valdes / Netflix 2023
Comedy Class
For Whom? Those who need a good laugh thanks to Eric and Ramzy.
Synopsis: It's a humor version of The Voice! The legendary duo Eric and Ramzy are on the hunt for the new star of French stand-up comedy: the new Eric or Ramzy! First step: candidates are called to perform a sketch to convince the duo. They must select 20 talents from their yellow chairs in Paris, Nantes, Marseille, and Brussels. After passing this first stage, the chosen ones must succeed in challenges: writing sketches in less than two hours or improvising on wacky themes...
Even if some of the candidates have already stood out on social media or on a few stages in France - like Adèle Fugazi, Camille Lorente, or Eliott Doyle - they must make the jury laugh: find the right topics (nudism, no. A bourgeois boxing class, yes!), the right pace, and show A LOT of irony. Among the best, four will be chosen to enter the final. The prize? A €50,000 check and, above all, Eric and Ramzy's recognition. And to help them make their choice, Eric and Ramzy will be supported by their friends Marina Foïs, Jean-Pascal Zadi, Jérôme Niel, Mister V, and Florence Foresti.
Why We Liked It: Even if Comedy Class can be long at times - with some sequences too slow with comedians who don't even pass the first stage or challenges not surprising enough - we have very good moments discovering the most promising comedians of the moment. Make sure to remember some names; some are very good! Comedy Class also stands out with Eric and Ramzy's asides: hilarious anecdotes - like the one about their failed show at Bercy - jokes, improvisations, and kindness towards the participants keep our curiosity awake. We have a great time!
Available on Prime Video.
© Amazon Studios
A man in full
For Whom? Those who terribly miss Succession.
Synopsis: He's the man who built Atlanta. At 60, Charlie Croker (Jeff Daniels) is the archetype of the American self-made man: from nothing, he built his real estate company, became a multimillionaire, married a very beautiful and much younger blonde, owns several properties, and Shania Twain sings at his birthday. In short, success!
But the magnate falls from his pedestal when his partner and banks turn against him. His damage? A debt of over a billion dollars. As he becomes a pariah, Charlie Croker is determined to save his empire: with "fuck," manipulations, betrayals, and big checks. But the businessman hides many flaws, between his health problems, his fits of anger, and the women in his life turning against him. Dramas and business ahead!
Why You'll Love It: As usual, David E. Kelley (Big Little Lies) demonstrates a certain talent for denouncing toxic masculinity. He doesn't miss a beat with A man in full depicting the stereotype of a Republican, macho, and money-hungry man whose only fear is to appear weak. However, David E. Kelley has accustomed us to better. Adapted from Tom Wolfe's bestseller, A man in full can be summed up as "a contest of who has the biggest?" often going to extremes. Although we can think of Succession for power plays and House of Cards for manipulation games, the mini-series remains too superficial about the characters and the story's substance. But it's still worth a look for the masterclasses of its performers: Jeff Daniels with his Southern accent that we love to hate and admire for his business acumen. Not to mention the ever badass Lucy Liu and Diane Lane, who fortunately counterbalance the testosterone overload.
Available on Netflix.
© Mark Hill / Netflix 2024
And also
Ripley
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.
Sugar
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+
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