Les Revenants

This is the best creepy drama I've seen this year. I was gripped every second. The title sequence is full of mysteries. Disturbing and yet beautiful imagery. The music is by Mogwai and it stirs the soul. It is the very heart of the series. All the cast are excellent. The "Returned" characters, especially the young Vincent, are both sympathetic and scary by turns. Some are seeking love and acceptance. All are hungry and confused. They are not your typical horror monster. They are just people who happen to have been given a new chance at life. The plot-line unfolds slowly and subtly. Some scenes are left to the imagination, but there are still shocks. Certainly lots of questions which lead to questions, but that did not bother me. I was simply drawn further in. I am excited about the 2nd series.

Slow in a good way, of course, because it's all about suspense. People start coming back from the dead - some are better remembered than others, some are more aware of what's going on, some just want to start again. This makes the narrative layered, the characters' stories only slowly become clear, the whole situation gradually starts to make sense. There's no hurry, plenty of atmosphere, and a lot is left to the imagination (or at least not explained properly, which I suppose amounts to the same). Family drama overlaps with the fantasy element, so one minute it's really sad and moving, the next weird or horrifying, and all wrapped up in a melancholy soundtrack and lovely mountain scenery. Unsettling, sometimes baffling, but strangely addictive viewing.

Two episodes in to this French mystery/horror/drama, I'm totally hooked. Everything about it is little short of excellent - great scenery, performances, suspense-building, pacing, story-telling, soundtrack. Another reviewer bitched about C4's chopping it up with adverts, for whom I have news; only the BBC channels could've broadcast this in the UK without them! Perhaps you'd like every programme you might like to only appear on one of these? Please.. I won't elaborate on the plot, as it was summed up perfectly elsewhere, but episode 2 ended on a fantastic question-raiser. It may struggle to maintain the quality of the first few episodes, but I sincerely hope not, because I don't know what else I'd do with my Sunday evenings.

This show is fantastic. It has got great character developments which make you feel for everyone of them. I don't speak French but the performances are so engrossing that you can feel each character's emotion. The town in which the story takes place is also a major character in the show. Although I am not a fan of supernatural genre but this show with its unique story line and superb direction has made me a fan. Beautiful locations too engross you and I love the opening theme of the show. Wish they created more shows like this one. I am eagerly waiting for the second season. I will recommend this to anyone with a taste for mystery and thriller.

Les Revenants is a simply stunning production with its evocative setting and equally musical score. With well drawn characters and an intriguing premise which offers a thrilling obtuse take on the zombie genre each episode makes for wonderful, entrancing viewing. Its resonance reflects David Lynch's TV tour de force, Twin Peaks (itself about to get a 21st century make-over by Lynch). The only disappointing thing is how long it is taking for the second season of Les Revenants to be broadcast. If the second season replicates the very high production standard of the first, Les Revenants is destined to mark its place in television history as one of the greatest shows of all time.