The waters continue to mend ways at Netflix with a new French series Blood Coast.
As the name may have hinted, it is a crime show that is gritty and full of adrenaline rush in theory.
Its length radiates to a tad over five hours, spread across six episodes.
The show is coming on the back of some successful French content on Netflix, including All-Time High and Wingwomen.
Will Blood Coast continue the same? Here is my review.
Blood Coast Synopsis
Years after a criminal escaped from police custody, and was later considered dead, his resurrection brings the city of Marseille in the eye of a violet storm.
Personal grudges occupy the shore as a team of detectives vows to end the drug-ridden organized crime racket.
The show is created by Kamel Guemra and directed by Olivier Marchal.
It features Tewfik Jallab (Lyes Benamar), Jeanne Goursaud (Alice), Nicolas Duvauchelle (Franck Murillo), Olivier Barthelemy (Arno Cabella), Lani Sogoyou (Audrey Ilunga), Idir Azougli (Tatoo), and Samir Boitard (Ali Saidi), among others.
What Works for Blood Coast?
The series comes with a well-handled storyline, where threads and knots make up for an interesting tale. Blood Coast brings logical twists without getting too keen on irregular ambitions.
Primarily, the focus is on a team of cops who are determined to eradicate drug and crime syndicates from the neighborhood.
Their methods of achieving the goal are not liked by their superiors. Hence, an internal inquiry is ordered to look into their financial lapses.
In this backdrop, two deadly criminals clash with each other resulting in a spike in the crime rate.
A new cop enters the scene and an old enemy of the police re-emerges.
The setup is intriguing. Undoubtedly, you will like the first 10-15 minutes of the show. So, Blood Coast does come with an attention-grabbing ability.
Moreover, the emotional depth of the series is noteworthy. The writing peaks when talking about characters at an individual level.
Their traits come alive while the persistent inner dilemma speaks volumes of Blood Coast’s intentions.
It shows how cops can be arranged and deranged, both at the same time.
Furthermore, many buildups appear swashbuckling. An ominous sense of impending doom occupies Blood Coast for a major part.
Combined with a dark ambiance, the French show does make up for dreadful scenery at times, in consonance with its theme of crime.
The pace is quite balanced as well, and it doesn’t singularly hinder Blood Coast’s presentation.
How are the Performances?
Tewfik Jallab plays Lyes Benamar and he leads the show pretty well. Even though Blood Coast is about teamwork at the precinct, Jallab emerges as a dominating force in the setup.
His intensity and the writing of his character make amends with each other to fortify the show in spirit.
Nicolas Duvauchelle and Samir Boitard are the worthy villains of this crime drama. Their looks are enough to generate chills.
The collaborative efforts of Olivier Barthelemy, Lani Sogoyou, and Idir Azougli as a team contribute significantly to elevating the overall quality of Blood Coast.
Jeanne Goursaud as Alice could have done with a more significant role and screen time.
What Doesn’t Work for Blood Coast?
Netflix is getting repetitive with its crime shows. You have drug cartels, revenge, and some cops. Then you mix these in different ways to generate a concept.
From there, you carve a storyline. It becomes a series of episodes. But the monotony deprives the viewer of new stimulations or, in fact, any kind of stimulation.
There’s simply no rush in Blood Coast that you would generally associate with action and adventure. The series fails to establish the adrenaline rush it promises in the description.
Yes, the storyline is well-crafted or stitched but that doesn’t necessarily make it captivating.
The emotional high points, the hair-raising fights, and the plot variations, among other things, don’t result in sumptuous attention.
Buildups within the series lack the impact needed to sustain the initial allure, resulting in a narrative that falls short of creating a sense of urgency or excitement.
Furthermore, the series forces romance between two characters without giving them time to form a romantic connection. It’s caricature-ish and doesn’t sit well with the plot.
Additionally, the past is not explored fully. I am not sure if it is the sequel to another creation or if they are planning to bring a prequel.
But in the present form, it feels incomplete, to some extent.
Lastly, Jeanne Goursaud is utterly wasted by the makers. She has no written prominence other than being the partner of Tewfik Jallab. A stronger role would have helped the series, in my opinion.
Stream or Skip?
I would suggest you spend your time on something better this weekend. Or you can watch an episode and decide for yourself if Blood Coast works for you? What say?
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