40 binge-worthy TV shows: Watch them all right now because who needs sleep
By Sundi Rose
Photo: Sundance
The Returned – Netflix
Not your mother’s zombie show, The Returned (originally called Les Revenants) is a brand new take on the popular undead moment on television. Also, don’t confuse this show, airing on SundanceTV, with the watered-down, Americanized version on A&E. This one is in its original French, and you’ll have to read the subtitles, but it’s definitely worth the trouble.
The Returned is set in a small mountain town in France. All of a sudden, people who have been deceased for years are starting to turn up, without aging a day, with no recollection of where they’ve been since their “death.” Their return is accompanied by a strange flood, and a horde of folks from the deep.
It’s grey and murky style only adds to the creepiness. It has a real indie, arthouse vibe, that will make you feel like you’ve wandered into a French film festival. The whole undead thing is the least of it’s scary bits, as the town uncovers all sorts of strange and unsettling about its inhabitants. Its slow and methodical pace builds suspense in its own right, and it will have you sleeping with the lights on for a long while after you’ve finished.
Starring: Frederic Pierott, Jenna Thiam, and Ana Giradot