“Off Track” – TV series review

The 2023 six-hour miniseries from France, “Off Track” (originally, “L’abime”) delivers a truly suspenseful tale in an unfortunately bloated package. Elsa (Sara Mortensen) and Laurent (Gil Alma) have been happily married for 20 years, apart from enduring the bitchiness of their teen daughter, Lucie (Marie Mallia). At least that’s how it seems until Elsa vanishes without explanation, and dead bodies start littering the landscape. After a frantic search for the first couple of episodes, Elsa turns up, as she must since she’s the friggin’ star of this show.

Gradually we learn that Elsa wasn’t always Elsa, and that her bio before Laurent was considerably different from what she’d told him. The truth unfolds slowly throughout the rest of the series, aided by a slew of flashbacks. Elsa suffers nightmares about the death of a boy that have her plagued with guilt. She’s also constantly in conflict with Lucie over every sort of thing that occurs. When it starts to seem as if Elsa has dark secrets from the past, and may be killing a couple of guys in the present to keep concealing her true identity, the energy level picks up. Was she a criminal? Fleeing from an abuser? In France’s version of Witness Protection? Amnesiac? Psycho?  Disclosing more about the plot and the players would spoil key parts of the mystery. Suffice it to say that the tale is intricate and keeps one guessing to the end.

Mortensen’s performance is compelling, creating a bouncing ball of empathy vs. suspicion throughout. Coline Bellin, who plays Elsa in the flashbacks to her teen years, also delivers the goods. The whole cast does well in filling their variety of roles, from overly judgmental cops to sympathetic friends, among others. The rural and small-town scenery is another plus.

The only negative – a big one for me, but perhaps less so for others – is that it feels 50% longer than need be. Tighten this to four episodes and it’s a winner, without losing any plot-moving or story arc essentials. But binge-ers who prefer leisurely tales to nestle in with during their viewing hours may find the slow pace a comfy fit.

“Off Track,” in French with English subtitles, begins streaming on MHz Choice starting Tuesday, Apr. 15.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars