Author: Mark Glass

STUCKY – TV Series Review

Among all the European TV crime and procedural series I’ve covered, “Stucky”  may most closely resemble one of ours. The title character, Stucky (Giuseppe Battiston) is their version of Lt. Columbo. He’s a similarly rumpled police detective in Treviso – a small, picturesque city in northern Italy. I’m not sure if they mentioned it by name, but it was such a lovely setting that I had to look up the location for the shoot.

Stucky’s main variance from our beloved Lieutenant C. is his large shaggy beard.  But he’s always looking like he just reluctantly and hastily rolled out of bed, wearing the same well-worn raincoat and smoking the stub of a cigar. (I just realized I don’t think I’ve ever seen either of them with a full-length, fresh from the wrapper stogie. When do they ever smoke the first half?) Though less irritating to the suspects than Columbo, he does share the persistence, the scribbling of notes on disorganized scraps pf paper, and the habit of pausing when they think he’s leaving to apologetically ask “just one more question…”

This debut (I hope) season is six episodes – each with a new crime to be solved. The pilot is 90 minutes; the rest, 60. We share more screen time with him, his two assistants and the medical examiner, but learn little about any of them. Stucky does spend a lot of time eating in the café of his pal, Guerra (Alessio Pratico), and seems to get more insights from chatting with him than with his colleagues. As in our analog, we always see the crime being committed at the get-go, then watch for the mistakes or clues that will be the killers’ undoing, building up to our hero’s “aha moment” and the big “reveal”. There’s not much in the way of on-screen action. It’s all about the mind games.

The show is based on a series of 10 (so far) novels by Fulvio Ervas, who readily acknowledges the influence of Columbo on his character and story structure. It’s an homage, not a ripoff. Though I haven’t read them, I understand the books have him based in nearby Venice and going to various surrounding towns on different cases. Putting everything in Treviso and its environs probably saved a fortune in production costs and logistics, without sacrificing the pleasing backdrop of urban canals and buildings rife with old-world charm.

As in our shows like “Columbo” or “Murder She Wrote”, the killings are generally by and/or among the upper classes. Rich folk having rich folks’ troubles. Wealthy families’ business and estate squabbles, rebellious children doing defiantly illegal things; one involves art theft and forgery. Another revolves around a surgeon whose career is threatened by dubious occurrences during his operations. Unlike most TV cops, Stucky barely looks at the victims when he gets to the crime scene; his focus is always elsewhere. Even when the camera takes us to the morgue, we rarely even glimpse the body. The Medical Examiner, Marina (Barbora Bobulova), explains the important findings to him and us at the same time.

The series is relatively light-hearted, with Stucky delivering occasional wisecracks. The background music sets an almost playful tone, reminiscent of Hitchcock’s more comedic mysteries and scenes – especially his underrated gem, THE TROUBLE WITH HARRY. If you’re interested enough in the genre to have read this far, and haven’t seen that movie, put it at the top of your to-do list.

There’s plenty of basis for this series to continue, ideally expanding the roles of the other regulars as we spend more time with them. Valerio Attanasio, as director and main writer, has set the stafe for a franchise that should have some legs. Keep ‘em coming, dude! You’re off to a good start.

3 Stars out of 4.

Stucky streams July 21st, 2026 in the U.S and Canada on MHz Choice.

https://watch.mhzchoice.com/stucky

THE REBRAND – Review

If you’re fed up with all the attention so-called Internet Influencers get in our current culture, this darkly comic psychological thriller, THE REBRAND, might be up your alley. A lesbian couple (Nancy Webb as the beautiful energetic Thistle; Andi McQueen as the reserved, artistic Blair) had been making a mint from their legion of followers until one faux pas in a livestream alienated their fans and sponsors. Cancel Culture immediately flooded the Web with everyone’s outrage, and the cash cow’s milk dried up instantly.

Their next step was the eponymous rebrand, to be achieved by hiring a videographer, Nicole (Naomi Silver-Vezina), to shoot an intimate documentary of their day-to-day lives, hoping to win back their base by showing how loving and lovely their life is. Nicole takes the job, which requires her to drive to their isolated, luxurious home, and to wind up staying with them for a while, despite being in the eighth month of her pregnancy.

The couple puts on a display of love and levity when the camera is rolling, but we start seeing the façade bursting apart at the seams. They’re not nearly as partnerly as they pretend, with Thistle clearly running the show, and Blair meekly complying with her Quixotic whims and overbearing ego. In other words, Thistle portrays the sort of preening phony skeptics assume lies beneath the surface of all such self-promoting characters.

I won’t go into details, but the situation becomes creepier and more menacing as the story unfolds, including some elements of suspense and physical danger.  Kudos to Webb not only for floridly chewing scenery as such an over-the-top prima donna, but co-writing the script that crafted her as one. Credit also goes to director and co-author Kaye Adelaide, who kept things moving well, while assuring that the film, which occurs entirely at the couple’s home and grounds, never felt stagey or claustrophobic. Though much of the footage comes from the viewpoint of Nicole’s shoulder cam, the movement flows more smoothly than in many flicks that have been using the device with annoying jerks and blurred images ever since THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT.

Despite winning awards at a number of film festivals, I can’t call it a great film. But The Force of the satirical element is strong with this one, and the talents of the young trio bode well for their futures.

2 1/2 Stars out of 4.

THE REBRAND is available On Demand on July 21, 2026.

IP MAN: KUNG FU LEGEND – Review

There have been about a dozen movies from China about their real-life martial arts hero, Ip Man, whose exploits became a source of pride not only for all kung fu disciplines, but for the nation’s pride in times when foreigners exerted and abused control over its citizens. The best known of these on our side of the ocean is the foursome (soon to be a quintet) starring Donnie Yen in the title role. IP MAN: THE KUNG FU LEGEND is the third production starring Yu-Hang To (a/k/a Dennis To), who somewhat resembles Yen, though shorter on gravitas. Both play their roles with inclusion of Ip Man’s demeanor and Wing Chun fighting style.

https://wellgousa.com/films/ip-man-kung-fu-legend

For genre fans, both franchises follow the icon from his formative years in the early 20th century, and progress through subsequent eras. In this trio, the first entry is 2010’s IP MAN: THE LEGEND IS BORN,covering his youth and training, leading to his having to head up the resistance against the cruelty and corruption of Japanese occupiers. In 2019’s IP MAN: THE KUNG FU MASTER, he’s become a police captain in his home city of Foshan in the mid-20th Century, facing long odds against big-time gangs and another round of Japanese overlords. This 2026 release brings us up to the late 1940s-50s, but it’s the same challenge with different players. The Japanese jerks have been replaced by bossy British bounders, but their contempt for the rights and dignity of the locals remains the same. For reasons I can’t fully understand (but invariably enjoy), the premise of these and others is always – evil outsiders claiming “our martial arts are better than yours, so we’re better than you are…” until Ip Man, or someone like him in other flicks, beats the snot out of the bad guys’ toughest fighter(s).

In each case, foreigners have corrupted the Chinese government, leading to rampant exploitation and other bullying by the invaders, usually with the help of a few coopted quislings. Ip Man endures hardships aplenty before the eventual victory that kept him around for the next film that’s in the hopper. In real life, he lived long enough to mentor a young Brue Lee for a few years in the early 1950s. Lee has openly given Ip Man credit for providing the foundation for the broader range of skills he developed on his own.

As always in both sets of productions, the fight scenes are plentiful and well-choregraphed, with only moderate f/x enhancements. The plots may not have much novelty, but there are some twists to keep the story engaging between action sequences.  These films thrive on adrenaline and the satisfying comeuppance the climax always delivers, not suspense. If you’ve already savored Yen’s collection, you won’t be wasting your time by trying.

IP MAN: KUNG FU LEGEND, debuting on 4K Ultra HD, Blu-ray & DVD July 14 and on Digital August 11 from Well Go USA.

Rating: 2 1/2 out of 4 stars.

Well Go USA Inc.

“Cassandre: Season Seven” – TV Series Review

The amiable crew from this light French crime series, “Cassandre”, returns for its seventh season with four more murder cases to solve in 90 minutes a pop. Not much has changed since my previous seasons’ reviews, and here’s a link to the last one from about four months ago: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2026/03/cassandre-season-six-tv-series-review/

As to the crimes du jour, the first gives us extra eye candy, as the favored contestant, Nelly (Anaelle Duguet), in a beauty pageant is killed shortly before the competition. This is particularly upsetting for her domineering mother (Anne Caillon), who had invested her whole life in pushing Nelly to the success she had enjoyed in her own youth; and to look-alike younger sister, Manon (also played by Duguet), who was mentally limited and totally devoted to big sis. She’s so emotionally fragile that mom keeps her from learning of Nelly’s fate for as long as possible. Special kudos to Duguet for an exceptional performance in both roles – especially as Manon. As to the eye candy part, they show rehearsals parading in evening gowns, but not the swimsuit competition, alas. Adjust libidos accordingly, folks.

The second, “White Zone”, covers the murder of the mayor in an isolated village torn by the rift between two factions. The title refers to an area without cell phone or wi-fi coverage. Many electromagnetic-hypersensitive folks have moved there to escape the signals that supposedly cause them severe headaches and other symptoms. The mayor was on their side, but an equally vocal group of locals is pushing hard for connection to the rest of the world via their phones and computers.  

The third fits into the Me-Too era, as a champion swimmer is found dead – ironically in a lake. This leads to questions about the tactics and practices of her hard-ass, if not abusive – especially regarding the young women on his team – coach, providing the most cultural significance of this quartet. The last features the murder of a female sous chef in a highly-rated restaurant, raising possibilities of sexism in such kitchens causing strife – perhaps enough jealousy to motivate one of those she’s passed up for the plum job to remove her from the menu options; or, at least, her role in creating them.

On the personal story arcs side, Cassandre and Pascal dominate the proceedings, compared to the last season that spread the screen time more among all five members of the squad. The will they/ won’t they game escalates as both have new lovers they won’t tell the other about. When each happens to learn of the other’s relationships, they’re both jealous in ways everyone but them can see… or acknowledge. That’s rather amusing, though some may find it bordering on the ridiculous – especially if you binge the season. I’d advise spreading them out a bit, since each main story is a stand-alone case, with only the subplots progressing. It’s still as enjoyable as it’s been throughout, with two more seasons (at least) to go.

2 1/2 stars out of 4

https://watch.mhzchoice.com/cassandre/season:7

“Cassandre: Season Seven”, in French with subtitles, streams on MHz Choice on July 7, 2026.

“Zorro” – TV Series Review

When I learned that Jean Dujardin, best known here for his Oscar-winning performance in THE ARTIST, was starring in a new series as the legendary masked hero of yore, I started salivating over the chance to screen this new version of “Zorro”. Most of the Zorro productions ever since the first film in the silent era have been written with some degree of levity. This eight-hour French miniseries offers some splendid moments, but winds up going astray. It also varies considerably in concept from all the other incarnations, and not to great advantage.

This Zorro is a middle-aged Don Diego in 1820s’ Los Angeles who hasn’t worn the costume for twenty years. He’s been married for 17, but neither his wife, Gabriella (Audrey Dana) nor his father Don Alejandro (Andre Sussolier) ever learned of his secret identity.  He’s now a rather mousy, naïve clerk who’s been working for his dad for over 40 years as a quill-pushing City Hall drudge. When pappy kicks the bucket, Don Diego becomes the new alcalde (mayor), only to learn that he gets less respect than Rodney Dangerfield. That’s the first disconnect. In almost every other version, Diego is smarter and cagier than everyone else, playing the fool or fop as part of his strategy to keep anyone from even thinking he could be the dashing rogue in black. This dufus is hard to reconcile with the skills and savvy he displays when he puts on the disguise from yesteryear for another round of anonymous heroics.

When acting as Zorro, Dujardin and/or his stunt double show all the panache and agility of the best of his predecessors, including the beaming smile during his flashy dispatchings of baddies. But he still remains clueless as his civilian self, as both a public official and as a husband. On the plus side, a couple of figures from the Disney TV series – which many of us likely consider the basis for all comparisons – are revived for this one. Mute aide Bernardo (Salvatore Ficarra), who only pretends to be deaf for gathering intel, is an asset. Comic foil Sgt. Garcia (Gregory Gadebois) who has been the biggest source of laughs in most versions since the Disney days, remains fat and incompetent, but a bit wiser from 20 more years on the job. Just a bit. In the beginning of Episode Three, he gets to shine in one of my favorite scenes from the whole enchilada.      

The casting is fine, and the action sequences are quite entertaining. Swordfights are quite unbloody, but highly acrobatic and mostly played for laughs. But the script from four credited writers is a huge disappointment. Some parts are fun – like Don Alejandro’s “ghost” popping up to chastise or annoy his son a bunch of times. But most of the plot makes little sense; the usual big, bad villains are not in the package. I won’t go into details, but Don Diego’s character arc may grow tiresome for you, as it did for me, stretching too little conflict, heroism and enlightenment over too much running time. The first four hours played better than most of the last four.

Perhaps my hopes were too high from loving THE ARTIST and enjoying some of Dujardin’s OSS117 James Bond spoofs. If you tone down your expectations from this caveat, you’ll likely be more satisfied. It’s obvious that the dude still has all his comedy chops intact, even in a vehicle that doesn’t deploy them to maximum advantage.

RATING: 2 out of 4 stars

“Zorro”, in French with subtitles, streams on MHz Choice June 30.

https://watch.mhzchoice.com/zorro

Jean Dujardin

“THE ART OF CRIME” Season 8 – TV Series Review

“L’ART DU CRIME” S8 © Jean-Philippe BALTEL / FTV / GAUMONT

The last time I reviewed this light-hearted French series “Art of Crime” was 18 months ago, ending with Season Seven. Here is the usual link to previous reviews to prep you for this pair of two-part mysteries for our cop and art expert duo to solve in the latest round: https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/tag/art-of-the-crime-season-7/

In Season Eight, Florence (Eleonore Bernheim) and Antoine (Nicolas Gob) are still up in the air about their romantic status. By now, he’s ready to take the plunge, but too emotionally bottled up to just say it. Not really a problem, since she’s too hyper with conflicts over such a big decision to listen, anyway. The unfortunate one stuck in the middle is their beleaguered boss, Alex Pardo, (Benjamin Egner), who finds himself separately enduring their travails as if he were a shrink for both.  Perhaps more accurately, a referee.

The first case involves the murder of a popular romance/crime novelist’s researcher. The author, Patricia Richter (Catherine Marchal) might be either another potential target or the perp. Her upcoming novel would kill off her long-standing studly hero, greatly upsetting a large, avid fan base. “Heresy!” they shout, in various ways, including some laced with menace. The novel was to be based on a few Raphael paintings, making Florence’s expertise key to the solution. Since the nascent tale includes a florid, if not lurid, love element, the script ups the ante from her usual imaginary chats with the artist du jour by showing the principals mentally enacting scenes from the book as they read it, providing a delightful, elaborate sendup of soap opera histrionics. Two 45-minute segments provide just the right running time for the material.  It’s one of the better scripts from Angele Herry-Leclerc and Pierre-Yves Mora, who have written almost all of the series’ 26 episodes. Credit also to Florian Crepin’s direction – especially in those fantasy sequences.

The second pair offers a different type of attraction, via an opening sequence showing considerable boobage in a misty, languid Turkish bath sequence based on paintings by Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres (Either they’re running out of artists I’ve heard of, or my inner troglodyte is showing). The designer of a virtual reality game arising from his work – particularly the longstanding mystery surrounding the whereabouts of a missing valuable original – is the victim. Again, several have motives to sort through, requiring the usual form of effort by the stars and a few key supporting characters.

Florence’s amusingly annoying art historian father, Piere (Philippe Duclos) manages to reinsert himself into both cases. He’s always a welcome addition for viewers, if less so for his long-suffering daughter. Alex also plays a bigger role in their efforts this season than he often has, lending a stabilizing presence to the emotional pinballing of the two leads.  Season Nine aired in France a couple of months ago. Let’s hope it finds its way across the Atlantic faster than this one did.

RATING: 2 1/2 out of 4 stars

THE ART OF CRIME Season 8 Episode 1 will stream June 23, 2026 in the U.S. and Canada on MHz Choice.

https://watch.mhzchoice.com/the-art-of-crime

THE TRAVELLER Season 3 – TV Series Review

LE VOYAGEUR, “Le jardin du diable” realise par Klaus Biedermann. Avec Bruno Debrandt (Yann Kandinsky). Credit: Sarah ALCALAY/FTV/Télécip

The release of the third season of episodes in this fine French procedural series, “The Traveller”,  is shorter than before – only three 90-minute mysteries for our itinerant hero, Kandinsky (Bruno Debrandt), and his faithful dog Emy to solve. All begin with cold cases that turn out to be connected to recent murders, as his quest to rid France of serial killers continues. Here’s the link to Season 2’s review from almost a year ago to refresh your memory (as it did mine): https://www.wearemoviegeeks.com/2025/07/the-traveller-season-2-tv-series-review/

Kandinsky’s personality is the polar opposite of my favorite roaming French cop, Captain Marleau. Both live out of their vehicles as they travel to the town with the latest challenge, bringing more talent to the task than the local cops could ever aspire to. Marleau barges in loudly, flaunting her caustic wit and sarcasm to the irritation of most, but the delight of her viewers (and, of course, this reviewer). Kandinsky arrives and works quietly, hardly ever showing emotion or humor, other than a quiet integrity and compassion for the victims.  He also does odd jobs to afford his meager needs, with a side benefit of endearing himself to the locals. Despite his Spartan existence, this trio of tales dangles some romantic possibilities for our guy. None for the dog, alas.

The first perp is a serial killer who has long been targeting young women, and anyone who might be able to ID him from witnessing one of his gruesomely vicious murders. We not only learn whodunnit, but his appalling backstory that made the monster of the man. The second is more complicated as a psycho murderer in the loony bin who Kandinsky nailed before tells him that a fellow inmate who’d been convicted of offing his family was the wrong guy. He offers to tell where all the bodies of his own 22 victims were buried in exchange for Kandinsky re-investigating the other man’s case. That story is particularly fascinating, since the cellmate had been a pillar of his community, generous to all, and seemed way too nice to have done the foul deed. The path to solution is more emotionally compelling than usual, with a couple of interesting hooks at the end.  

But my highest rating among the three goes to the last one, “The Water’s Memory”. Six sacks containing bodies of young women that had been submerged for about 10 to 20 years are dredged up when one of them surfaces in a vast marsh. Kandinsky is summoned by a judge, Delphine (Florence Pernel), who happened to regularly vacation nearby, and was zealous in her pursuit of the offender, even though the case was not in her jurisdiction. The two team up for identifying the victims and solving their deaths in an episode with more than the average level of physical danger and action.   

As before, the rural settings provide lovely scenery – especially the sprawling marshland of the third. And here’s a shoutout to Emy, who helps her owner in realistic ways and adds a dimension of warmth to the whole production. I hope Kandinsky ain’t done yet, since the character and premise have much more to offer that should be enjoyable to follow.

RATING: 3 out of 4 stars

https://watch.mhzchoice.com/the-traveller

Season 3 of French mystery series THE TRAVELLER premieres June 16, 2026 in the U.S. and Canada on MHz Choice.

FIND YOUR FRIENDS – Review

In her first feature outing as either writer or director, Izabel Pakzad admirably tries a different spin on the usual young folks menaced in an isolated setting thrillers, in FIND YOUR FRIENDS. But the finished product is a mixed bag of pluses and minuses, leaving a lot of unmet potential on the table.

The film opens with five hot co-eds partying hard on a boat with a bunch of other attractive characters. The main focus is on Amber (Helena Howard), who seems more troubled and conflicted about their planned revelries than the other four. She comes on to a guy, abruptly changes her mind, then bashes him on the noggin after he pushed harder for a boink than she wanted. The group is kicked off the boat.

Oh, well. That blip doesn’t deter them from their main mission for the weekend – driving to a rented house in the desert for a huge annual rave concert. The besties find themselves frequently bouncing among horniness, hostility and friendship, as they have various conflicts over what to do with which guys, and how to take care of each other. Dialog runs the gamut from funny and risque to whatever these characters are capable of mustering for insights, emotional depth and bonding. Clashes escalate, as they must, with several horndog studs and sadistic local louts, leading to some gruesome violence and dire consequences. Booze and diverse drugs – including hallucinogens – significantly affect the flow of events.

On the plus side, the five leading women are very attractive, with each given moments to shine as performers. They provide a fine array of eye candy, though the film’s “Unrated” status is not due to exposure of any naughty bits. Most of the sexual activity is discussed, rather than displayed. When the acts of carnage start, the worst occur mostly out of frame, though some blood there be.

Pakzad’s script bucks convention by gradually eroding the usual empathy such flicks establish for their protagonists in peril. Howard’s Amber remains enigmatic, as we start thinking we might understand the basis for her turmoil, but may never really get fully in her corner.

The larger distraction comes from Pakzad’s directing, which lags behind her development as a writer. The camera is too close to faces too much of the time to fully appreciate what’s occurring. Others may differ, but I find the jerky camera movements and quick cuts that have become trendy more off-putting than artistic. She also pulls her punches on the skin and violence components, diluting the adrenaline factor this setup could have provided.

There’s enough appeal in the five leads to make me think they have bigger roles in store for them. Particularly noteworthy is the contribution of Chloe Cherry, who is transitioning from adult films into mainstream movies. She shows that she can do just fine while clad and vertical. Pakzad’s contributions (including a brief role for herself) show considerable potential, despite the nits I’m picking here. This debut product is worth watching, though with modulated expectations from the rookie behind the camera.

FIND YOUR FRIENDS begins streams on Shudder as of Friday, June 12, 2026.

Rating: 2 out of 4 stars

SEVEN SNIPERS – Review

As anyone can tell from the title, this Australian drama, SEVEN SNIPERS, is an action flick. What you can’t tell is that the level of action may be less than genre fans would prefer. Radha Mitchell stars as a former topnotch army sniper, now not only retired to a remote ranch with her teen daughter (Annabel Wolfe), but apparently hiding from someone or something (or both) in her past. Early on, she’s discovered by one who wants to relay her location to a grudge holder, forcing her to summon whomever she can among her old colleagues to help her defend against the imminent attack. Six of them answer the call.

It becomes likely that the guy who put a big bounty on her head is “Dragon” (Tim Roth), the most vicious, if not psychotic, player in their previous military endeavors (or endeavours, for the cast of Aussies and Brits), and his looming presence scares the (insert your own synonym for excrement) out of several. They all thought he had been killed long ago. They all gonna be proven wrong quite soonly.

So that gives us seven good guys (in the gender-neutral sense of the word), plus the daughter and her boyfriend vs. Roth, with all the action occurring in and around Mitchell’s isolated homestead, interlaced with a few flashbacks. What unfolds is a mixed bag of plot, character development and action that adds up to a so-so package. Roth is quite adept at playing smugly creepy, evil characters, conveying menace levels beyond his slight stature, in the vein of actors like Steve Buscemi, Joe Pantoliano or Jackie Earle Haley. Here, he does a lot of damage in relatively little screen time or dialog. And we eventually learn why he’s been dogging Mitchell for years with such determination.

It’s hard to stretch out that small cast and setup for 87 minutes. Unfortunately, Andrew O’Keefe’s script does that by having its characters make a number of annoyingly illogical moves, especially for seasoned soldiers. Those watching for bloodlust will get rewarded by a number of shots with serious doses of splatter. Mitchell, Wolfe and Roth are all worth watching, even in a vehicle that doesn’t give any of them their best chance to shine.

So, with suitably modulated expectations, this little flick may be enjoyable enough for fans of shoot-em-ups and the principals.

SEVEN SNIPERS streams on Well Go USA Entertainment starting Friday, June 5, 2026.

Rating: 2 out of 4 stars

SEA SHADOWS – TV Series Review

The six-episode French miniseries “Sea Shadows” (originally, “Rivages”) opens with a fishing boat and its 16-member crew vanishing in a sudden, violent storm that also contains several other inexplicable effects. They are from Fécamp, a close-knit village that depends heavily on its fishing industry, so the disappearance threatens the entire community. Abigail (Fleur Geffrier), an oceanographer whose experience may be relevant to this mysterious set of phenomena, is sent to investigate … reluctantly. Fécamp just happens to be her hometown, which she has assiduously avoided for three years, following some traumatic events the series gradually reveals to us. Her father owns the town’s largest fleet, including the missing boat, adding to the dramatic tension.

This plays out as a suspense thriller, taking quite a few episodes to sort out whether the phenomenon is man-made, extraterrestrial, or due to some other sic-fi threat. If man-made, is it some secret government program gone awry, or an attack by foreign foes? Strange subsurface lights and vibrations defy explanation. Once the military arrives on the scene, the cause(s) and remedies get even more muddled. Abi strives hard to do the right thing, despite struggles with that old business that kept her away, and the resistance she gets from locals and the army – especially the overzealous Commandante Calderi (Valerie Dashwood), whose agenda makes her extreme actions and attitude rival the worst of cinematic wingnuts in uniform.

The script contains a considerable amount of soapy stuff, mostly arising from her multiple family history issues. She has to navigate churning waters among the fishermen who are eager to resume plying their trade, politicians who don’t want their plans for a huge offshore windfarm derailed, and ecology groups that strongly oppose overfishing and environmental downsides of the proposed turbines. Those folks variably fit in as parts of the problem and parts of the solution. The principal mystery remains solid and suspenseful throughout, and most of the subplot diversions wind up having value by the time we reach the climax. The last episode gets a bit schmaltzy for my taste, but I’m probably more curmudgeonly than most of you.

The lovely Ms. Geffrier, who somewhat resembles a young Julianne Moore, makes an appealing protagonist, deftly portraying her character’s emotional turmoil, intellect and commitment to the task at hand. The rest of the cast largely fills standard genre types, with Dashwood’s megalomaniac and Olivia Cote’s Sylvia (the leader of the environmentalists) getting the juiciest supporting parts.    

The f/x are quite well done, with much of the oceanic action bringing cinematic quality to the small screen.  The Normandie locations provide a lovely backdrop, with the town of Fecamp looking like the cleanest, most picturesque industrial fishing village one could find anywhere. 

RATING: 2 1/2 out of 4 stars

SEA SHADOWS, in French with subtitles, premieres June 2, 2026 in the U.S. and Canada on MHz Choice.

https://watch.mhzchoice.com/sea-shadows