Are you looking to stream a new series in 2018? Try The Frozen Dead, the latest Netflix crime drama available for streaming.
Don’t watch Netflix’s Bright. As Stuart Sweet already pointed out, this highly derivative Will Smith vehicle features a plot that’s easy to predict.The Frozen Dead, on the other hand, is a video streaming series that offers a unique take on the typical serial killer crime drama. Perhaps it’s because this series is French and carries with it that country’s unique approach to cinema. Whether you binge it in a single weekend, or let its episodes unravel slowly, you won’t be disappointed. The Frozen Dead series is the perfect offering from the streaming service provider that specializes in original content.
The Frozen Dead TV Show
So, what is The Frozen Dead about? This French crime drama is a series with six, one-hour episodes for its first season. Each episode is subtitled, which shouldn’t be problem for anyone who enjoyed the first season of Dark. The series focuses on two police investigators and a psychologist brought together by a notorious serial killer. This leads to the unraveling of many secrets in the series’ setting, a small, isolated town located in the frozen wastes of France’s Pyrenees Mountains. The series’ original title is Glacé, which is French for “ice.”
As crime dramas go, everything about The Frozen Dead is… well, it’s French. Each episodes moves on a much smaller, more intimate scale compared to an American crime drama of similar scope. While the series starts with a killing – not unlike most American crime dramas – it is the bizarre and ritualistic killing of a prized horse, not a human. That’s right. Some sick and twisted individual kills a horse then hangs its flayed and bloody hide to everyone on an aerial tramway. Pretty weird, right?
Since the horse belonged to an extremely wealthy man, the best police detective is brought in to solve the crime. That detective is Martin Servaz (Charles Berling), who would rather be anywhere than the cold and inhospitable area where the crime took place. Shortly after Servaz’s arrival, we discover that the horse is merely in inciting incident. This series is really about imprisoned serial killer Julian Hirtmann (Pascal Greggory) and the many secrets that seem to surround him and those who know him.
The Frozen Dead Cast and More
One interesting thing about The Frozen Dead is its characters. Each one is unique and has an interesting story arc. Detective Servaz is a boozy, middle-aged detective struggling with the fact that he’s in love with his mistress. (His best friend’s wife.) Serial killer Hirtmann is a dangerous master manipulator, Servaz’s former best friend, and keeper of many secrets. Diane Berg (Nina Meurisse) is the sister of one of Hirtmann’s victims. She works at the asylum under a false name in hopes of getting Hirtmann to reveal where he buried her sister’s body.
The series’ cinematography is both eerie and evocative. It’s storyline is superb insomuch that it’s so underplayed, especially when compared to American films about serial killers. Hirtmann acts calm and somewhat sleepy, which is a direct contrast to what American audiences have come to think of serial killers. (We can thank Anthony Hopkins’ portrayal of Hannibal Lector for that.) Perhaps this is merely a façade that Hirtmann uses to conceal possibly deadly intentions. Nearly everyone else in this show also seems muted, which adds to its mystery and charm.
Being just a few episodes in, it’s difficult to discern the show’s themes and deeper meanings. One thing I have noticed is The Frozen Dead’s use of deer as a metaphor. Perhaps this animal represents the fragility of human life in harsh environments. This would explain the show’s intro, which features the slow reveal of a deer surrounded by a pack of wolves coming in for the kill. At times, it seems as though the town’s inhabitants, with their secret connections to Hirtmann, are the metaphorical wolves who surround Servaz. I’ll keep an eye on how this theme might develop.
The Frozen Dead is Worth Your Time
If you choose to stream The Frozen Dead, you do so at your own risk. This is a Netlfix series, which means that it’s subject to not getting renewed for a second season. (We all remember what happened to Gypsy.) Netflix has the most original content of all streaming service providers. As a result, it judges these shows by some very stringent standards. If The Frozen Dead doesn’t produce a certain amount of viewership relative to its cost, it will likely get the axe. Whether or not this series is destined to become a one-and-done remains to be seen. Keep this in mind when you invest in any series from this streaming service.
