Series: Marianne
Where to watch it: Netflix
Seasons available: one
Spoilers: No
Emma is a jaded author of a young adult horror series. But she has a secret. The novels are her way of coping with the nightmares that have plagued her since she was a small child. She created the hero of her story to battle the witch named Marianne that visits her every night. When Emma decides to end her series and move on with her life, her childhood friend, Caroline, shows up unexpectedly at her book signing claiming that her mother has read all the novels and believes that she is the embodiment of the witch Marianne. In fact, her mother is displeased that Emma has decided to no longer write the series and has sent Caroline to bring her home. Caroline seems psychotic as she claims her mother has taken on the characteristics of the witch in the books and is removed from the book signing by security. Emma is visible shaken but determined to put it behind her until Caroline shows up at the publishing company the next morning with one final message. If Emma does don’t continue to write, her parents’ safety will be at stake. Then Caroline hangs herself from an upper floor of the building.
No longer able to ignore the horrific event, Emma with her assistant, Camile, return to her small hometown for the first time since she was a teenager. As terrifying incidents occur, Emma is dismayed to learn that not only is Marianne real, but her writing has been feeding her power. Emma is given a choice to continue to write the novels or deal with the deadly consequences.
Rating: B+
Is it worth watching: Yes? It’s great to watch on a rainy Saturday. This is a French series so unless you know French, you will need to either pick from subtitles or dubbed. I watched the dubbed version and really enjoyed it. I don’t typically enjoy horror, but this isn’t a slasher style series nor is it all jump scares. It’s more of a psychological thriller with a lot of really creepy moments. The effects are beautifully dark and sometimes a little disgusting without being too much. Most of the main characters are well developed. The series dives into Emma’s childhood. We get to see where Marianne comes from and why Emma made the decision to leave her home at such a young age. Despite the early teenage trauma, Emma’s friends rally around her and are the thread that holds it all together.
I really enjoyed this series. *It is set up for a second season so we will see if Netflix picks it up.
*Netflix announced there will be no future seasons of this series at this time.
