Netflix is known for doing its homework when it comes to their television programming and content, but the release of Criminal: France seemed out of the blue considering there are no French language shows on Netflix’s roster. But Criminal: France isn’t your typical French show; it’s actually an international version of one of Netflix’s most popular and critically acclaimed series, Criminal Minds and it has already been renewed for season 2! Criminal: France – A Gripping Police Procedural That Will Keep You On The Edge Of Your Seat
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What Is This Show About?
Created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith, Criminal: France is a show about crime and the law. Part of Netflix’s acclaimed Criminal franchise, the show takes place in Paris’ Crime Lab where investigators team up to solve murders and track down serial offenders. Nathalie Baye (35 Shots of Rum) stars as Ludivine Ferri, the head of a major crime unit that investigates both new crimes and cold cases. This dark story with sexy police procedural vibes has riveting twists at every turn.
Characters
There are three main characters throughout the show, each with a different role. Nathalie Baye plays Inspector-General Laure Berthaud, a tough and brilliant detective. Jérémie Renier plays Commandant Jean-Baptiste Adamsberg, an inspector from another police department in Paris that teams up with Berthaud to solve cases.
Accused
Sara Giraudeau As Émilie Weber
In episode 3 of Criminal, Émilie Weber’s character and her partner are brought on a routine call for what she thinks is just a drunk and disorderly, but it soon turns into something far more complicated. They quickly have to figure out what happened, what to do about the victim, as well as how to keep themselves safe from an unhinged perpetrator who just doesn’t seem to care. It’s thrilling, tense, and exciting all at once.
Nathalie Baye As Caroline Solal
Nathalie Baye is an actor, producer and film director. She first became known in the United States when she played Marion Crane in Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. She has since starred in many more American films including Jean de Florette and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels. Outside of her American projects, Nathalie Baye starred as Marie Ségur in Gabrielle, the 2001 drama that takes place during the French Revolution. She won a Cesar for Best Actress for her performance. In 2017, she reunited with Jim Field Smith to star in Criminal: France alongside Jérémie Renier. The show follows police officers on their investigations into crime across the country and focuses on new cases each season.
Jérémie Renier As Jérôme Lacombe
Jérémie Renier – Jérôme Lacombe is a police detective for the French Narcotics Unit. He is not afraid to make tough decisions in the line of duty and even has something of a rebellious streak. He’s pretty adept at being both an undercover agent as well as an open, out-and-about detective, which proves helpful in unraveling this mystery. But there are some twists that you might see coming before they happen, with characters being introduced right before they’re about to become important. Overall, though, it’s a gripping procedural that will keep you on the edge of your seat.
Police
Margot Bancilhon As Commander Audrey Larsen
This gripping French police procedural is rich with strong female characters and will keep you on the edge of your seat. Margot Bancilhon – Commander Audrey Larsen
Margot, a seasoned detective and well-respected in her field, leads the charge in getting to the bottom of these gruesome crimes. Meanwhile, Audrey’s fresh perspective brings both new energy and valuable insight to her team’s investigation. As the women work side by side, they form an unexpected friendship that challenges their preconceived notions about who they are and what they want from life. Their personal journeys play out against the backdrop of unfolding drama in this fast-paced thriller full of intrigue and suspense. With twists around every corner, Criminal: France has become a huge success for Netflix!
Stéphane Jobert As Commander Gérard Sarkissian
Stéphane Jobert, who plays Commander Gérard Sarkissian on the show, is from Saint-Quentin in north-east France. His father was a house painter and his mother was a nurse. From 1984 to 1990 he studied at a drama school before becoming an actor for 20 years with all the theatre companies in town and all of which were rated number one at their time. He has also acted in several films, such as Yves Montand’s last film Les Cinq Sœurs or Au Service de la France with Jean Gabin. In 2012 he got the part of Commander Gérard Sarkissian in Criminal: France and has won two awards for this role so far.
Laurent Lucas As Captain Olivier Hagen
In season one, Laurent Lucas plays the role of Captain Olivier Hagen, who is an elite French detective who tries to solve high-profile crimes like murders. He is quick to make tough decisions and doesn’t back down from a fight. After spending time in London and New York, Captain Hagen has returned to his hometown Marseille to head up the local police unit. Capt. Hagen refuses to compromise his integrity or give up on justice, no matter what it takes. Capt. Hagen is also shown as someone with a dark past that he continues to deal with internally, which shows his strength as well as his vulnerability.
Mhamed Arezki As Brigadier Omar Matif
Mhamed’s career began at a young age when he became the youngest officer in Morocco to head up the CTC brigade. After that, Mhamed went on to become a local security coordinator for the Sûreté Nationale and later as part of his training in 2004 he was sent to Paris, where he witnessed first-hand the colossal devastation wrought by terrorist attacks. Mhamed has been awarded the Legion d’Honneur and four Croix de Guerre medals.
He is also an advisor to both Morocco’s Interior Minister, Saad Eddine El Othmani, and King Mohammed VI himself.
Anne Azoulay As Brigadier Laetitia Serra
The series is led by Laetitia Serra, who plays Brigadier Laetitia Serra. She is a very honest and experienced law enforcement officer, with a particular focus on missing children. She balances her working life and private life but remains devoted to her job. Her co-workers have noticed that she is more distracted than usual when she’s at work. One day, while following up on a lead in the case of an abducted boy, they find themselves in danger.
Who Are the Cast Members?
Nathalie Baye (Chief Inspector Laure Berthaud), Jérémie Renier (Commissaire Adamsberg) and Sara Giraudeau (Dr. Berg).
Laure Berthaud, portrayed by Nathalie Baye, is a committed yet tortured police officer who learns that she cannot be all things to all people. As her personal life unravelled and she began a romance with Dr.
What Has Been Said About This Show?
While the series only came out in February, many critics and viewers are already calling it one of the best Netflix original shows. When translated, the title means crimes and that’s what you get from Criminal: France – from a heist to fraud to money laundering, it all feels like you’re reading an issue of a high-profile crime magazine.
Where Can I Watch This Show?
If you enjoy crime dramas, Criminal is the show for you. This show follows a group of detectives from various French cities who work together to solve criminal cases in their own city and outside. If this sounds like something that interests you, be sure to check out Criminal: France on Netflix now!
Is criminal France a true story?
It’s a thriller about a family of cops, who go on harrowing undercover missions, take on dangerous and near-impossible cases, and sometimes even have to call in favors with the Mafia. These stories are all based on real-life crimes that have taken place in France in recent years.
Will there be a season 2 of Criminal France?
No word yet on whether there will be a second season of Criminal: France. We will keep you updated if that changes.
What is criminal France about on Netflix?
France on Netflix is a series about police procedural that was created by George Kay and Jim Field Smith. It stars Nathalie Baye, Jérémie Renier and Sara Giraudeau. The series originally premiered in France on TF1 but will be available to international audiences through Netflix this Friday January 25th. Each season of France will feature a new case involving different sets of characters and locations, which sounds exciting!
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is criminal France filmed?
The series was filmed in the area around Lyon and Marseille. It is produced by Pascal Chaumeil for Nouvelles Éditions de Films (NEF). Veteran French TV producers Arthur Cohen and Dominique Besson have been instrumental in developing the series with Smith, who has written every episode of Criminal’s eight-episode first season. NEF partnered with Netflix to produce the show in 2018.
How accurate is criminal UK?
Criminal is a dark and engaging show, based on the Dutch TV series from the 90s. Following a police officer with international expertise who assists the Parisian police in investigating serious crimes by looking for parallels to crimes committed in other countries.
Set in various parts of the city, each episode begins with a brutal act of violence that may or may not be connected to organised crime.
Where was Criminal filmed Netflix?
Netflix’s Criminal: France is a fascinating and addictive police procedural anthology series that will keep you on the edge of your seat. From its inception in January 2019, this series was born as a Netflix Original.
Will there be a third series of Criminal: UK?
This is not known, but it seems likely as Netflix has already commissioned a third season of the British original. It is possible that new episodes in this series will be seen on Netflix soon, as each season typically debuts every eight months. But, at the moment, there are no announcements yet to share.
How many episodes is Criminal: UK?
All episodes from the series are just a little over 40 minutes long and they all have a quick paced, addictive storyline. In just a couple of hours, you will be up to date on the life of Detective Jacqueline Jacky Lapointe, who is played by Nathalie Baye. Jacky works in the Criminal Brigade in Paris and specializes in tackling serious crimes with unusual or challenging aspects.
