| Showrunner | Fanny Robert |
| Writers | Fanny Robert, Maxime Berthemy, Mehdi Ouahab, Sophie Lebarbier |
| Cast | Clément Penohat, Noémie Schmidt, Camille Lou, Nicolas Godart, Raphaël Ferret, Jean-Marc Barr, Stefano Cassetti |
| Episodes | 6 |
| Genre | Mystery, Thriller |
| Alternative Title | Anthracite: Le Mystère De La Secte Des Écrins |
– No Spoilers –
When a young woman is murdered in the present following the rituals of a cult from years ago, the scapegoat turns out to be Jaro Gatsi, a man with a sketchy past who has come to the mountain town to clean up his act. Desperate to prove his innocence, he gets help from an eccentric woman named Ida, who has come to the mountain town in order to find out his father’s whereabouts, who is also involved in the cult mess as well.
With a mysterious cult becoming active several years after the mass suicide of all the members 30 years ago, we follow several protagonists with dark and depressing backstories in an equally depressing town. Anthracite creates the perfect backdrop for its eerie story, with the right vibe to boost. All the characters have some sad and mysterious story that makes them interesting as they try to figure out different truths that will probably take them to one answer.
Ida Heilman is the most interesting part of the series and although the series tries to showcase her as an eccentric woman who obsesses over others, her talents are unparalleled and Noémie Schmidt plays her perfectly in every scene. Her eccentric attitude hides her true strength and whenever it comes out, you cannot help but be in awe of her! The editing during her “rants” is also fantastic and adds some humour to this otherwise tense show.
Then we meet Jaro Gatsi, who is completely opposite from the focused Ida. He’s reckless and a loose canon and doesn’t think before doing something. Lastly, we have Giovanna, a no-nonsense police officer whose ideas surrounding the recent murders find her in hot waters with her colleagues. It’s a setup we have seen many times before and it’s a setup that Netflix works well with – it can usually pull off the different moods of these people and mix them together well, so much so that you will start to feel for all the characters after the initial formalities are over.
When it comes to the plot, the series is fast-paced and things keep happening constantly to keep you wondering for a big chunk of the runtime. The mystery of the cult brings out shocking revelations that mix different aspects of the show in interesting ways. Although there are moments when you wonder where we are going, it still keeps things moving fairly well so as to keep us on our toes. The moment one thing is discussed, something else pops up to keep us entertained.
And, honestly, it works well for the most part. Anthracite is tight and well-told and the relationship between the different characters makes it even more charming. The beautiful Swiss Alps, too, never disappoints and will leave you spellbound from time to time. Thus, a mixture of these interesting and well-paced parts ties things together well and makes us question what is going on till the end. Every storyline is discussed thoroughly and we are never left to question things for the most part.
Anthracite Review: Final Thoughts
Anthracite is a well-made series that makes us question things down every alley. With cults in the mix, there are a lot of talks surrounding demons and other occult things that keep us occupied and thrilled. Is it all man-made or is there something more underneath the surface? Is there a possibility of the supernatural coming out on the surface in any way? The series answers all of that and more and is an engaging affair through and through.
Anthracite is streaming on Netflix.
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