Streaming. The series "The Serpent" on france.tv: a thrilling hunt for the killer Charles Sobhraj
After airing on Netflix in 2021, the miniseries The Serpent is now available on france.tv. As serial killer Charles Sobhraj, Tahar Rahim remains as venomous as ever.
Beware of the charm of Jenna Coleman and Tahar Rahim, it can be deadly... Photo Netflix
At the height of the hippie wave in the 1970s, the myth of the initiatory journey to the heart of Asia was in full swing. Many young Westerners traveled the continent, from Afghanistan to Thailand via India and Nepal, on what was dubbed the "Hippie Trail," an unofficial path for backpackers in search of meaning.
But between 1975 and 1976, a series of tragedies marred this road: poisonings, thefts, but above all murders. Soon, a name appeared: that of Charles Sobhraj , a Frenchman and precious stone swindler. He would earn a nickname, The Serpent . An eight-episode miniseries co-produced by the BBC and Netflix, The Serpent was broadcast in 2021. Starting this Monday, it will also be available on france.tv (*).
Treasure huntBased on a true story, The Serpent features Charles Sobhraj ( Tahar Rahim ) and his Quebecois partner Marie-Andrée Leclerc (Jenna Coleman) on one side, traveling through Asia, leaving a bloody road behind them. On the other side, we find a couple of diplomats, the Dutchman Herman Knippenberg (Billy Howle) and his German wife Angela (Ellie Bamber), who try to thwart the killer's plans.
This content is blocked because you have not accepted cookies and other trackers.
By clicking on "I accept" , cookies and other trackers will be placed and you will be able to view the contents ( more information ).
By clicking on "I accept all cookies" , you authorize the deposit of cookies and other tracers for the storage of your data on our sites and applications for the purposes of personalization and advertising targeting.
You can withdraw your consent at any time by consulting our data protection policy . Manage my choices
Using a production that plays on the tics of the 70s (especially zooms), The Serpent multiplies the back and forths in time, points of view, languages (in the original version, English is spoken as much as French or Thai) to better break up its narrative, and thus lose the viewer. This is assumed, the goal being to create a treasure hunt where only one character seems able to win the game: Charles Sobhraj.
Like a king cobra, Tahar Rahim succeeds in bringing this manipulative and truly perverse narcissist to life. In a single sequence, he is able to combine cold anger, cruelty, and venomous charm with terrifying ease.
Because while the real-life Charles Sobhraj owes his nickname "Snake" to his ability to elude the police and manipulate his victims, the series' killer is a perfectly chilling version. Perfect for spending a too-hot summer.
(*) The Serpent , available for free from Monday, July 14 on france.tv and from Monday, July 21 at 9:10 p.m. on France 2. Also available on Netflix.
L'Alsace
