![](https://foreveryoungadult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/Cover-the-returned-S1.jpg)
Netflix Summary:
On returning home and finding they’re believed to be dead, a collection of near-strangers from the same village try to find a reason for their plight.
FYA Summary:
No, not the American remake. Not that one, either. This is the original French series about a bunch of people who have seemingly come back to life, just as they were before they died. Is it a divine miracle? Maybe mass hallucination? Or the zombie apocalypse? No matter what’s really going on, it’s definitely CREEPY AS SHIZZ.
Plus, it has a killer score (um, pun unintended), which you can catch a glimpse of here in its fantastically spooky opening credits.
Familiar Faces:
![](https://foreveryoungadult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/The-Returned-S1-FF-Yara-Pilartz-Jenna-Thiam.png)
Yara Pilartz as Camille and Jenna Thiam as Léna
Camille was killed in a bus crash during a school trip that her twin, Léna, had missed. And now, Camille is somehow back, but four years younger than Léna and all their friends.* Which kind of reminds me of Travis’ sitch from Noggin, except with wayyyy less humour.
*The twins’ ages kept tripping me up; I wasn’t sure how old they were supposed to be, which would have been highly relevant information to me during some of their scenes. (15 and 19, for the record.)
![](https://foreveryoungadult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/The-Returned-S1-FF-Clotilde-Hesme-Pierre-Perrier.jpg)
Clotilde Hesme and Pierre Perrier as Adèle and Simon
Young lovebirds Adèle and Simon had their entire future ahead of them — until Simon’s untimely demise ten years ago. Just as Adèle has put together a family of her own, guess who waltzes back into her life?
![](https://foreveryoungadult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/The-Returned-S1-FF-Guillaume-Gouix-Gregory-Gadebois.jpg)
Guillaume Gouix and Grégory Gadebois as Serge and Toni
This is probably the most misleading photo of these brothers, because there really aren’t a lot of warm fuzzies in their relationship. Although they have MAJOR family dramz.
![](https://foreveryoungadult.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/12/The-Returned-S1-FF-Swann-Nambotin.png)
Swann Nambotin as Victor
Omg, this kid. He actually has a very sad backstory, but his vibe is totally Children of the Corn.
Couch-Sharing Capability: Low
If it wasn’t already obvious, this isn’t exactly a slumber party crowd pleaser. (Or maybe you have different slumber parties than I do. I don’t know your life.) While it isn’t torture-porn gory, it does have a bit of gore — but not like the excessive, cartoony type of violence. It might also feel like déjà vu for anyone who’s seen the short-lived American remake**, so it’s probably best viewed by fresh eyes to the concept.
**Obvs don’t read them to avoid spoilers, but the Wiki episode descriptions are damn near identical.
Recommended Level of Inebriation: Low
As with all subtitled affairs, alcohol consumption and reading comprehension can be a tricky combo. Although wine might be necessary if you don’t have much patience for occasionally s-l-o-o-o-o-o-w pacing and unresolved storylines. And also because France.
Use of Your Streaming Subscription: Creeptastic
I know I might be overselling the creep factor by using five variations of the word so far, but really and truly — The Returned delivers the heebie-jeebs. Eerie and atmospheric, it’s the kind of horror that makes you feel unsettled without needing to show you anything actually scary, i.e., MY FAVE KIND.