Ennemi public

Well, I guess this show has the answer to the question... As a french native speaker, I obviously watched it in its original version, and I have been nothing of flabbergasted by the lack of professionalism displayed by most, if not all the actresses and actors involved.

I liked the first 2 seasons though, because their plots were quite good, with a lot of twists and turns. But on season 3, the horrendous acting ruined it for me.

The main character Chloe, gosh.... Not only does she look obnoxiously unattractive and unpleasant, but I felt she was reading lines from a prompter. The rest of the cast doesn't do much better, though.

The previously child molester now become "brother Guy" is absolutely ridiculous. If hamming it up were an Olympic discipline, he'd probably strike gold. Who acts like that? Where did they find that shipwreck of a cast???

Having recently watched La Trêve and it was to me liking, I was referred to Ennemi public. Well, I had some reservations at first, due to its background topic (based on media coverage, Belgium is apparently the most pedophile-sensitive country in the world), but thankfully, the real events did not have the signs of this horrible sort of crime. The inclusion of monastery scenes was distinct, the performers pleasant and up to their task (particularly Stephanie Blanchoud as Chloe Muller and the men depicting the Stassarts), and the wrongdoer´s person was not revealed too soon... Beatutiful Vallonian nature was a nice supporting actor, extra emphasizing the general mood and "demons" of people living in a distant community.

All in all, a good series, but still a bit less catchy to me than La Trêve where tenseness was higher and you could focus more on the present events rather than compare and assess bad things from the past.

I bought the dvd of series 1 not knowing if I would like it. But just watched 10 hours in one go,I loved it. I found it unpredictable and gripping. Some critics feel the story is unrealistic but it did not bother me. People say this is based on real events and it may be but it requires no prior knowledge to enjoy it. If you like a detective mystery and don't mind subtitles or can speak French seek this one out.

Psychopathic child murderer Guy Beranger is released from prison into the care of monks in an abbey. The Local villagers' justifiable fear for their children's' safety is realised when children begin to go missing. This 10 part Belgian thriller with its brooding characters took a little while to hook me in, but as the story unfolded the pace picked up. The seemingly austere Inspector assigned to protecting Beranger has her own demons from her past to deal with. Great setting for such a story (an isolated village in the Ardennes forest) - an area about which I knew nothing. The ending left a possible opening for a second series. Recommended

A great series to binge on. Loved the interesting cast, plausible scenarios and measured violence. Such a pleasant change from the many formulaic series that Netflix is dishing out at the moment.