Abysses on France 2: How much is the disaster series with Cecil de France worth?

What is it about?

“After years of pollution and climate change, a mysterious force from the depths is exploiting the sea creatures without declaring war on humanity. As society crumbles, a team of scientists must uncover the true nature of the attacks and the mysterious entity behind them before it’s too late.“

Based on the international bestseller by Frank Schetzing.

who is he with

In the credits of Abysses we find a series of actors well known on the small and big screens: Leonie Benes (Around the World in 80 Days, The Crown), Cécile de France (The New Pope), Alexandre Karimi (The Lawyer) or Joshua Ojik (The Uninherited).

But that’s not all, because they are also played by Barbara Sukova (Hannah Arendt), Krista Kosonen (Blade Runner 2049), Rosabel Laurent Sellers (Game of Thrones), Takuya Kimura (2046), Aidin Jalal (Para – We Are King), Takehiro Hira. (Giri/Haji), Holland Johnson (Veep, NCIS: LA) and Sharon Duncan-Brewster (Star Wars: Rogue One).

Therefore, eight episodes are adapted from Frank Schetzing’s work of the same name. The screenplay was written by Stephen Lalley, Marisa Lestrade, Chris Lunt and Michael A. Walker and directed by Barbara Eder, Luke Watson and Philip Stolzl.

Is it worth checking out?

When friendly whales turn nasty, crabs bite too hard and the sea swallows ships… No swimming! With an impressive cast, this international co-production threatens the most environmentally concerned among us. Because yes, throughout the eight episodes of Abyss, the feeling that what’s happening on screen might be true is everywhere.

Adapted from a book published in 2004, the theme of this series is more relevant than ever. Combining very real issues (such as global warming or the destruction of the seabed) with the intrigue of a sci-fi disaster, Abyss resonates with the fears and anxieties of our time about the environment.

Therefore, nature is fighting against us, against humans, who are trying to destroy it. A few scientists are doing what they can to stop this murderous revenge coming from the very (very, very) surface of the oceans. It’s fun to explore these normal and quite likable characters, as well as their race against the clock.

Visually, the animal attack scenes are impressive and convincing. And the actors perform fair performances. The gallery of characters from various and diverse professions also allows you to learn a little more about the types of work in this sector, which is quite confidential to the general public.

On the other hand, sometimes we regret a certain lack of rhythm and the slow progress of the story. Six episodes would certainly have allowed the plot to be tighter, to gain more dynamism and effectiveness.

Also, the adventures encountered by the characters of the original work seem to be more numerous and spectacular… Realizing this, we feel a sense of disappointment that we did not get to see these dramatic events on screen!

Finally, the French version of the fiction is not the most enjoyable to watch, as the dubbing is not really successful… the advantage of the original version would definitely add intensity to the scenes.

Despite all of this and the anxiety-inducing aspect, Abysses is a successful and engaging series.