As adaptations go, Lupin is about as good as they get. Loosely based on the famous series of novels by the French writer Maurice Leblanc, Netflix have cleverly adapted the story for the 21st century.
This means shifting the focus away from gentleman thief Lupin, and focusing instead on the young French boy who has been so inspired by his deeds.
The series tells the story of full time thief Assane (Omar Sy) whose life goal is to gain revenge on those who betrayed his deceased father Babakar.
Wrongly accused of the theft of a precious necklace, Babakar is sent to prison where he quickly takes his own life.
Years later, Assane, now a grown man, sets out to get revenge on those who wronged his father. I won’t spoil it for you further by revealing exactly what happens, but you will gasp at some of the situations Assange gets himself into.
Lupin’s clever set ups and ingenious plotting ensure that the series is never less than thrilling. The series recalls such British dramas as Sherlock and Luther in its stylised format, yet the drama never feels derivative or phony.
Omar Sy is perfect as the elusive title character, able to pendulum deftly between easy charm and steely power. Sy’s Assane is an intriguing and engaging character: part superhero, part streetwise man about town.
Sy gives him just the right amount of charm – never over or under playing the menace lurking beneath his calm exterior.
Lupin is not perfect, however. As the series progresses, several plot holes emerge, however, the whole thing is carried off with such wit and charm that it hardly seems to matter.
If you like your crime dramas big and bold, then you won’t go far wrong with Netflix’s Lupin. Ingenious plot, clever pacing and a great central performance by breakout star Omar Sy make this Netflix thriller the series to watch in 2021.
More information about Lupin can be found here.
For information on other great television shows to watch, please click here.
