"Atmospheric cinematography and the coastal location are integral to providing a cold, desolate visual motif that thrives throughout each episode"

After the success of Borgen, The Bridge and Wallander, Nordic Noir has welcomed the French drama Witnesses to its ever expanding collection. Monday 5th October sees the DVD/Blu Ray release of this atmospheric, layered police drama.

Bodies dug up and left in show homes, a ritualistic scene left for the police to find. Each home contains the corpses of a man, woman and teenager, the macabre family setting. Within the second home a photo is found, a photo of Paul Maisonneuve, a retired cult figure of the Crime Squad. He returns to duty and forms a dysfunctional relationship with a young female detective Sandra Winckler. Who is digging up the bodies, who is leaving them in the show homes and how does it involve Paul Maisonneuve? This is the mystery at the core of Witnesses.

As with most modern TV dramas, this is multi-layered, cinematic, character driven and pondering. The characters (of which there are many) are driven by their own stories and motivations. The two lead characters Paul (Thierry Lhemitte) and Sandra (Marie Dompnier) are carrying baggage from the outset and questions are immediately raised about their relationship. As the case moves forward their past and problems are explored.

Atmospheric cinematography and the coastal location are integral to providing a cold, desolate visual motif that thrives throughout each episode. This coupled with the melancholy feel of the plot provides a strong foundation for the character exploration and the revelations that are scattered throughout each episode.

If I were to comment on anything in a negative light, it would be how some of the plot devices felt coincidental to create conclusion. The sheer number of characters introduced from the first episode to the last becomes problematic; it can be easy to forget their motives and ultimately feels like they’re only there to move the plot forward.

Despite this, Witnesses is an enjoyable show with good ideas, interesting characters and fantastic cinematography, a worthy addition to the now popular Nordic Noir collection.

Witnesses is out on DVD & Blu-Ray, Monday October 5 through Arrow Films