# The Crimson Rivers (2018)

> A veteran French detective and his former student track brutal ritual murders and cult-linked killings across four seasons.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/70213

## Facts

- Seasons: 4
- Episodes: 32
- Episode runtime: 48 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: crime, mystery
- Created by: Jean-Christophe Grangé
- Network: France 2
- Cast: Olivier Marchal, Erika Sainte, François Levantal, Lubna Azabal, Augustin Humez, Ken Duken, Nora Waldstätten, Nicolas Grandhomme
- TMDB rating: 6.9/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt7349016/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: strong
- Complexity: layered
- Violence: graphic
- Tone: dark, brooding, tense, grim, methodical

## What critics say

Viewers find the French crime thriller capably written, with well-constructed two-episode cases and grounded, worn characterisations, though audience response is mixed.

## Synopsis

The Crimson Rivers (2018-2022) is a French crime thriller series created by Jean-Christophe Grangé for France 2. Adapted from the author's own novel and spun off from the 2000 film of the same name, it follows old-school police detective Pierre Niemans (Olivier Marchal) and his former student Camille Delaunay (Erika Sainte), who work together on complex and brutal murder cases. Their engine is a steady pursuit of killers whose crimes trace back to hidden groups, ritual sacrifices and cult-like networks, with each story unfolding over two episodes and sometimes spilling across a whole season. The series runs four seasons of eight episodes each, forming a continuous run of investigations rather than standalone cases. Its atmosphere is grim and methodical, with unsettling imagery, damaged characters and a steady sense of dread that gives the chase a weight of consequence. Set in contemporary France, the show favors character depth and worn, down to earth performances over spectacle. Fans of Engrenages, Hannibal and Twin Peaks will find resonance in its dark procedural rhythm, its occult undertones and its fascination with the people who hunt monsters.

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