# Thieves of the Wood (2020)

> A charismatic highwayman leads the downtrodden in revolt against the corrupt aristocracy of 18th-century Belgium.

Canonical page: https://ember.film/tv/79117

## Facts

- Seasons: 1
- Episodes: 10
- Episode runtime: 60 min
- Status: Ended
- Genres: drama, action, adventure
- Created by: Pieter Van Hees, Maarten Moerkerke, Robin Pront
- Network: Netflix, VTM
- Cast: Matteo Simoni, Stef Aerts, Jeroen Perceval, Dirk Roofthooft, Tom van Dyck, Anne-Laure Vandeputte, Charlotte Timmers, Anemone Valcke
- TMDB rating: 6.8/10
- IMDb: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt5766086/

## Ember's analysis

- Pacing: brisk
- Intensity: moderate
- Complexity: accessible
- Violence: moderate
- Tone: gritty, rousing, earthy, tense

## What critics say

Reception is limited and mixed, with critics praising the swashbuckling energy and lead performance while finding the single season's storytelling uneven.

## Synopsis

Thieves of the Wood (2020) is a Belgian historical action drama series created by Pieter Van Hees, Maarten Moerkerke and Robin Pront for Netflix and VTM. Matteo Simoni plays charismatic highwayman Jan de Lichte, who leads the oppressed and downtrodden in revolt against the corrupt aristocracy of eighteenth-century Belgium. Around him gather loyal companions including Stef Aerts as Francis Tincke, Dirk Roofthooft as Jean-Joseph Coffijn and Anne-Laure Vandeputte as Anne-Marie Mestdagh, each drawn into a struggle where danger lurks in the shadowy forests and on the roads of a divided countryside. The engine of the show is simple and urgent: a folk hero must stay one step ahead of powerful enemies while his ragtag band fights for the common people. Episodes are built around heists, ambushes and daring escapes, with gunpowder, horse carriages and hidden hideouts setting the rhythm. Presented as a single ten-episode season of one continuing story, the series combines swashbuckling energy with a grounded sense of hardship and class anger. Its tone is gritty yet rousing, with a bruised, earthy look. Fans of Robin Hood and The Musketeers will find a familiar appetite for rebellion and adventure here.

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