7/10
They Were Ten
2 December 2022
This six part French series is based on the Agatha Christie classic 'And Then There Were None'. Ten people, five men and five women, are invited to a remote private island in the Caribbean. Most expect to meet somebody there at a deluxe hotel, instead they find a rundown establishment where the only staff are newly arrived and count amongst the ten. At first they are irritated but tensions rise exponentially when it becomes clear that the jungle surrounding the hotel is full of booby-traps and the water is poisoned. Somebody unknown to them suggests that all of them are somehow responsible for a murder, for which they will now be punished. Soon their numbers start being reduced. Meanwhile on the mainland the local police are worrying about one of the women who had earlier reported her passport missing buy now can't be found.

There have been many adaptations of this classic murder mystery and I think this was a good addition to their number. The setting is good and the characters are of interestingly diverse backgrounds. This means that each has a unique backstory that led to them getting the deadly invitations. There are some obvious changes from other adaptations I've seen. These include extended flashbacks were we see the characters' crimes and the scenes involving the police. I rather enjoyed these changes and thought they added to the story in a way that justified the use of six episodes. The tension rises impressively as the story progresses, especially after the various survivors turn on each other as they believe that one of their number is behind what is happening. The cast does a solid job bringing their characters to life. Overall I'd recommend this to fans of classic murder mysteries looking for a new adaptation of this famous story.

These comments are based on watching the series in French with English subtitles.
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