A Marianne is a French supernatural horror series that chronicles the story of a witch named Marianne whose manifestation often gives in to the nightmare of Emma Larsimon, a successful author. Directed by Samuel Bodin, the supernatural saga was released on Netflix on the 13th of September 2019. Emma Larsimon is portrayed by Victoire Du Bois, a bestselling author whose nightmares transcend into a horrifying reality as the witch from her novel comes to life, wanting to devour her in her depths of hell.
Marrianne has done exceptionally well on capture screen not only because of its deeply and intricately woven story, but also because of the commendable performances in the series. As a fine blend of psychological thriller, supernatural fiction, and folk horror, Marrianne is one of the top and most gruesome horror series on the platform. However, much to the dismay of the fanbase, Netflix canceled the show after 1 season.
Emma Larsimon is a bestselling author in the series who gained notoriety by publishing her best selling series of novels that featured a menacing witch as a central character. Much like Emma, she too announced to the public that she will no longer write the series. Emma believed that by making the announcement, she has distanced herself from the horror inducing nightmarish world which has constantly been eating away at her.
Despite her initial triumph, she pays a high price for it. Emma’s childhood friend brings in worrying news – a witch from Emma’s stories is haunting her hometown and is bringing chaos to the town. As Emma starts experiencing surreal visions and strange situations, she comes to the chilling realization that her decision to stop writing has put her in the midst of unheard danger.
Emma slowly makes her way back to Elden, her hometown, where she catches up with her childhood friends Aurore (Tiphaine Daviot) and Camille (Lucie Boujenah). This forces Emma to deal with her old demons while revealing the town’s disturbing secret, where the boundary between fantasy and reality fades. The malevolent witch Madame Daugeron (Mireille Herbstmeyer) manifests all the evil of Marianne, spreading terror and fear through cold blooded possession and mental horror.
The deeper Emma goes into her memories and the truth about Marianne, the more she realizes has to face her inner demons and the unimaginable consequences that puts her entire family in danger.
Cast and Characters
Victoire Du Bois as Emma Larsimon
An award winning horror writer comes to terms with the fact that the figure she is most terrified of, is a reality. Emma’s journey is deeply intrspersed with her trauma and insecurity and it is as much about overcoming her personal struggles as it is about defeating the evil which feeds off her life.
Lucie Boujenah as Camille
Camille is Emma’s faithful aide and friend who lightens up the script with laughter and emotions and dedicates herself to her work in spite of the increasing menacing events.
Tiphaine Daviot as Aurore
One of Emma’s childhood friends whose life has been further damaged due to the terror of Marianne. Aurore is one of the many characters that show how childhood trauma still persists in the characters lives.
Mireille Herbstmeyer as Madame Daugeron/Marianne
The frightening apparition of the witch, Marianne, that manipulates the people of Elden, enslaves Emma in her nightmarish dreams. Herbstmeyer’s character gets the credit for one of the most disturbing horror portrayals in the last decade and her film’s graphic performances solidified that.
Bellamine Abdelmalek as Séby
Seby is Emma’s friend that tried to forget the horrific events of their childhood, but now he is back in the terrorific stranglehold he tried so very hard to escape.
Ralph Amoussou as Inspector Ronan
A local investigator who gets caught in the horrible happenings in Elden.
Important Ideas and Themes: Metaphors and Comparisons
- The Importance of Storytelling
During Marianne, a character’s story can capture one’s reality and impose a narrative of its own, so long as it does not cross the frontier of dangerousness. What an individual perceives—Emma’s fiction, in this case—has the potential of crossing that boundary and becoming a terrifying reality. It unveils how the dark corners of one’s mind, be it psychological or supernatural, are capable of being triggered through the means of expression of creativity.
- Suppression and Trauma
Emma’s returning to her old neighborhood is indicative of her lifeless memories coming back to life. The witch, Marianne, serves to symbolize, much like a stern reminder, the trauma that one suppresses in her or his subconscious—a power that becomes overwhelming the more it is concealed.
- Paralysis of a Small Town
The dark-dominating region of Elden is a reflection of a horrific portrayal of life in small towns, often placing people in a bubble. A small town’s facade can sometimes be very accepting, which makes one’s life can become forgotten, with the ever-lasting fear of dreadful secrecy underneath.
- Immorality, the Nature of Evil
Marianne embodies pure, unrelenting evil. Through her portrayal, the series attempts to discern whether evil is an entity beyond our realm, or something that breed in a human’s nature. She highlights some of the very salient themes of malignance, scare and the results of one’s actions.
Cinematic Style and Direction
- Atmosphere Horror
Bodin takes care to build an unsettling atmosphere through every detail of the setting. Deep sea crests, heavy fog, and the crashing of waves coupled with extremely low lighting helps foster a sentiment of anxiety in every scene.
- Cinematography
The show Marianne always has a polished look because of its colors that transcend warm and cool colors. The muted color palette and heavy close ups of the characters enhances the feelings of horror. Wide shots, on the other hand, are used to depict feelings of isolation and exposure.
- Sound Design and Score
The deeply immersive score by Alexandre Saada escalates the feelings of tension and dread with piano scores, distorted sound, and chilling silence. His score amplifies the horror of every scene.
This eleven episode horror show has received immense appreciation from viewers who enjoyed the novel approach it took, the gripping performances, and the bone-chilling ambience.
Positive Reviews:
✔️ Rotten Tomatoes: 100% based on 16 reviews.
✔️ Stephen King: King considered it to be a scary and great series, arguing that the mood is akin to Stranger Things, but darker.
✔️ Performances: Du Bois Victoire and Herbst Meyer Mireille were critically celebrated for their haunting and chilling performances.
Criticisms:
❌ Certain audiences did not enjoy the pacing of the movie, particularly the middle episodes.
The series was left with many unresolved thematic issues which lead to its cancellation after the first season.
Episodes
Each of the eight episodes of Marianne has a runtime of about 36 to 52 minutes long. Each episode adds nuances to the life of Emma as well as her struggle with Marianne which builds up toward a tense climax.
Cancellation Controversy
Netflix went forward with the cancellation of the series in the year 2020 even though it garnished praise and received awards which put Netflix in a controversial spot. Fans were also disappointed as the season didn’t answer a lot of fundamental questions about the character of Marianne.
Legacy and Cult Following
Marianne was able to build a cult following and a lot of horror fans cherish the series for its psychological depth as minimal to no horror cliches were used. It is without a doubt one of the most underrated and disturbing, but equivocal horror shows on Netflix.
Conclusion
Marianne is a multi layered mixture of supernatural horror and psychological dread. This is one of the most profoundly terrifying horror series on television. The deep nuance stories, spine chilling are what make it a must watch for horror enthusiasts.