Mortel (French for 'Mortal') is a French supernatural television series. The plot revolves around three teenagers, two of whom have acquired superpowers after making a deal with a supernatural being in order to solve a murder. The show premiered on Netflix on 21 November 2019.[2] The second season premiered on 2 July 2021.[3]

Mortel
Genre
Created byFrédéric Garcia
Directed by
  • Edouard Salier
  • Simon Astier
Starring
Country of originFrance
Original languageFrench
No. of seasons2
No. of episodes12
Production
Producers
  • Gilles de Verdière
  • Régis Vallon
Running time50 minutes
Production companyNico Bogue
Original release
NetworkNetflix
Release21 November 2019 (2019-11-21) –
2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)

Synopsis

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Two teenagers, Sofiane and Victor, make a pact with a voodoo god Obé to allow them solve and avenge the apparent murder of Sofiane's brother, Reda. Sofiane is given the power by Obé to manipulate other people's actions, while Victor can read their minds. Both however must be present near each other for their powers to work.[4] They then enlist the help of Luisa, who practices voodoo with her grandmother, so they may be free of the grip that Obé has on them and banish Obé from the world.

Cast and characters

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  • Carl Malapa as Sofiane Kada
  • Némo Schiffman as Victor Wanderwelt
  • Manon Bresch as Luisa Manjimbe
  • Corentin Fila as Obé
  • Sami Outalbali as Reda Kada, brother of Sofiane
  • Firmine Richard as Elizabeth, Luisa's grandmother
  • Anaïs Thomas as Audrey Jourdant
  • Raphaëlle Agogué as Celine Wanderwelt
  • Marvin Dubart as Bastien Duponchel
  • Léa Léviant as Melanie
  • Assa Sylla as Nora Cissoko
  • Stéphane Brel as Herve
  • Daouda Keita as Ousmane Blanchard

Episodes

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SeriesEpisodesOriginally released
1621 November 2019 (2019-11-21)
262 July 2021 (2021-07-02)

Season 1 (2019)

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No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
11"Super Bad"Edouard SalierFrédéric Garcia, Yann Le Gal, Lola Roqueplo & Fanny Talmone21 November 2019 (2019-11-21)
22"Hot. Hot. Hot."Edouard SalierFrédéric Garcia, Yann Le Gal, Lola Roqueplo & Fanny Talmone21 November 2019 (2019-11-21)
33"Nothing Nudes Under the Moon"Edouard SalierFrédéric Garcia, Yann Le Gal, Lola Roqueplo & Fanny Talmone21 November 2019 (2019-11-21)
44"Don't You Know That You're Toxic"Simon AstierFrédéric Garcia, Yann Le Gal, Lola Roqueplo & Fanny Talmone21 November 2019 (2019-11-21)
55"La Solitudine"Simon AstierFrédéric Garcia, Yann Le Gal, Lola Roqueplo & Fanny Talmone21 November 2019 (2019-11-21)
66"The Puppets' Tears"Simon AstierFrédéric Garcia, Yann Le Gal, Lola Roqueplo & Fanny Talmone21 November 2019 (2019-11-21)

Season 2 (2021)

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No.
overall
No. in
season
TitleDirected byWritten byOriginal air date
71"Super Good"UnknownUnknown2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)
82"Entwined With You"UnknownUnknown2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)
93"Impossible To Leave"UnknownUnknown2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)
104"The Marriage of Obé"UnknownUnknown2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)
115"Qumran"UnknownUnknown2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)
126"Aprézan nou lyanné"UnknownUnknown2 July 2021 (2021-07-02)

Reception

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The show received a mixed reception from the critics.[5][6][7] GQ magazine, despite some reservation about its special effect, praised the skill of the story-telling, the acting of the principal actors, as well as the soundtracks. It considered the show to be the best French series since the launch of Netflix and deserving of a second season.[8] Télérama was highly critical, considering the series more laughable than a hit, and its music failed to hide its stylistic flaws.[9] Premiere thought the series veered awkwardly between teen drama and its supernatural elements but was nevertheless successful stylistically.[10] Based only on its first episode, the Decider found the series to be too muddled to continue watching a second episode. [11]

References

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  1. ^ "The Best Superhero Shows on Netflix Right Now". Collider. 17 July 2021.
  2. ^ Honmode, Shireen (13 November 2019). "Mortel: Release date, plot, cast, trailer and all you need to know about Netflix's original sci-fi show". MEAWW.
  3. ^ Khan, Iram Sharifah (2021-07-01). "Mortel Season 2: The supernatural French series is set to return to Netflix!". HITC. Retrieved 2021-07-03.
  4. ^ Romero, Ariana (22 November 2019). "What The Heck Is Mortel, Netflix's Spooky-Sexy French Teen Show?". Refinery29.
  5. ^ "Mortel". AlloCiné.
  6. ^ Valentin, Michel (21 November 2019). ""Mortel", nouvelle série française sur Netflix, "c'est Kechiche qui rencontre Buffy"". Le Parisien.
  7. ^ Jaborska, Mathieu (22 November 2019). "Mortel saison 1 : que vaut la série fantastique française de Netflix ?". Ecran Large.
  8. ^ Patrelle, Jérémy (21 November 2019). "Mortel : on a enfin vu une bonne série française made in Netflix". GQ.
  9. ^ Soenen, Marie-Hélène (21 November 2019). ""Mortel", sur Netflix : une série ado plus loupée que stylée". Télérama.fr.
  10. ^ Martin, Charles (20 November 2019). "Mortel : pas tout à fait, mais pas mal quand même (critique)". Premiere.
  11. ^ Keller, Joel (21 November 2019). "Stream It Or Skip It: 'Mortel' On Netflix, A French Drama Where High Schoolers Wield Voodoo Powers To Try To Save A Soul". Decider.
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