Netflix's New Hit Is a Reminder to Watch 10-Year-Old French Spy Masterpiece With 94% on RT
Named the best spy thriller in France, it definitely deserves your attention.
It seems the world has been taken over by spy thrillers, with recent hits like Black Doves and The Agency. And right now, the number one most watched series on Netflix is The Night Agent.
However, despite the success in viewership, the second season of the series about FBI agent Peter Sutherland disappointed viewers, receiving only 40% on Rotten Tomatoes.
If you want to scratch that itch for a quality spy thriller, then the perfect representative of the genre was filmed in France ten years ago – The Bureau.
What Is The Bureau About?
The Bureau tells about the daily work of the France's Directorate-General for External Security. More precisely, about one of its departments – the Bureau of Legends, which trains agents for deep-cover work in the Middle East and North Africa.
There is almost no waving of guns and endless car chases, most of the work is done quietly and unnoticed.
One of the main characters is Guillaume Debailly, also known as Malotru. He returns to Paris after six years undercover in Damascus and meets Nadia, the love interest of his Syrian alter ego.
The Bureau's Lead Actor Is French star Mathieu Kassovitz
In addition to this incredibly romantic but convincingly written story, The Bureau is surprisingly prosaic and full of the breath of everyday life. The spies here are unremarkable people, far removed from their typical movie incarnations.
These unusual agents were played by outstanding French actors, but the main star among them is obviously Mathieu Kassovitz – the famous director of La Haine who rarely appears on screen.
The Bureau Received the Title of the Best Series in France
The first season of The Bureau received incredible ratings and many positive reviews in France. The subsequent seasons of the project were even more praised by critics, who called the series the best ever created in its genre.
In 2016, The Bureau was recognized as the best French series, which also brought in the most foreign revenue.
The Bureau Is Based on Real Mission Reports From Former Spies
In addition, the series is based on real-life missions by former spies, and its authenticity has made it even more famous.
Members of The Directorate-General for External Security of France read the script of each episode and were also the first to see new seasons before the premiere. The Bureau is rightly considered one of the best spy series, not only in Europe, but also in the entire TV industry.