Stars: 4/5
Slick · Cerebral · Suspenseful
If I were to write the adjectives to accompany “Lupin” on Netflix’s slide-by promotion screen, those are the three I would pick.
One of Netflix’s newest original series, “Lupin,” follows Assane Diop, a “professional thief” or “gentleman burglar,” as he seeks the truth to clear his father’s name and get revenge for his death. The episodes are divided into chapters, as the series is inspired by the collection of French stories, “Arsène Lupin, Gentleman Burglar” written by French author Maurice Leblanc in the early 1900s.

Assane, portrayed by Omar Sy, is largely influenced by the adventures of the fictional character Lupin. The book itself is a main character in the show, with an annotated copy passed down from generations making an appearance in every episode.
The narrative and dialogue of the series is sprinkled with quotes from the book that coincide with Assane’s ongoing operations. This technique is done especially well at the end of Chapter Two, when the camera cuts back and forth from Assane’s son Raoul reading the novel and Assane reenacting aspects of the book’s scenes in his real life.
True to its setting and inspiration, the series was originally filmed in French. If you are not a fan of subtitles, there is an English dub. If you would prefer listening to the original and natural sounding French audio while reading English subtitles, you can, just pause the show and select the audio and subtitles option—the middle speech bubble icon in the top left corner. Then mix and match to choose your preferred audio/subtitle settings.
Slick
As a character, Assane is charismatic, witty, resourceful and polished. Call him what you will, Assane is essentially a con man.
If there is one thing the success of movies like “The Sting” and the “Ocean’s” series taught us, it’s everyone loves a good con. “Lupin” is full of elaborate cons, creative escapes and smooth pickpocketing. The last of which is further complemented by the clever angles of the camera. It is so fun to watch Assane get himself into sticky situations, and then, almost effortlessly, find his way out of those tight spots.
Cerebral
“Lupin” is not for casual viewers. To truly appreciate this series, you have to be willing to sit down and pay attention. I mean close attention. And if you do you won’t regret it.
More critical viewers will appreciate the parallels between the present-day and frequent flashbacks, the recurring quotes that feel so natural for the characters and the real-time clues as to how the cons were successfully completed.
The series does recap at the end of each episode, clearly revealing how each effort was accomplished; however, you’ll be beyond proud of yourself if you can figure it out on your own. Because of the camera shots and quickness of the real-time events, you have to be astutely observant to catch on. (Hint: Pay close attention to the basketball scene where Assane rips his stitches.)
Suspenseful
Nearly every episode leaves viewers on a cliffhanger, itching to know what is going to happen next. Some holes are left and some questions are unanswered intentionally to draw you into the next chapter.
The final chapter hits viewers with a double whammy. Not only do we stumble off the precipice, our hands slip further, and we’re left dangling by a finger, with only these parting words, “It’s Official: Part 2 is Coming Soon.”