Le mystère du lac (2015– ) User Reviews (12)

Vanished by the Lake

[Tweekums · 8/10 · 6 January 2018]

This six part French series is set in a small town where teenager Chloe has gone missing fifteen years after two girls of a similar age disappeared without trace. Detective Lise Stocker, who is stationed in Paris, returns home as she was very close friends with the two missing girls. It quickly becomes apparent that Chloe had been investigating the earlier disappearances; not only that she had contacted the man jailed for their killing who had recently been released from jail. He is obviously the prime suspect but claims to be innocent of everything he has been accused of. Inevitably more suspects emerge over the course of the series; including some rather close to home for Lise. To add to the tension we learn that Chloe is alive but trapped in a remote ravine.

I rather enjoyed this mystery even though it did get a little melodramatic towards the end as the finger of suspicion points at one character then another... apart from Lise just about everybody fell under suspicion at one point or another. The cast did a solid job although the real star of the show is the magnificent French scenery. By the end we know who did what but that doesn't mean all questions get answered; some viewers may be disappointed by this but I felt it echoed real life where not all questions are answered. It is of course possible that some of these questions will be answered in the follow-up series 'Le tueur du lac', even though from what I have read it is set in a different lakeside location. Overall this might not be perfect but I still really enjoyed it.

These comments are made after watching the series in French with English subtitles.

It is watchable

[oohlala-21627 · 7/10 · 2 March 2019]

Beautiful actors and acting. Keeps you guessing through the end. The last episode though was one too many " twist and turn". I don't think there was a need to complicate things to that extend. The scene in the hospital with Rèmi was not necessary. In real life he wouldn't have gone to visit Cloé. Cloè's father suicide plot line was also weak. And no, beautiful Barbara Schulz doesn't look 50.

Serviceable but not especially engaging

[paul2001sw-1 · 6/10 · 2 February 2018]

In French thriller 'Vanished by the Lake', a policewoman, dismissed from her job, returns to her hometown, only to discover that a crime has just occured; moreover, the crime reminds her of another incident, one that had happened before she had left. What follows is a perfectly servicable drama but one that never rises above the ordinary. Perhaps the problem is the set-up: everyone is presented as a suspect, and the consequence is that we can trust few of the emotions we see to be genuine; overall, the story is less engaging that it might have been had it been told from a more personal perspective. Maybe there are just too many crime dramas on our screens these days; this one just didn't stand out for me.

very enjoyable

[nyobatusa · 27 January 2018]

This series is pretty addictive since there are plenty of suspects with a secret till the very last minute it will still surprise you. every piece of a puzzle fits nicely together. it is not one of the greatest because the main actress "cop" was a bit dull and misfit but not too much to discourage from watching. it will make you watch till the end and that is a well done show for me.

Well Done - Worth Watching

[aphillips-43057 · 7/10 · 12 October 2020]

This series is actually pretty well-done: the series keeps revealing more information over its six episodes with a number of suspects, each of whom is supplanted by a new one, even in the last part of Episode 6. Keeps you guessing and there's isn't a lot of wasted plot. Yes, there are a couple of plot holes and the actress who plays the lead is a little long-in-the-tooth. We wanted to give it a 7.7, but couldn't so we gave it a 7. We recommend it.

Obvious

[stevelomas-69401 · 7/10 · 18 January 2019]

Basic light touch French crime drama. With all the affairs going on it's a wonder anyone has the time to kill anyone. Don't bother with the second series.

Enjoyable if rather flawed

[Vindelander · 7/10 · 17 October 2020]

Overall it's engaging especially as French police women all double as catwalk models. We need to up our game in the UK. It's pretty good right up to the reveal in the last episode when it rather disintegrated which is a shame. Acting generally good as is the plot concept but I could have written a better ending. It's gone on to a second series so I'll watch that next so overall I think I'd recommend it.

Compelling & really good! Tres bien!

[ru_thaker · 10/10 · 17 December 2017]

Absolutely compelling. The French really have a knack for these sort of things. I was really drawn in by the plot and overall production. Spoiler alert- I hope there is another series or episode so to see if Chloe speaks for what seems she comes out of her coma at the end or maybe she has amnesia,who knows! What of the Mayors fate, does she get away with it?! We''ll never know, or will we?!!

Last Episode a bit of a Muddle.

[crumpytv · 8/10 · 17 December 2020]

I enjoyed this drama. The setting and scenery was great and the characters well formed. Episodes 1-5 took the form of a good whodunit, with the obligatory red-herrings, etc. However, the final episode was convoluted and confusing. The pre-credits scene in the first episode was meant to mislead the viewer, giving the impression it was a recent event, whereas in fact, it was not directly connected to the rest of the episode. The discovery of broken glass at a scene in episode 2 was also confusing because the glass/plastic was clear and red, which gave the impression it was from a brake/tail light, which had me reflecting on that opening scene in episode 1. However, it was identified as being from a headlight. So where did the red glass/plastic come into it. It was never explained. Final episode: Lise's father was supposed to have been pushed into the ravine by Patricia Mazaud when investigating circling birds over what turned out to be a murder scene. So, when recovering his body why were the other bodies not discovered? Also, Rémi Bouchard was walking around free at the end, but he had committed a near fatal attack on Lise and he obviously had serious psychological issues. For all that I enjoyed it and look forward to Fear by the Lake.

A pretty terrible mystery

[qui_j · 2/10 · 1 October 2017]

This is a poorly French produced TV series that has all the usual trademarks of French TV. Everyone smokes cigarettes, everywhere. There's a lot of shouting and histrionic action that is hoped will pass for good acting, and some really bizarre scenes where things just happen out of the blue, leaving the viewer to wonder if continuity was ever given a thought.In one of the scenes the lead actress is driving to the murder site, then she is suddenly being strangled in the car by someone who just appears in the next scene. The ending is quite bizarre, and really makes no sense at all. All in all, after watching the 6 episodes, I can say that one will become very regretful at having wasted all that time on such a silly series.

Oh dear! Where do we begin?

[mrmatthewadams · 1/10 · 23 December 2017]

Beautiful location! That, sadly, is the only positive thing I can say about the series. With a weak plot, bad script, ridiculous casting (Lise, played by Barbara Schulz - 43yrs old when this was released - is supposed to be around 31 yet she would actually have been nearly double her friends' age 15 years ago, when she was supposed to be around 16 and she actually looks nearer 50 here). Things just keep going from bad to worse and far from being gripped one just wants to throw one's Côtes du Rhône at the screen and shout "FFS!" Oh well... I guess one shouldn't have hoped that French drama could have been Scandi drama...

The replacement actress, Julie De Bona, ruined it for me!

[gunslingah-798-108686 · 2/10 · 27 January 2021]

Why replace lead actress Barbara Schulz with another actress that didn't act the role nowhere near as well as she did. I noticed the differences in appearance, hair and acting style; and I didn't rest until I found receipt that a switch had been subtly made. I thought BS was strikingly pretty and did a great job in episodes 1 and 2..... I list interest after episode 3. I'll read spoilers to find out who the culprit is. Think they can pull the old switcheroo and we not know.