The thriller written by the former French prime minister that shows the darkness of politics

BarcelonaRigged elections, campaign managers devoted to their candidates' cause and unclear personal relationships are the elements that underpin the thriller political In the shade (In the shadow), a series arriving on Filmin on Tuesday with the distinction of having been written by two people who know the ins and outs of this world very well. The French series is an adaptation of a novel written by Édouard Philippe –Prime Minister of France from 2017 to 2020 and candidate for the conservative Horizons party in the 2027 presidential elections– and Gilles Boyer, MEP. The six-part series was directed by Pierre Schoeller, who also directed the political drama The exercise of power, winner of three César Awards in 2012, including Best Original Screenplay and Best Supporting Actor.

In the shade It begins when Paul Francoeur (Melvil Poupaud) unexpectedly and narrowly wins the French right-wing primaries, beating the candidate with the best chances, the more conservative Marie-France Trémeau (Karin Viard), whose discourse borders on the far right. Francoeur, a politician who tries to be honest and who uses a wheelchair after an accident, believes he has won the election clearly, but his campaign manager, César Casalonga (Swann Arlaud, seen in Anatomy of a Fall), he will soon discover that this is not exactly the case: an anonymous call warns him that the primaries have been rigged. He will have to do everything possible to prevent the fraud from coming to light and dynamiting the conservative politician's candidacy for prime minister. While managing this debacle, Casalonga must keep his team in check, led by the head of communications, Marylin (Evelyne Brochu), with whom he has been friends for years.

Realistic but not based on real events

Considering the people involved in the project, it's only natural to try to find parallels with real-life events. Gilles Boyer explains to ARA that the story is credible and realistic, but that viewers shouldn't believe that what is described actually happened. He also points out that not only does it show the dark side of politics, but it also shows people who believe in what they are doing. "We wanted to make a realistic series in which you see committed people, who believe in what they are doing. Politics is a struggle. Someone will win and someone will lose. There are dishonest people everywhere and in every profession, but I think there are many more committed people working extremely hard to achieve the goal they have set for themselves," he says.

A In the shade Viewers will realize that politics is a volatile world and that victory can never be taken for granted. "All election campaigns are made up of unexpected events. At the beginning, when you start, you have a clear goal and strategy, but you can't anticipate the unexpected, and there are always some. In the end, the winner is the one who best manages the unexpected," says the MEP. One of the differences with respect to the novel is that while in the book the protagonist didn't belong to any specific political party, in the series he does. "For television fiction, the plot had to be set in a specific political universe, and that's why I suggested it be the right. We also wanted to say that, deep down, the left-right divide hasn't disappeared forever. It seems unlikely that it will return, but we must remember that ten years ago it seemed unlikely that it would no longer exist," he reflected. In the shade It serves as the reverse of the French version as well. Baron Noir, a political series focused on the left.

Another issue that makes an appearance in the series is the impact of social media, which has often become a loudspeaker for political disaffection or has given rise to extremist discourse. "In all electoral campaigns, not only in France, social media is very important, but the curious thing is that there are many people who are not on social media. You have to pay attention to social media, but it's a mirror that distorts reality because most people are not on it," explains Boyer, who maintains that these tools are a genuine...

Despite the growing political disaffection, the success of productions such as House of Cards (Netflix) or the same Baron Noir demonstrate that the thriller Politician is popular with viewers. "The world of politics seems mysterious to us because we don't know its ins and outs, and that draws us in. Ultimately, these series talk about things that challenge us and interest us," says Pierre Schoeller, who used the stylistic reference point of the series when creating it. Tokyo Vice (Max), produced by Michael Mann. The other confessed references to the French series are The West Wing of the White House (Max) and the movie Don't look up (Netflix), by Adam McKay.