It was made alongside the real life elite tactical unit(Image: Netflix)
A new thriller from Netflix looks perfect for fans of ITV’s Trigger Point.
The thrilling six-part police drama series is said to be so tense that it could even be too much for some.
All episodes of Elite Force were added to the streaming platform’s extensive library from today (July 22). According to its synopsis, the series concentrates on France’s top-tier police unit, GIGN who tackle high-stakes missions.
These elite officers specialise in counterterrorism, rescuing hostages, and safeguarding government VIPs. They’re the go-to force when national security is on the line.
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However, after an unprecedented attack on his unit, a high-ranking officer set to leave the field leads a perilous mission that forces him to confront his past. The high-octane French produced show comes filmmaker Julien Leclercq who has previously made Ganglands for Netflix as well as heist movie The Crew.
Reviews are already praising the tense action scenes(Image: Netflix)
With the series only just being released, it does not yet have enough reviews published online to translate into a score on website Rotten Tomatoes. However, those that have watched it so far have praised Leclercq’s writing and direction in making the show.
It’s original French title is GIGN, which is also the name of the real life squad of elite officers the show takes inspiration from (Groupe d’intervention de la Gendarmerie nationale).
While the show is purely a work of fiction, viewers are already claiming that it has a grounded grittiness that makes it appear as realistic as some true crime dramas.
However, the real GIGN did provide operational support to the production, including sharing its procedures, training and equipment vetted by professionals who use them – all of which is usually very secretive.
One reviewer says that as a result: “The series inherits both the authority of that gaze and its discomfort, and the tension is legible in the filmmaking: the reverence of the training sequences sits beside a plot in which the institution watches its own competence turned against it.”
From most viewers’ early impressions, the series should appeal to fans of Ganglands, The Gringo Hunters and even ITV’s hit drama Trigger Point.
It could be perfect for fans of 24 and Trigger Point(Image: Netflix)
As one critic puts it: “What begins as a tense, precise immersion into an elite intervention unit soon morphs into an action thriller with shades of 24 and other cult thrillers.”
They added: “Elite Force is, first and foremost, another showcase for the bona fide talents of Julien Leclercq as an expert action director. The thriller delivers on what you expect, but, more unexpectedly, veers into an emotional and intimate family drama.”
Another suggested that the series “restraint makes the action more tense, not less”.
They continued: “The episode structure keeps the pacing sharp, and the score adds a moody, constant tension. For viewers who like European thrillers and military dramas, it continues the tradition of French series that can compete with English-language productions by focusing on character as much as choreography.”
Elite Force is streaming on Netflix.
