Marianne | Traditional Themes, Terrifying Execution

"Annie Wilkes: God came to me last night and told me your purpose for being here. I am going to help you write a new book.
Paul Sheldon: You think I can just whip one out?
Annie Wilkes: Oh, but I don't think Paul, I know." - Misery(1990) 

"Marianne resembles you and me. She is a witch. Deprived of a body she wanders. She enters your soul, warps your body. She takes you over. She possesses you. The only thing Marianne can't do is lie about her name. She can avoid the question, change the subject, but she can't lie about her name. She is the wife of a demon." Emma Larison - Marianne Ep 1 'Your Dreams'

Marianne premiered on Netflix in September of last year as part of a acquisition of new french original series. It was directed by Samuel Bodin and written by Bodin and Quoc Dang Tran. It was produced by Empreinte Digitale and Federation and stars the acting talents of Victoire du Bois(Emma Larison), Lucie Boujenah(Camille "CamCam"), and Tiphaine Daviot(Aurore). For a Full List of Cast and Crew.

Marianne is a smart, terrifying and surprisingly at times funny show. For me Marianne premise boils down to a strange balance between Misery(1990) and Delirious(1991). Du Bois character Emma Larison, is a up-and-coming writer who just killed off her horror protagonist Lizzy Lark, looking to move to the next chapter of her life. While she was shilling herself out signing her last book she runs into an old friend who precedes to drop off the most fucked up gris gris bag¹ ever from her mother, her number one fan. That night her nightmares return and she eventually finds her self going home.

Marianne has a strong Stephen King vibe from the Derry-esque dried up coastal town of Elden and the Shipwreck Crew(Emma's version of the loser club) to Madame Daugeron, who unlike Anne Wilkes doesn't go around with a Sledge Hammer but does make some lovely arts and crafts with human skin and scares the absolute piss out of me. Marianne uses its horror tropes well, effectively, and shows us that even if we know the scare is coming we can't stop it from happening.

The first three episodes help introduce and set up the story for the rest of the season. Personally the high tension terror of the beginning allows for the middle episodes more plot heavy scenes to be a relief especially since Madame Daugeron is replaced with less visible threats. A great aspect of the episodes where Emma's dream sequences, like any dream it starts off normal but as you realize your situation it ends like any nightmare slow, inevitable and with the knowledge that no matter what you do your not allowed to wake up. These dreams are like a creature rising out of a dark abyss it emerges slowly its form obscured by the murk and the dark water and you cringe in fear because even though your safe in the current moment soon, or so very soon enough, you will see into the eyes of the beast.
Marianne episodic storytelling is excellent often ending their episodes on intense cliffhangers and while allowing the audience to relax to catch our breath we wont be able to rest until the end of the season.

I would be remiss if I didn't spend sometime discussing the excellent work of Mireille Herbstmeyer, the actress who plays Madame Daugeron, who for the majority of the series is processed by the Tituler Witch. Horror antagonists are always filmed to show themselves in the worse light, whether its Archambault in 13 Cameras(2015) or Frances Conroy in many of her AHS roles. Madame Daugeron becomes another one of those terrifying visages that haunt us at night with an expression that is technically human but so very unnatural. Herbstmeyers performance was cutting portraying a degree of animosity reminiscent of our classic view of possession whether its The Exorcism of Emily Rose(2005) or the classic Exorcist(1973). The scenes with Madame Daugeron have a keen intelligence behind it, Marianne wants something and the people she inhabits are simply a puppet for her purposes.

Besides the efforts of one of Marianne's first victims I wanted to spend a few words on the performance of Du Bois, Our first glimpse of Emma is at her book reading and the snarky way she answers her readers question and treats her assistant gives us in insight to a surprisingly fun character in the more serious world of Horror Protagonists. As we watch however we see the cracks in the Facade. Emma is a alcoholic,(you have to drink like Hemingway if you wanna be famous MoM). and is at times a bit toxic. She pushes people away. Du bois encapsulates her character and gives her both the depth and range needed to really show who Emma Larison is. After all a story just as much about its author as it is its protagonist.

Another great aspect of the show was the existence of an actual soundtrack while I am fairly new at writing TV show reviews I have been a horror junkie for a while. So when I heard the opening lines of The Modern Lovers "Hospital" playing I knew I was in for a wonderful scored piece that I haven't heard audible since AHS Freak Show. Besides the soundtrack the show is excellently scored by Thomas Cappeau. Marianne strives with using the classics elements of Modern horror and this sonically means more Screechy Violins. However unlike the orchestrations of cheaper horror the scoring gels with the cinematics helping boost the intensity of the horror elements instead of adding cheap theatitrics. Marianne is one of the best scored horror shows I have seen recently and added immensely to the enjoyment of the piece.

Marianne had a clean visual style with idyllic drone footage of Elden, the french coastal town. Aspect shots helped recap the show and the usage of "Writerly" elements such as transitions being shown as pages being turned helped underline the main themes of the show. The show uses a lot of cinematic language wonderfully and is enjoyable to watch from a cinematic viewpoint just as much as from a narrative one. Another great elements where single frame cuts when Mariannes name was said. This bending of the forth wall added a layer of intensity and it was a great innovation giving the themes of the story. Overall Phillip Lozano's work was iconic, terrifying and immersive and I'm glad to see this level of technical virtuoso in our modern horror cinema.

Marianne is a terrifying horror film that for the first time in a long time made me avoid looking at the screen. It takes many of the modern elements that we have become used to in our horror media and reminds us what it means to be scared. Excellent Writing, Strong Performances and a high quality of production make this show and absolute Gem in the horror game. Marianne is not for the fate of heart but if your looking for your Horror fix Marianne is the creme de la creme. Unfortunately, despite its strengths it was canceled for a second season but you owe to yourself to see this tight-knit horror drama.
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1, While the Gris-Gris bag is modernly used as a protective Talisman it has had a history or being used for malevolent reasons. That being said the origins of the creepy flesh sacks are not related to voodoo but medieval european witchcraft. To the best of my knowledge the talismans have no relation to Voodoo, Wicca, or Neo-paganism and are a creation of the story.