Summer '36 review: This French period mystery starts with a bang. Then nothing

Murder mysteries often live and die because of one simple question: Who did it? But before viewers begin playing detectives, the story has to make them care about the victim, the suspects and the world they inhabit. Netflix's French limited series Summer '36 has all the ingredients of a compelling whodunnit - a glamorous seaside hotel, buried family secrets, class divides and a brutal murder. Yet somewhere between setting up its mystery and introducing its many players, the show loses sight of what should have been its biggest strength.

Set in August 1936 on the French Riviera, Summer '36 opens with a striking image. A maid in a hotel walks towards a luxury suite, only to find blood seeping beneath the door. Inside lies prosecutor Adrien Jacquart, his throat slit. It is an opening that instantly grabs attention. The series then rewinds 20 hours to reveal how everyone at the hotel may have had a reason to want him dead.

The backdrop is fascinating in itself. France's working class is enjoying its first paid summer holidays, bringing ordinary families to the same beaches and hotels as the country's elite. The contrast quietly shapes the story, where privilege, resentment and justice constantly brush against one another.

The first few episodes introduce several characters whose lives unexpectedly intersect with Jacquart's. There is Eugenie Berthier, a factory worker holidaying with her husband and teenage son Louis. There is Lonie Morel, a young police assistant desperately trying to save her father from execution by convincing Jacquart to reopen his case. Then come Blanche, Giulia and several others, each carrying secrets that seem connected to the murdered prosecutor in one way or another.

On paper, it sounds deliciously messy. On screen, however, it often becomes just messy.

The biggest hurdle Summer '36 faces is not its slow pace but its inability to prioritise. Every new conversation introduces another family connection, another hidden past or another motive. Instead of allowing viewers to settle into the central mystery, the screenplay keeps expanding sideways. By the time the first episode ends, Jacquart appears to have wronged so many people that the murder itself begins to fade into the background.

Mysteries thrive on making viewers suspicious. Summer '36 instead leaves them trying to remember who's related to whom.

The problem is amplified because several central characters are introduced in quick succession without enough distinction. Eugenie, Blanche and Giulia often blur together in the early episodes, while sibling relationships revealed later add another layer of complexity. Rather than rewarding attentive viewers, the writing sometimes feels as though it is testing their memory.

Ironically, the series gets many other things right.

The French Riviera is captured beautifully without ever distracting from the story. The production design recreates the 1930s with confidence, from elegant hotel interiors to bustling promenades filled with holidaymakers experiencing paid leave for the first time. The costumes feel authentic, and the cinematography gives every frame a warm, sun-soaked glow that contrasts effectively with the darkness of the crime.

The background score quietly complements the narrative instead of overpowering it. It understands when to create tension and when to simply let silence do the work.

The performances also help steady the series. Sofia Essaidi brings warmth and quiet determination to Eugenie, Julie de Bona gives Blanche an emotional complexity that slowly unfolds, while Nolwenn Leroy makes Giulia intriguing despite the crowded writing. Together, the cast does enough to keep the emotional stakes alive even when the plot becomes difficult to follow.

There are moments when Summer '36 reminds you of why period mysteries remain so enjoyable. A seemingly ordinary interaction suddenly carries a hidden meaning. A passing glance feels suspicious. A casual conversation plants a clue you only appreciate later. These flashes show the series at its best.

Unfortunately, they are too often interrupted by exposition and detours.

The six-episode series seems convinced that more characters and more backstories automatically create a richer mystery. They do not. Complexity works only when it is anchored by clarity, and Summer '36 occasionally mistakes one for the other.

That does not make it a bad watch. If you enjoy slow-burn mysteries where every character appears to be hiding something, there is enough here to keep you curious. But if you prefer tightly written investigations that steadily pull you deeper into the puzzle, this one may leave you working harder than it should.

Summer '36 begins with a murder that demands answers. It's a shame the series spends so much time asking viewers to untangle its web that it forgets to let the mystery breathe.

Summer '36 is currently streaming on Netflix.