Vanished by the Lake
CHANNEL 4, 10.00PM
This haunting French crime drama centres on a teenage girl who goes missing at a festival. It’s hardly an original set-up, but much like last year’s hit Gallic import The Disappearance, based on an almost identical premise, the mix of youthful promise cut short and fierce small-town intrigue quickly compels. The girl in question is Chloé Delval (Charlie Joirkin), and as news of her disappearance spreads, memories of a similar 15-year-old case in which two other girls vanished at the same celebration are revived.
Into the fray steps striking Parisian detective Lise Stocker (Barbara Schulz), who has returned home to look after her ill mother, but is soon swept up by the case as its personal implications begin to unfold.
All of the hallmarks of the Nordic noir genre are present, from the evocative setting (here a Broadchurch-style coastal backdrop) to the close-knit neighbours with secrets to hide. Nevertheless, this opening episode is an effective tension builder and the human impact of the mystery – particularly on Chloé’s fracturing parents – is powerfully moving.
Once episode one finishes, the full series will be available to watch on All 4. Toby Dantzic lap of the nearby motor circuit and whips up a four-tier cake for the cricket tea. TD