To almost quote Albert Londres, "Our job is not to please, nor to harm, it is to put the pen to the wound and set out to discover the more discreet productions in the Netflix catalog." In order to follow the likely advice of the illustrious reporter, we occasionally moved away from the big machines or the current favorite works on the streaming platform to take a look at the less noisy international series, but potentially just as enjoyable. Armed with our (Ted) lasso, we set off to explore the latest releases and stumbled upon On parie?
What is the subject of On parie?
Real name Bir İhtimal Daha Var (you'll understand why we prefer the French name), On parie? is a Turkish comedy series about Isa, a sports betting editor who once made a reputation for himself by always making the right predictions. To do this, he could rely on a secret inherited from his father: a gift of clairvoyance. Unfortunately, this gift seems to have abandoned him for a while now, and he has fallen into debt with some unsavory people.
The only person left capable of solving his problems might be Refik, a businessman who owns a thriving company. Except for one thing: Refik is dead. If Isa wants to get out of this mess, he'll have to help Refik find the identity of the person who murdered him. The amateur investigator and the ghost aren't at the end of their surprises.
Ghostbusters
Netflix has as many $320 million American blockbusters as less ambitious international works in its catalog. And it's often the latter that are the most qualitative or popular. While The Electric State is shaping up to be a flop for the platform given the cost involved, series like Juste un regard, of Polish origin, proudly appear in the SVoD service's Top 10. Well, there's also the Colombian production Medusa, so tastes and colors know no bounds. In the same vein, On parie? has no reason to be ashamed of its peers by assuming its lightness.
We are indeed very far from the series of the year and it's a safe bet that we ourselves will have forgotten about it in the coming days. It has that little "TF1 production" side, responsible for occupying a time slot. However, for once, we're not saying it in a pejorative way, since it's its lack of pretension that makes it harmless while still delivering on its promises. The police investigation is there, the supernatural aspect too, as are the love, friendship, family ties... full of good feelings where the most ridiculous thing is still the villain on duty.
Economy of characters, locations... simplicity is the key word. The storyline is classic and we feel a strong inspiration from "Plus belle la vie" in sequences. Everything we usually hate. Except that we found ourselves binge-watching the eight episodes with a certain ease, the latter being of a reasonable length compared to its subject. The plot maintains its pace, manages its revelations and lets its love story settle in gently. No overkill and a certain carefree attitude, the series is a mid-catalogue with a good heart.
Especially since we find the cast particularly endearing, each bringing good spirit to the film despite the acting failing at times. The important thing is that everyone tries to do their best, just like the characters they ultimately play. Ata Demirer plays a clumsy loser who is nothing like a main protagonist, but from whom a positive energy constantly emanates and whose touching gaze we appreciate. Ugur Yücel is a reassuring Obi-Wan Kenobi. Esra Bilgiç is a strong woman who, like us, is inevitably softened. And the list continues down to the smallest supporting actor who goes overboard, but with a joviality that borders on respect.
We bet? is one of those series that has nothing to stand out from the crowd, but which knows how to capture the attention once you lay eyes on it thanks to a surprisingly entertaining alchemy between its ostensible clumsiness and its equally obvious desire to please. A catalog product, certainly, one that the streaming platform could assume in its "to put in the background while the subscriber does something else" category (a category now sought after in its production schedule), but which has no malice and just wants to provoke the same pleasure in front of the screen as that of the crew on set. The kind of series you could criticize and in the end, you simply finish the last episode thinking that there are worse things in life, there are those who put béarnaise sauce with their raclette.
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