LUPIN

Lupin is a French mystery thriller streaming television series created by George Kay and François Uzan that premiered on Netflix on 8 January 2021. The series consists of ten episodes, with the first five released in January 2021 and the remainder on 11 June 2021. Netflix has renewed Lupin for a third part. 

The show stars Omar Sy in the role of Assane Diop, a man who is inspired by the adventures of master thief Arsène Lupin, a character created by Maurice Leblanc in the early 1900s. The first part, consisting of five episodes, is subtitled Dans l'ombre d'Arsène (In the Shadow of Arsène), referring to the primary character's inspiration. The series was watched by 70 million households during its first month, becoming the most-watched non-English series on Netflix.

The story follows professional thief Assane Diop, the only son of an immigrant from Senegal who had come to France to seek a better life for his child. Assane's father is framed for the theft of an expensive diamond necklace by his employer, the wealthy and powerful Hubert Pellegrini, and hangs himself in his prison cell out of shame, leaving the teenage Assane an orphan. Twenty-five years later, inspired by a book about gentleman thief Arsène Lupin his father had given him on his birthday, Assane sets out to get revenge on the Pellegrini family, using his charisma and mastery of thievery, subterfuge, and disguise to expose Hubert's crimes.

Lupin is the first French series to rank among the top 10 on Netflix in the United States, reaching No. 3 on January 10. It was ranked No. 1 in France and many other countries in Europe, including Germany, Austria, Italy, Spain, Denmark, and Sweden, as well as other countries such as Canada, Brazil, Argentina, and South Africa. 

As of 31 January 2021, it was estimated that the first part of the series had been viewed by 70 million households. In April, Netflix revealed that Lupin was the most watched title on the company's streaming service in the first quarter of 2021. 

On the review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the first part holds an approval rating of 98% with an average rating of 7.74/10, based on 43 reviews. The site's critical consensus reads: “Omar Sy effortlessly hits every mark in Lupin, an engrossing espionage thriller that lives up to its source material and then some.” On Metacritic, the first part has a score of 82 out of 100 based on 8 reviews. 

Writing for The New Paper, Jonathan Roberts stated that “if [Lupin] was a film, it would be a contender for the year's best”. Daniel D'Addario of Variety wrote that the cliffhanger at the end of the first series “will leave any viewer who's taken the ride eager for more.” Rolling Stone's Alan Sepinwall praised Sy's performance, writing that “it all works because [he] is so magnetic and charming that questioning plot logic feels wildly beside the point.” Karen Han of Slate wrote that Lupin ”doesn't waste a single minute, packing each and every moment full of suspense”.