The Netherlands has developed a reputation for publishing crime spree at an almost industrial rate. Drugs, organized crime, severed fingers, cannabis farms, and men in leather jackets who seem to take great pleasure in making each other’s lives completely miserable. Every now and then, Netflix comes up with a cheerful Dutch comedy to break things up, but after more than a few spectacular flops, its Dutch division has finally managed to outdo itself by… The perfect lie (D etclub).

The new Dutch drama series is based on the best-selling novel by Saskia Nort. The book has already been adapted for the big screen for years, but Netflix is ​​going much bigger this time around. And he seems to have spared no effort to prove that, yes, even here in our little sunken corner of Europe, we can make a series that looks truly impressive.

So let’s not beat around the bush: The perfect lie It is truly the best Dutch series I have seen this year. Not just on Netflix either. It may be one of the best Dutch series of the last five or ten years.

Unequivocally Dutch

From the first episode, the story sneaks up on you surprisingly quickly. There is also something in the atmosphere that brings to mind Dutch films from the late 90s. A bit frivolous, refreshingly straightforward, and thankfully never too polished or too well-mannered. There are naked women, booze, drugs and a lot of swearing. Fortunately, none of them were there simply to make up a simple story. Beneath all this debauchery lies a truly powerful drama, one that gradually makes clear that almost everyone involved has something they’d rather keep buried.

Saskia Norte provides the foundations

Saskia Nort’s novel provides the strong foundations for this series. I haven’t read it myself, but compared to the previous version of the film, it certainly seems as if the creators have expanded the story considerably. In fact, after watching the last episode, I’m pretty sure they did. Without giving too much away, the season ends on a massive cliffhanger. The kind that makes you stare at the credits for a moment before checking if Netflix has secretly hidden another episode somewhere.

So a second season seems almost inevitable, especially given the production values ​​and the way the story is blown wide open at the end. If Netflix decides to pull the plug anyway, it will be very annoying, to put it in complex monetary terms.

Give it a little time

For the tough guys among us who finished the first episode and are wondering if they’ve accidentally started watching something aimed squarely at suburban moms: stick with it. At first glance, The perfect lie It feels like one of those respectable Dutch dramas that could easily appear on public television six months later. Beautiful houses, rich people, glasses of wine, and the kind of relationship problems we’ve already seen a thousand times before. But don’t be fooled. The perfect lie It is an onion, peeled back one ring at a time, each new layer revealing another helping of misery underneath.

Where your average Netflix thriller lets you figure out over the course of two episodes who’s the killer, who’s sleeping with whom, and who will soon be walking around with a body in the trunk, this series keeps its cards remarkably close to its chest. Most importantly, it manages to do so without becoming annoyingly vague just for the sake of it.

What is it The perfect lie on?

The story revolves around Karen, who moves with her family to Bergen, a wealthy village in the Netherlands. It’s not long before she finds herself welcomed into Eetclub: an attractive, well-off circle of friends with whom she seems to have life very well figured out indeed. Huge villas, lots of money and seemingly endless opportunities to eat, drink and party together. The perfect picture, in other words. Until everything goes to hell.

One of the villas caught fire and one of the group died in the fire. His wife and children barely managed to escape. From that moment on, Karen began to view her new friends somewhat differently. Because it turns out this cozy little group is particularly talented at one thing: keeping secrets.

Everyone has something to hide, and the friendships that hold the group together seem to have been built on an increasingly shaky pile of lies. Karen decides to find out what really happened, but her investigation quickly becomes harmless. The closer you get to the truth, the clearer it becomes that almost no one in this group is exactly who they claim to be.

Although when you think about it, calling them an “Eetclub” (essentially a supper club) seems a bit generous. I’ve hardly seen them work as one. Despite the original Dutch title, this is really just a group of friends and couples who are somehow drawn towards each other. In this sense, they are almost stereotypical upper-middle-class Dutch: everyone lives in a much larger house than they realistically need, everyone is successful on paper, everyone drinks nice wine, and no one ever seems happy. lovable.

A cast that delivers

Netflix has assembled a large Dutch cast for The perfect lie. Louis Havercourt, Theon Luijk, Remco Vrijdag, Rivka Lodezen, Charlie Chan Dagelet, Matthijs van de Sande Bakhuizen, Nortje Herlaar and Edwin Junker are all on board. Dana Nishushtan and Marjean Rogar direct, while Fiction Valley produces.

For viewers outside the Netherlands, these names probably won’t mean much. But back home, they are not considered newcomers. Most of them have been around long enough to know exactly what they’re doing. It is women, in particular, who stand out this time. Loes Haverkort is excellent, while Charlie-Chan Dagelet, Noortje Herlaar and Rifka Lodeizen all make a strong impression.

Suspiciously good for a Dutch production

The perfect lie It’s really the kind of series that the Netherlands can be somewhat proud of. It may not immediately appeal to viewers who hear “Netflix series Dutch” and automatically expect a cannabis farm to be raided in twenty minutes while three ecstasy dealers chase each other down the street with crowbars. This is something else entirely.

It’s a multi-layered drama with a healthy dose of tension, interesting characters and enough secrets to keep you constantly guessing as to who can actually be trusted. The acting is, at times, almost suspiciously good by Dutch standards, the production values ​​jump off the screen, and Saskia Noort’s story turns out to be a perfect fit for a longer Netflix adaptation. That’s perhaps the biggest compliment of all: when the final episode is over, you simply want more.

A bit of Dutch pride

how The perfect lie It is difficult to predict what will happen outside the Netherlands. No matter how smooth the production is, the series often feels too Dutch. This is not necessarily a criticism. If anything, it gives the show some personality. But I’m curious to see whether international audiences will embrace its particular flavor with the same enthusiasm.

As for the Netherlands itself? I’d be surprised if this wasn’t a huge hit. Netflix Netherlands has finally delivered a series that doesn’t require the usual disclaimer: “Well, it’s pretty good… for a Dutch show.” no. The perfect lie It’s just bloody good.