- Arès is the first Dutch series produced by Netflix. She follows a student, Rosa, in the heart of a mysterious secret society in Amsterdam.
- The aesthetics of the series refer to masterpieces of 17th century Dutch painting, that is to say, among others, to the canvases of Vermeer and Rembrandt.
- The intrigue that is unfolding today is linked to the "Dutch golden century", in other words to the period of prosperity that allowed the Netherlands to be a powerful state.
Arès , Netflix's first Dutch series, was put online on January 17 on the platform, overshadowed by the media clamor reserved the same day for the second season of Sex Education . This discreet arrival fits perfectly with the cult of mystery at the heart of the intrigue. But it is high time to get it out of confidentiality.
Ares is the name of a secret society located in the middle of Amsterdam. From initiation rites to the appointment of its president, we discover its curious functioning over the episodes, at the same time as the heroine, Rosa. She is a medical student, mixed race, from the middle class. And she does not seem to belong in this circle of privileged whites, children of captains of industries or other tycoons whose family names evoke noble reputations.
The horror arises without warning
The first of the eight episodes evokes a kind of mixture between an Eyes Wide Shut soft and an Elite teen series. But as the narrative progresses, the series gains in seriousness and darkness. Sensitive souls, be warned, pure horrific ingredients sometimes arise without warning and, if they remain relatively rare, they are nonetheless particularly disturbing.
Rather than digging into postcard imagery - the canals of Amsterdam - or clichés - cannabis vapors - to establish its Dutch identity, Ares prefers to multiply references to works from the Dutch Golden Age. If you haven't taken an art history course, don't panic, search for "Vermeer", "Rembrandt" or "Hals" on Google images to get an idea. You will thus be able to appreciate the work on chiaroscuro, in other words the play of shadows and light, which unfolds from one plane to another. You will also notice that the characters' outfits are not trivial - who, in fact, still wears frills in 2020? The royal blue or yellow tones of the fabrics make you think of La Laitière of the yogurt pots? Bingo is Vermeer. Proof that you have a minimum mastery of the aesthetic codes of the series.
The "golden century" haunts the intrigue
These patterns are not only used to look pretty. If Ares refers to works from the 17th century, it is also because the period during which they were born, the "golden century", haunts the intrigue. The Dutch golden century was the period of development and prosperity of the United Provinces which later became present-day Netherlands.
One of the key sequences, in the first episode, takes place at the Rijkmuseum. Young members of Arès visit the museum and take a break in front of The Night Round , a canvas painted by Rembrandt in 1642. The painting represents a company of the bourgeois militia of the musketeers of Amsterdam. "They are our great great grandfathers," said one of the visitors. He's not kidding: the secret society brings together descendants of these men of the Dutch Golden Age. It remains to be seen to what extent the past influences the present.
A little later Rosa asks what Ares is. Answer: "Has it ever challenged you that a small country like the Netherlands becomes so rich and so powerful? A reply that will take on its full meaning in the last episode. We will be careful not to tell you why. We will simply salute the way in which the first Dutch production of the Netflix juggernaut chose to confront the country's past. With art and manner.
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