Netflix has added Riviera, a gloriously glossy thriller series starring Julia Stiles that had me hooked when it originally aired.
Set on the French Riviera, the 10-part crime thriller was shown on Sky but is now available on Netflix in the UK (US audiences can rent it via Prime Video).
Created by Neil Jordan, Riviera follows art curator Georgina (Julia Stiles), who's living the high life with her billionaire husband Constantine Clios (Anthony LaPaglia). But when Georgina returns from an art auction in New York, she discovers Constantine has been killed in a mysterious yacht explosion. Georgina sets out to discover whether he was murdered and she undercovers links to a dark underworld that lurks beneath the beauty of the Côte d’Azur. Also looking into the case is Richard Jukes (Phil Davis), who works at Interpol’s HQ in Lyon and is sent to investigate Constantine’s affairs.
If you're after something fun, then this could be perfect for you. It moves along at a great pace and Julia Stiles is terrific in the lead role. Talking about the things Georgina discovers, Julia told us at the time: "She begins to undercover a lot of fraud and deception, not only in their marriage but also in her husband's handling of artwork, which is almost more of a betrayal to her than any affair he could have been having."
Asked if Georgina wonders if her husband might still be alive, she said: "She's suspicious when she sees the body because it's unrecognizable. But we don't really know if it's just wishful thinking on her part or if it could be a real possibility."
Georgina doesn't come from money in the series and she clashes with her husband’s family. "She's not welcome, and there’s certainly no love lost between Georgina and Constantine's ex-wife Irina. One of her stepsons, Christos, is in charge of the family business and is also adversarial towards her."
Other key cast include Adrian Lester as Robert Carver, Georgina's friend who deals in the darker side of the art market, and Iwan Rheon as Constantine's eldest son, Adam.
Riviera, which ran for three seasons from 2017 to 2020, is great if you're after some escapism. If you're looking for something a bit more serious, Netflix has also recently added the Swedish series The Breakthrough, a fictional story inspired by a real-life double murder case, which I can highly recommend.
Riviera is on Netflix now in the UK.
