Summary
Twice Upon a Time Season 1 is creative and conceptual within a character’s gritty world as one man attempts to save his past with an ex.
Netflix Series Twice Upon a Time Season 1 enjoys that notion of second chances. The story creatively positions itself whereby a character can compel himself to reconnect with an ex. Through its gritty opening, the French series creates a parallel universe, one that is years before.
The opening character is Vincent Dauda (Gaspard Ulliel) — a man flagrantly lost and reeling from his break-up. The opening chapter shows the character reeking of drugs and alcohol, partaking in sloppy sex at a house party and then returning to the party with congratulations from his friends. It is clear that Vincent is numb and broken, risking his life by driving home shoddily drunk and accidentally destroying a bus stop.
The story changes when a box is delivered to his home, which has a cube inside. Vincent realizes that when he goes through the cube, he is in another Universe which reflects his past. When he goes through the cube it’s years before in the same house but with his ex that he still longs for. Twice Upon a Time veers on a journey whereby the character tries to change the course of fate.
And it sounds whimsical and overly romantic, but surprisingly Twice Upon a Time has a slight grittiness behind it. The French drama does not indulge in the same-old wishy-washy romances that tend to overflow in the writing for these types of stories. Instead, the limited season enjoys the concept just as much as the sentimental aspect to it. Vincent is not your usual on-screen romancer and his counterpart, Louise Arron (Freya Mavor), does not portray the usual industry-driven female character that yearns to be loved like we are so often accustomed to in the romance genre. It’s a real relationship, one where some conversations are painfully present between both characters.
And I like that, because there is not enough narrative out there that reminds us long term relationships are difficult, not “happily ever after”.
If you enjoy time-travel and flitting between two Universes, then Twice Upon a Time will implore you to binge. It’s a small series and one that doesn’t take your intelligence for granted. Twice Upon a Time is a surprise, a creative and original hit that plenty of audiences will enjoy.
