Rent No Second Chance (2015)

No Second Chance (aka Une chance de trop) review by Adrijan Arsovski - Cinema Paradiso

No Second Chance is a gripping psychological thriller extending across six episodes that involve all sorts of stuff you wouldn’t want to partake in real life, such as kidnapping, murders from the shadows, harsh language, action, twists, turns, dramatic reveals, and captivating leads. The show has been adapted from Harlan Coben’s acclaimed novel with the same name into something that looks rather, dare I say it, well. To avoid confusion, this six-part miniseries is retitled “Une Chance de Trop” for the French audience, so there’s that.

In it, Alexandra Lamy plays Dr. Alice Lambert while the series open with a birthday party for her daughter Tara. This may seem idyllic at first, but soon Alice’s life turns upside down as unknown perpetrators broke into her home, kill her husband, and kidnap her daughter. More so, the police suspects Alice (who is also wounded by the way) and thus proves their inadequacy for solving the case; as such, Dr. Alice Lambert must gather her mental and physical strength in order to find the culprits, unravel their motives, and bring her daughter home.

From there onward, things start sluggishly move forward as the surrounding characters (and that of Alexandra Lamy as well) start digging into several directions for clues. And so, we get a glimpse of Alice’s in-laws (her late husband’s parents) morals, which are somewhat shady to say the least.

Further down the rabbit hole, and the audience is introduced to Detective Cyril Tessier (played by Hippolyte Giradot). Putting it lightly, Cyril is a pompous prick, a fact which is mitigated by another introduction: that of his partner Detective Florence Romano (played to perfection by Charlotte Des George). As the two of them get into clashes both of wit and character, Dr. Lamberts is patiently building her plan in the background and preparing her next course of action.

Additionally, another character worth mentioning is the mysterious Richard Millot (Pascal Elbé), who holds more truths than meets the eye. Is he the good guy or the villain? Well, therein lies the trick, which I, in good conscience will choose not to reveal.

Finally, there are the kidnappers, who play an excruciatingly tense game of cat and mouse with Dr. Alice Lambert, in what seems like they pull of the strings amidst the surrounding crisis. Or so is the audience led to believe (yup, No Second Chance has those “twisty” moments to justify the thrilling aspect of the series).

Finally, No Second Chance is as exciting, thrilling, and suspenseful as it gets, featuring mezmerising locations that add that special French flair to the whole ordeal. The show will keep you guessing until its very end, so you’re best bet would be to stick with it and reap those dopamine rewards, period.