The Twelve: Season 1 – Netflix Review

THE TWELVE is a Netflix thriller series from Belgium. We’ve seen some awesome Belgian series on Netflix already and this is no exception. Also, it’s a courtroom plot like the one we know from The Trial series – also on Netflix. Read our The Twelve Season 1 review here!

THE TWELVE is a Netflix series in the thriller, crime, and drama genres. It’s from Belgium, which in itself is enough to get our attention. We’ve got the three really impressive series The Break, 13 Commandments, and – most recently – Into the Night from Belgium so far.

Recommended reading: Check out our Season 1 review of the Netflix series Into the Night here >

Okay, only Into the Night is an original Netflix production, but it has been renewed for season 2 already. The Break also got two seasons and 13 Commandments was always a mini-series, but it could also continue.

In any case, now is the time for yet another Belgian series on Netflix and the quality level is still top-notch. Continue reading our The Twelve Season 1 review below.

Jury duty on a brutal case

If you’re a fan of the Killing Eve series, then you’ll probably think of a crime syndicate called “The Twelve”, when you hear the title of this new Netflix series. If you’re not a fan of Killing Eve, then you probably haven’t watched it yet and I highly recommend that you do. Also, you’re more likely to think of a courtroom and jury, when talking about “the twelve”.

And you would be correct since this new series is about twelve people called in for jury duty on a rather gruesome murder case. Sort of like we saw recently with the Italian series The Trial series – also on Netflix and very intriguing.

You might like: Our review of the Italian Netflix thriller series The Trial here >

With this new Belgian series, we’re dealing with a lot of issues that stem from how differently we all view the world.

The character-based thriller

What really works for the plot of The Twelve is the character-based elements. Each episode is named after one or two of the characters. This usually means we’ll get more information on those characters, but they are never the only ones in the episode.

The reason it works so well is that it highlights the fact that you never know people right away. And yes, your heart will break for some of these characters while others will irritate and infuriate you. For me, sweet old widowed Arnold tries so hard to engage with people through kindness. However, he is consistently met with ignorance. That just tears my heart apart.

Obviously, we will also get to know more about him along the way. Essentially, everyone has both good and bad sides and have done things they’re not too proud of. Still, the degree of their earlier “transgressions” differ wildly. From minor things done in one’s youth to the really selfish and cruel things, they continue to do now.

You’ll see as the 10 episodes of The Twelve tell the story of a very fascinating group of characters.

Watch Season 1 of The Twelve on Netflix now!

The creators of The Twelve are Sanne Nuyens and Bert Van Dael – the original title is De Twaalf, making the title a direct translation. The two previously created the series Beau Séjour which has an impressive IMDb rating of 7.8 and is currently filming its second season. Netflix also bought the rights for that series and it’s definitely worth checking out as well.

It’s quite different from The Twelve in terms of the genre since Beau Séjour features a woman who fights to solve her own murder. Yes, you read that right! Obviously, it has more of a supernatural vibe whereas this new series is much more down to earth.

All ten episodes in season 1 of The Twelve are directed by Wouter Bouvjin. Prior to directing the entire season of The Twelve, Wouter Bouvjin had directed two episodes of another TV series and just one short film. For me, The Twelve is absolutely on par with the previous Belgian series on Netflix. Give it a shot and prepare to truly loathe many characters along the way!

The Twelve Season 1 is out on Netflix from July 10, 2020.

Details

Creators: Sanne Nuyens, Bert Van Dael
Stars: Luc De Ruelle, Zouzou Ben Chikha, Souad Boukhatem, Charlotte De Bruyne, Greet Verstraete, Isabelle Van Hecke, Johan Heldenbergh, Josse De Pauw, Koen De Sutter, Maaike Cafmeyer, Maaike Neuville, Mieke De Groote, Peter Gorissen, Piet De Praitere, Tom Vermeir, Werner Gielis