The latest offering from Walter and his team is a disturbing French thriller about a sixteen-year-old girl, Léa (beautifully portrayed by Romane Jolly) – a promising dancer who comes under the influence of an older man.
If you want to avoid spoilers, stop reading this article now.
We first meet her as a happy teenager with exciting prospects ahead of her, including an opportunity to pursue her dream as a dancer. She has a new boyfriend – Medhi – and a loving family.
She and her friends are planning a trip to Amsterdam, but when she has an opportunity to go to a dance school in London, her parents refuse to fund both trips – it’s either Amsterdam with her friends or on her own to London to strengthen her ambitions to get into the Conservatoire and a career in dance. London wins out.
She reluctantly waves her friends off on the bus to Amsterdam, but later that night – still aggrieved from not being able to accompany them – she receives a call from another friend, Chris, and sneaks out to an underground dance event with her. This is a very different scene to her usual conservative dance studio; instead, she ends up getting involved with a far more edgy rap community.
When her parents realise the next day that she’s not been home, they assume she went to Amsterdam with her friends after all. But instead, she’s been partying all night with her new friends and staying at their swanky apartment.
When she finally returns home the next day, having seen a photo of Medhi snogging her friend in Amsterdam, she’s unrepentant and blames her parents for not allowing her to go to the Netherlands. A blazing row with her father ensues and she ends up grounded.
The opening episode works as an introduction to the main characters and sets the scene for what is to follow, but the real drama occurs later in the series when Léa ends up in some very dark places.
This is the tale of teenage angst and rebellion. We’ve all been there – fighting against our parents and experimenting with new experiences. It’s the normal teenage story – albeit an extreme one. And for that reason, it’s something we can all relate to in some way.
The acting is solid, although the script is rather laboured at times. And the storyline a little predictable and formulaic. If you have teenage kids of your own, you will no doubt have sympathies with Léa’s parents, who are trying to do their best for their daughter (and her siblings) but are perhaps overly protective of her.
In summary, this isn’t a bad thriller – but it’s not exactly ground-breaking either. Maybe you need to get to know the characters and decide if it’s for you. Léa isn’t a particularly sympathetic character, and I think that’s why I struggle to engage. But you might feel differently.
Walter Presents: ‘The Runaway' is available to watch on C4 Streaming now.
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