This 6-part mini-series is a sequel to “The Maltese Falcon.”  Clive Owen plays Sam Spade who has retired to Bozouls, a picturesque town in the South of France.  The series begins in 1955, then skips ahead to 1963.  Its creators classify its genre as ‘neo-noir’ which means it has visual style and themes of film noir but with a modern sensibility.

♦  Heads up:  Monsieur Spade (2024)  does have flashbacks and some of them are cryptic. It might take several minutes to understand their context.  I have not watched the entire series but some critics and audiences were disappointed with its ending.  The series is rated TV-MA which means it is for mature audiences.  There is some sexual content, nudity and violent sequences but they tend to be brief and done tastefully.  ♦

I am a huge fan of Clive Owen so I am bias about anything he does.  I really enjoyed the first episode.  I did not enjoy the later episodes as much because I became anxious for the safety of Mr. Spade and the young girl (played by Cara Blossom.)  

One critic described the pace of the series as ‘glacial.’   I agree but that is part of its charm for me i.e.  getting to know the characters slowly and to dwell in the French countryside and the vintage cars.

The tone of the series is film noir and Sam Spade is very moody and cranky but there are injections of dark humour.  Don’t expect to laugh out loud but you may grin from time to time.