By Anne Brodie
Under a Dark Sun concerns Alba Mazier (Ava Baya) a frantic French woman, hardened by life, escaping a lover under cover of night with her young son Leo (Max Harter); the abuser threatens them with violence as they screech away into the dark hills. He’d taken all her money so she and Leo are working against all the odds. Miraculously she lands a 3-week job harvesting flowers in Spain where she and Leo will be given a bungalow. Arneau the owner (Thibault de Montalembert) refuses her on sight, but she persists and gets the job, even as his wife (Isabelle Adjani) gives her the evil eye. Alba goes to him later at his request, he must tell her something, finds him dead, and runs and is quickly arrested on murder charges, leaving Leo to fend for himself. The man’s large wealthy family learns at the reading of the will that he hasn’t left any of thing a centime; it all goes to Alba with no explanation given. And so, her begins her bad luck. Why did he name her? The family is infuriated, particularly his wife, but one family member, a young lawyer, offers to represent and protect her. This twisted, complicated tale of revenge, bad timing and rising evil is remarkably oddball. At one point, Alba wakes up to find herself in a casket, buried alive. Adjani in gorgeous grey hair, pulls a Joan Crawford, an ageing actress glorying in the role of a wicked woman. Hold onto your black veiled hats! Four episodes, directed by Marie Jordelle and Edouard Salier, streaming now on Netflix