When The Serpent arrived on Netflix, it quickly distinguished itself from the usual true-crime fare. This British thriller miniseries, co-produced with the BBC, trades sensationalism for slow-burning dread, immersing viewers in a story where charm, violence, and bureaucracy collide. Set against the sun-drenched backdrop of Southeast Asia in the 1970s, the series explores how evil can thrive in plain sight, protected by indifference, privilege, and institutional inertia. It is tense, methodical, and morally unsettling, unfolding with the patience of an investigative report rather than the rush of a conventional crime thriller. Here is everything you need to know about The Serpent – from the plot and cast to reviews and release date.
The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
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The Serpent – All key information
- Title: The Serpent
- Format: Miniseries
- Length / Runtime: 8 episodes
- Genre: True crime, thriller, drama
- Country of production: United Kingdom
- Original language: English
- Release date: April 2, 2021 (Netflix)
- Creator: Richard Warlow
- Lead cast: Tahar Rahim, Jenna Coleman, Billy Howle
- Produced by: BBC / Netflix
The plot of the miniseries
In the Seventies, along the dusty roads from Kashmir to Kathmandu, the mystical route through Southeast Asia with some mandatory stops like Goa in India, the flower children were searching for their own path in life. However, several hippies (and even ordinary tourists) started to disappear mysteriously, while the authorities were struggling with the chaotic tangle of international relations in that area and at that moment in history. In this vacuum of responsibility, the charismatic Indian-Vietnamese Charles Sobhraj easily gained the trust of his victims, taking on the role of friend, savior, or guide. Together with his accomplice, he turned the Asian paradise into a hunting ground, luring victims through seduction and manipulation.
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The Serpent – Cast
Tahar Rahim is impressive in the lead role as Charles Sobhraj, blending seduction, terror, and mystery. Known for A Prophet, the French actor strengthens his status as an international star. Jenna Coleman, known for Doctor Who and Victoria, plays his accomplice Marie-Andrée Leclerc with a deeply unsettling ambiguity. Billy Howle, as Dutch diplomat Herman Knippenberg, is the moral engine of the series, while Ellie Bamber completes his character as Herman’s wife.
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The Serpent – Reviews
The Serpent received an enthusiastic critical response thanks to its historical accuracy and retro atmosphere, earning almost 70% positive reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, with a 7.3/10 score from viewers and 6.2/10 from critics on Filmweb. Praise focused on Tahar Rahim’s performance and the attention to detail in the production, as well as the slow, hypnotic storytelling style.
Why so much hatred?
The hatred for those “white brats”, as he called them, was deeply rooted in him; in the otherwise peaceful “invasion” of those long-haired kids he saw almost a new form of colonialism. The series focuses in particular on the years in which the Serpent and Monique carried out a long string of tourist murders between Thailand, Nepal, and India. Everything unfolds around the victims who, slowly and hypnotically, are deceived by the couple. Today, at the age of 81, Charles Sobhraj is serving his sentence in a Nepalese prison.
Tahar Rahim initially turned down the role because it was too dark, but in the end he was drawn to the character’s psychological complexity. The series was filmed in Thailand, Nepal, and the United Kingdom, using authentic locations to faithfully recreate the atmosphere of the era. The costumes and sets were carefully designed to reproduce the Seventies aesthetic. The BBC partnered with Netflix to ensure global distribution.
The true story of “The Serpent”
The Serpent is inspired by real events, as already mentioned, concerning Charles Sobhraj, known as “The Serpent” for his ability to slip away from the authorities. The series is based on official documents, newspaper articles, and testimonies from victims and investigators.
When to watch The Serpent on Netflix
The miniseries The Serpent is already available on Netflix
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