“The Spies of Terror”, a series from M6, dives into the heart of the investigation carried out by the French intelligence services after the attacks of November 13, 2015 in Paris.
The spies of terroran M6 event mini-series scheduled from November 12, 2024, immerses viewers in the intense and secret investigation carried out by the General Directorate of Internal Security (DGSI) and the General Directorate of External Security (DGSE) for track down the sponsors of the terrible attacks of November 13, 2015 in Paris. Directed by Rodolphe Tissot and created by Franck Philippon, these four 52-minute episodes offer a journey into the shadows of the secret services.
Through the intersecting destinies of several agents, played by Rachida Brakni, Fleur Geffrier, Vincent Elbaz and Pierre Perrier, the series strives to show as closely as possible the reality of the work of these men and women in the shadows, subject to extreme pressure after these traumatic events. We thus follow invented characters like Lucie (Fleur Geffrier), a determined analyst at the DGSI, ready to do anything to advance the investigation, Malika (Rachida Brakni), a seasoned expert at the DGSE, and Vincent (Vincent Elbaz), a major seeking to recruit a source to infiltrate very real jihadist networks.
A captivating and successful story of true events
The spies of terror is directly adapted from the eponymous investigative book by journalist Matthieu Suc, published in 2018. The author collected testimonies from agents, magistrates and political figures to reconstruct in detail the hunt for terrorists and the race against -watch to avoid new attacks. The series aims to be as faithful as possible to this reality, while exploring the psychological impact on these agents, whose crucial work remains unknown to the general public.
Obviously, not everything was perfectly modeled on the true story down to the smallest detail. In 20 Minutes, director Rodolphe Tissot claims to have played on a “crest between documentary, fiction and realism”. “It was important to us to show things as they happened,” he assures. “We are not working on plausibility, as can be The Legends Officebut reality.”
The spies of terror offers several sequences “very close to reality” of what happened, such as the scene of the arrest of Salah Abdeslam. “The DGSE and the DGSI read the scenario, there was no censorship on their part. Their desire was more to guide us in case we took the wrong path and to ensure that we did not put no one in danger,” assures producer Alexandre Boyer. “We made modifications to protect the sources and the people who actually exist. This is the case of Minotaure, who currently lives under police protection,” he indicates in the free daily.
Should we look The spies of terror?
In the aftermath of the deadliest attacks on French soil, The spies of terror also gives some information on the sponsors of the attacks, from Salim Benghalem, the first Frenchman to appear on the list of terrorists most wanted by the United States to Abdelhamid Abaaoud, kingpin of the wave of attacks in Europe, including Osama Atar, who will pilot the attacks in Paris and Brussels from Syria.
The first opinions on the series are very positive, praising a captivating story and a successful dive into the mysteries of anti-terrorism. For Télérama, the series is “effectively conducted and solidly nourished” while Le Parisien evokes “an intense rhythm in the style of Zero Dark Thirty”. Télé 7 Jours underlines the “note of lightness” brought by the duo Vincent Elbaz/Rachid Guellaz.