AtaraxiaIt’s just been released, and yet it’s already becoming a must-watch on Netflix: Les Meurtres Zen is a German series inspired by a book that is, in many ways, the new Dexter.
Björn is a lawyer. He works for a drug baron and spends his time defending his client’s associates. This job brings in money, but it also leaves him with no personal time. So much so that he misses his daughter’s birthday and nearly ruins his relationship with his wife. Following her advice, he starts attending a mindfulness course. This course teaches him a lot about himself and his way of dealing with things.
But while mindfulness was meant to help him balance his personal and professional life, Björn takes things a bit too literally when, forced to drive his boss in the trunk of his car on a weekend trip with his daughter, he decides to leave his boss locked in the trunk for the entire weekend in the blazing sun. The only outcome: the obvious death of Draggan, his client and also a crime lord.
Björn is then forced to dispose of the body and faces the relentless questions of Draggan’s second-in-command, who is worried about his boss’s sudden disappearance. As he continues using mindfulness, Björn sinks deeper into his lies and ends up having to manage Draggan’s cartel, a police investigation that’s closing in on him, and a rival cartel.
Les Meurtres Zen is quickly becoming the comedy series of the year. With only 8 episodes so far, it has already earned its place as a Netflix favorite in the comedy genre. We watch as a small-time lawyer transforms into a skilled murderer, a big guy with absolute calm and incredible warmth and gentleness with children, while fearsome drug lords find themselves trapped in a trunk.
Björn’s pragmatism is impressive—controlling his breath and never lying too much, he manages to wriggle out of situations that seem utterly hopeless.
Beyond its entertainment value, the series tackles the problem many people face: the difficulty of maintaining a healthy work-life balance and managing both with fairness and wisdom.
And as if Björn’s problems weren’t enough, he might have to deal with something he hadn’t counted on: one of the people in his circle may be trying to kill him. Survival is about to get complicated. Moreover, the police investigation is closing in on the lawyer, especially since the lead detective is none other than Björn’s ex-girlfriend from university.
Based on the books of the same name by Karsten Dusse, Les Meurtres Zen will hopefully return for a second season on the red-and-black platform. In the meantime, we’re off to read the books, and we wish you the same inner peace as Björn through mindfulness.
