Physically transformed, Niels Schneider is captivating in the role of a tortured journalist in The world does not exista fascinating existential thriller, eponymous adaptation of the novel by Fabrice Humbert, by director Erwan Le Duc. Our opinion on this original and offbeat fiction broadcast this Thursday, September 26 on Arte.
The audience left Niels Schneider as an extravagant and smiling trader in Of money and blood on Canal+. He finds him on Arte as a silent journalist, his face serious in The world does not exista psychological thriller by Erwan Le Duc, based on the novel by Fabrice Humbert (Éditions Gallimard 2020) of which Arte is broadcasting the entire four episodes this Thursday, September 26 (also available on the free streaming platform Arte.tv). Unrecognizable, Virginie Efira’s companion has had a fresh haircut and gained about ten kilos of muscle, to slip into the shoes of Adam, a journalist who returns to his native town to write an article on a murder case in which a former close friend is allegedly involved. In this ghost town, he is confronted with the demons of his past… This psychological thriller invites the viewer into the head of this enigmatic (anti)hero, who, in himself, is an enigma to be solved. Fascinated by the atmosphere and the suspense, we get caught up in the game and we never take our eyes off the screen – and especially Niels Schneider!
The world does not exist : What is the new Arte fiction with Niels Schneider about?
Adam Vollmann is a journalist working for a major national daily newspaper. One morning, the portrait of Axel Challe, the suspect in the murder of a young girl in Guerches-sur-Isoire, appears on the television screen in front of him. Adam insists on covering the case, hiding the fact that he knows Axel Challe well, who was a childhood friend for whom he had feelings. Convinced that his childhood sweetheart is innocent of the crime he is accused of, the reporter returns to the hometown he fled years earlier. As soon as he arrives, he is confronted with a painful past.
The world does not exist : Should we watch Arte’s new fiction with Niels Schneider?
In all the shots, Niels Schneider, whose composition is striking, expresses in very few words a whole range of emotions, from fear to anger, through vulnerability, violence or dismay. Through this captivating score, the actor takes us with him into this disconcerting, disturbing and fascinating story, which can be disconcerting at first but quickly proves addictive to the point that it is difficult to stop watching. The story can sometimes be hard, especially in its treatment of the traumas that the character of Adam suffered in his childhood. The series is also demanding, because it is up to the viewer to fill in the silences or the words that are not expressed. This is what makes this fiction original, for which everyone can have different interpretations and tell their own story. It all seems very abstract but in the end, you just have to let yourself be carried away, and as the story unfolds, you catch a few moments of magic. Not forgetting the physicality of Niels Schneider whose performance is magnificent and his magnetic presence in this strangely beautiful police investigation.
