Nishan Chakrabartty
Created by George Kay and Francois Uzan, ‘Lupin’ is a French crime thriller that follows the adventures of Assane Diop (Omar Sy) in his quest to find justice for his father’s death. Diop’s ways and methods are heavily influenced by Arsene Lupin, a fictional character created by Maurice Leblanc in 1905. Lupin is a gentleman thief whose meticulous approach and mastery over disguise enables him to trump his adversaries. The series is influenced by Leblanc’s stories and creates an engaging narrative bound to keep the audiences hooked.
We decided to deliberate upon other such shows that resemble the themes and the intriguing characters of ‘Lupin.’ Here are 7 shows that are equally enthralling and filled with palpable tensions. You can watch most of these shows like ‘Lupin’ on Netflix, Hulu, or Amazon Prime.
7. Poirot (1989-2013)
One of the longest-running mystery dramas (13 seasons), ‘Poirot’ is a British television series that features Hercule Poirot’s adventures, a Belgian detective created by Agatha Christie. Even though Poirot’s exploits are different from Arsene Lupin’s, their ability to solve mysteries through logical deduction is delectable to watch. ‘Poirot’ showcases the stories written by Christie, and almost every major short story or novel featuring Poirot has been adapted in it. The show changes its tone from its characteristic humorous delights and integrates grittier issues that give it a serious outlook during its later run. If you love the mysteries and surprises of ‘Lupin’s narrative, ‘Poirot’ will surely leave you satisfied.
6. Carmen Sandiego (2019-2021)
‘Carmen Sandiego’ is an animated series that features Carmen, a young lady who steals from an international criminal organization called V.I.L.E. and wants to donate the funds for humanitarian purposes. Carmen’s elaborate heists and the theatricality involved portrays her as a criminal in front of law agencies, much like Diop’s character in ‘Lupin.’ Carmen is aided in her quest by a hacker, Player, and her friends Zack and Ivy. Carmen’s character is based on a media franchise created by Broderbund and has previously been adapted for television. The concept and the heists of ‘Carmen Sandiego’ are similar to that of ‘Lupin,’ which makes it an intriguing watch.
5. Revenge (2011-2015)
Created by Mike Kelley, ‘Revenge’ stars Madeleine Stowe and Emily VanCamp in the lead roles. Inspired by Alexandre Dumas’ ‘The Count of Monte Cristo,’ ‘Revenge’ is about a young woman named Emily Thorne, who is on a quest to avenge her father’s death perpetrated by the wealthy Grayson family. Emily is actually Amanda Clarke, whose father was framed in a dubious case of treason by the Graysons.
He was eventually killed in prison, and Amanda wants to exact her revenge on the perpetrators. As the story moves forward, she is able to uncover many truths from her father’s past that makes matters more complicated. Living under the alias, she plots an elaborate plan to bring the Graysons to justice. The plot is eerily similar to ‘Lupin,’ where we see Assane crafting plans to avenge his father’s death. ‘Revenge’ should be definitely on your must-watch list if Assane Diop’s quest has enticed you.
4. White Collar (2009-2014)
A thrilling drama featuring a charming and suave thief, Neal Caffrey (Matt Bomer), ‘White Collar’ tells the story of his unlikely friendship with FBI special agent Peter Burke (Tim DeKay). Neal is a masterful con artist who has managed to evade the law for three years but is ultimately captured by Peter Burke. Neal strikes a deal with Burke, stating that he will help the FBI apprehend white-collar criminals in lieu of an early release. Despite having the chance to lead a normal life, Neal is torn between his current duties and past life. ‘White Collar’ follows a cleverly written script that will captivate the viewers. Even though the plot is different from ‘Lupin,’ it definitely crafts an equally compelling character of a gentleman thief, much like Assane Diop.
3. Sherlock (2010-2017)
Maurice Leblanc introduced the character of Sherlock Holmes and pitted him against Arsene Lupin in his stories. Due to copyright issues raised by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock Holmes was craftily changed to Herlock Sholmes. Naturally, ‘Lupin’s enigma is comparable to Sherlock Holmes’ mystery-solving abilities as depicted in ‘Sherlock,’ a series created by Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss.
‘Sherlock’ features Benedict Cumberbatch as the titular detective and Martin Freeman as Dr. Watson. Set-in modern-day England, ‘Sherlock’ features some intricate mysteries and masterful deduction sequences. It also features Sherlock’s arch-nemesis, Professor James Moriarty. The show is equally engaging and showcases some enigmatic storytelling, much like ‘Lupin.’ Although the comparison between the two seems benign, ‘Lupin’ and ‘Sherlock’ both packs a thrilling punch which will keep the viewers engaged with its surprises and plot twists.
2. Hustle (2004-2012)
Created by Tony Jordan, ‘Hustle’ is a British crime drama that focuses on a group of con artists employing confidence tricks to steal from immoral and dishonest persons. Despite being con men, the members of the group are sympathetic individuals with moral codes to follow. They conduct thorough background research on their victims so that their plans and tricks are fail-proof without entailing any repercussions. Although ‘Hustle’ features stand-alone episodes, there are certain subplots as it progresses further. The heist plans and the methods draw a similarity with ‘Lupin’ and make this show an interesting watch. ‘Hustle’ keeps the viewer hooked through some clever narrative devices that keep them guessing about the success of their heist.
1. Leverage (2008-2012)
‘Leverage’ is an action crime drama that follows Nate Ford, a former insurance investigator, who leads a group of con artists and conducts elaborate heists to fight rich conglomerates and corporate entities. Nate’s gang includes a thief, a hacker, a retrieval specialist, and a grifter who exploits her victims’ naivety to breach their trust. They operate under the banner of Leverage Consulting & Associates and conduct their intricate plans of conning powerful groups and individuals.
The schemes and plans depicted in the narrative are similar to the masterful chicanery of Assane Diop in ‘Lupin.’ Diop’s fight against injustice also pits him against some powerful people who have committed grave crimes and go scot-free. Even though ‘Leverage’ and ‘Lupin’ have distinctive settings, their underlying themes will perhaps evoke a similar reaction from the viewers.
Read More: Is Lupin a True Story?
