When a child goes missing, the police are forced to look ‘Beyond Signs’

A child vanishes during a birthday party, and an eight-year-old might hold the answers. But how can he know things no-one could have seen?

Soufiane Guerrab in 'Beyond Signs'. Credit: François Lefebvre

Beyond Signs starts with a big party in a small village, but not everyone’s in the mood. The opening scenes feel more like a collection of grim warnings of bad times ahead. Sarah (Louane Emera) is new in town, but a welcome gift of flowers goes in the bin while she holds her head in her hands; eight year-old Diego (Léon Durieux) is lying underwater in his bath, a vision of a dead cat floating above him. It’s not quite a relief when a young girl goes missing at the party that night, but at least now we know where all the grim foreboding is heading.

Police captain Romain (Soufiane Guerrab) is Sarah’s husband. His job has brought them to the village, just in time to take charge of the search for Lily, the missing 11-year-old. Being a newcomer is a mixed blessing; he might not know all the party-goers and the way they’re connected, but he doesn’t have any preconceptions either. The looks the local police give each other when he orders the search to start with checking the cars of every guest speaks volumes.

The media demand answers from Romain (Soufiane Guerrab). Credit: François Lefebvre

Beyond Signs is a series that knows atmosphere is vital. The summer sun hangs heavy over the village, the south of France feeling like the kind of place where it’s not just the weather at boiling point. A lot of mystery series contrast their idyllic setting with the grim nature of crime (and the village definitely looks like a great place to visit), but here it’s the weather that makes things feel just that little bit off. It’s not the kind of sun that shines a light on secrets; this one creates shadows.

Right from the start it’s obvious Romain has a big job ahead. No sooner has he arrived than the party-goers are turning on each other. Lily’s developmentally challenged cousin is loudly proclaiming that he hates her, which doesn’t help. And while Diego seems to have been the last person to see her, just mentioning that to the police sends his father – who is separated from his mother – into a rage.

Lily (Ambre Quinchon) and Diego (Léon Durieux). Credit: François Lefebvre

Diego says he and Lily wandered away from the party, she left him alone and he fell asleep waiting for her to return. Not much there for Romain to use. But Diego does have one other piece of information that pushes things in a whole new direction: he says he saw Lily’s dress being burnt up in the party barbeque. That didn’t actually happen, but it doesn’t matter – because Diego has visions, and they have a habit of coming true.

More than most, a series dealing with the supernatural demands a lot from its cast. It’s tough to believe in a world beyond our own if you can’t believe in the performances. Fortunately, the Beyond Signs cast more than deliver. While the determined Guerrab provides a strong foundation, it’s Emera – especially in her scenes with Durieux – who leaves a lasting impression. The side performances are just as impressive: Anne Marivin, as the mother of Lily’s autistic cousin, is a real stand-out.

Even with Diego’s visions, for a while it seems like Beyond Signs is going to be a grounded police procedural. After all, Romain has more than enough leads to follow without venturing into the spirit realm. For one, the town’s doctor, a highly respected figure in the community, has a very dark past that makes him the number one suspect. While we all know the first suspect is never the one who did it, there’s no shortage of possible candidates beyond him – and plenty of locals willing to cover things up as well.

Soufiane Guerrab (Romain). Credit: François Lefebvre

While her husband’s doing the police work, Sarah (who’s a child psychologist) has been asked to check in on Diego. His visions are starting to worry those around him, and there’s no easy explanation for what he says he’s seeing. And yes, sometimes he does see dead people (though these ones know that they’re dead). But this is a series where the horror is firmly based in the real world: ghosts and visions might provide clues, but the crimes are taking place this side of the grave.

Sarah (Louane Emera) with Diego (Léon Durieux). Credit: François Lefebvre.

What’s more worrying for Sarah is that he seems to know details about her own life, things nobody else could know. And if he knows those things, maybe he can fill in the details about her own vanished past, the years she doesn’t remember before she was fostered out at age four. The problem is, if he does know these facts (and he certainly seems to) then his visions around the disappearance of Lily must also be correct.

And if they are, then Romain’s investigation is digging into something much bigger - and much more deadly - than he realises.

Six-episode series Beyond Signs is streaming now at SBS On Demand.