Common Sense Media Review
By Marty Brown
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Crowdpleasing French action series has violence, mystery.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 13+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Lupin
What's the Story?
Lupin tells the story of a man inspired by a classic French character named Arsène Lupin, the Gentleman Thief. Lupin was created in the early 1900s by author Maurice Leblanc. When a collection of Leblanc's Lupin stories finds its way into the hands of young Senegalese immigrant Assane Diop, it inspires him to become both a thief and a gentleman. As an adult, Diop puts his skills to use in a series of heists that at first seem like high-stakes burglaries, but ultimately reveal a more noble motive in Diop's heart.
Is It Any Good?
Plenty of crime series feature a Case-of-the-Week: Lupin does something unique in that it offers a Heist-of-the-Week, and each heist serves to fill in a part of Diop's story. Soon enough, the show is ricocheting between the heists, the police frantically trying to catch up with Diop, and flashbacks to the modern gentleman thief's origin story.
Lupin certainly has its flaws. Plenty of heist story cliches get recycled throughout the series, for example, and the writing has a simplistic take on some characters' racist motivations. But ultimately the series pulls off the job with a mix of action and mystery, fast pacing and good will. It's a real crowd-pleaser.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Lupin. Who is the title character? How does he fit into the story? What does the series tell us about Lupin's background and place in French culture?
What motivates Assane Diop? How does this make him a likeable character? Do his motivations excuse his actions? Why or why not?
What is the central mystery of Lupin? What are the clues to what happened? What do you think happened? Why?
TV Details
- Premiere date : January 8, 2021
- Cast : Omar Sy , Ludivine Sagnier
- Network : Netflix
- Genre : Action
- TV rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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