‘Anthracite,’ a thrilling 2024 series comprising six heart-pounding episodes, has been available on Netflix since April 10th, 2024. Prepare to be captivated by the chilling tale of a cult grappling with the haunting specter of mass suicide. This suspenseful masterpiece, blending elements of mystery and crime, comes straight from the visionary mind of Oscar-winning writer and director, Steven Zaillian.
Plot Summary
This gripping series delves into the chilling world of cults and the horrifying specter of mass suicide. It all begins in 1994, with an eerie old house secluded from the rest, accessible only by crossing a river in a small boat. When police arrive armed, they’re met by a bearded man in white, blood oozing from his mouth. Inside the house, they discover 12 lifeless bodies arranged around a poster of a man with his hand raised high, surrounded by candles. This tragedy strikes the alpine village of Lévionna to its core.
Fast forward to today, where journalist Solal Heilman sifts through old recordings. But as he heads to his car after viewing, a call from his daughter, Ida, is abruptly cut off when he’s attacked from behind. Ida, a tech-savvy and fearless young woman, despite her being terminally ill, determined to rescue her father. Along the way, she uncovers clues about his investigation into the cult and crosses paths with Jaro, a man also on her father’s radar. Together, they unravel the mystery, including a case involving a missing woman last seen with Jaro.
Their journey leads them to Caleb Johansson, the cult’s leader now confined to a psychiatric hospital. He demands to speak to Jaro, revealing a connection to Jaro’s past: his mother’s involvement in the cult and her fiery demise. With the discovery of a key to her father’s storage unit, Ida shares a videotaped interview with Jaro’s mother, shedding light on his troubled past.
As truths emerge, Jaro and Ida join forces with the police. When Jaro’s daughter is abducted, they race against time to rescue her from a perilous mine. Amidst the chaos, Jaro confronts his uncle, sparking a violent confrontation whose outcome hangs in the balance. Meanwhile, Ida arrives on the scene, adding another layer of intensity to the unfolding drama.
- The series starts in 1994 in a spooky old house where police find a shocking scene of death and a mysterious poster.
- Journalist Solal Heilman’s daughter, Ida, sets out to save him after a sudden attack, uncovering secrets along the way.
- Together, Ida and a man named Jaro dive into a complex web of cult involvement and family history, facing danger at every turn.
What role did Solal Heilman play in investigating the cult, and how did his daughter, Ida, become involved?
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Solal Heilman, a journalist, spends his time watching old tapes of stories about a tragic event involving a cult. His daughter, Ida, calls him, wondering why he left without saying anything. He tells her he’ll be back in a few days for work. But when she checks with his work team, they know nothing about it. She figures out he’s in the Alps, a place called Lévionna, even though he didn’t tell her. How? She tracked his phone. She hears her dad struggling on the phone before it cuts off. Worried, she heads to the Alps to find him, convinced he’s been kidnapped.
Ida is tech-savvy, so she uses her skills to connect the dots and finds a guy named Jaro who might help her. While staying in her dad’s hotel room, she gets a mysterious call asking for Solal and mentioning Jaro. She traces the call to a man named Caleb Johansson. The next day, against Jaro’s wishes, she takes him to Caleb in a psychiatric hospital. This leads to revelations about Jaro’s past, including his connection to Caleb and his mother.
Ida isn’t afraid to dig deep to find her father. Along the way, she uncovers more about Jaro’s past and his mother’s history, which seems tied to the cult’s story. As she delves deeper, she realizes her father’s investigation is linked to Jaro’s past and the dangers he faced. And that’s how Ida gets drawn into the unfolding mystery.
What unusual occurrence happens inside the psychiatric hospital involving Caleb Johansson, the cult leader?
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In this strange story, we see something unusual happening at a psychiatric hospital involving Caleb Johansson, the cult leader. He’s seen in his room, shirtless, pounding his chest, and suddenly, other patients start doing the same thing in their rooms. The nurse rushes to them, but when she returns, everything seems normal again. Caleb is kept separately because he might be dangerous. Later, Jaro and his friend spot the patients and nurses outside the hospital, trying to calm them down.
Suddenly, all the patients are loose, causing chaos. Jaro calls Ida, who rushes to the hospital because her dad is there. She finds Caleb strangling her dad but manages to save him. Back at the hospital, a strange man with his face partly covered talks to a nurse, claiming to be Caleb’s follower. He says they must eliminate Caleb’s brother and sister to restore balance. The nurse, believing in Caleb, kills the man, saying Caleb has gone astray. Eventually, all the patients are captured, but Caleb is missing.
What is the backstory of the nurse concerning Caleb, the cult leader referred to as the prophet?
In 1994, we witnessed a woman speaking with a man, asking him for a key in case of a fire after he finished work. Then, she heads to the car with the man who has a baby inside. She asks about the baby, and the man reveals that the baby’s name is Ida. Here, we realize that the man is Ida’s father. She opens an office and watches a video recording where a man named Caleb Johnson talks about a woman named Juliette. He claims that Juliette will be the future and will give birth to a new balanced world. He says that inside her, light and darkness will become one to lead the world.
Juliette becomes a nurse at Caleb’s hospital and becomes a student of his teachings. She looks up to him and becomes obsessed with him. In 1996, she forced herself on him, tying him up and bearing his children. She used her children to follow the path of Caleb’s teaching, thinking she was doing the right thing. One in the light which was the guy and the other one in the dark, who was kept inside the mine from a young age. The guy was to grow up just like Caleb, as she trained him to memorize Caleb’s words.
What unexpected turn occurs in Ida’s life?
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In a surprising twist of the story, Ida uncovers a shocking secret about her family. She learns that her father, Solal, had compared his genetic map with hers, raising questions about her true parentage. Delving deeper, she discovers a recording hidden in her father’s bag. In the recording, a woman named Juliette is heard giving birth while Solal records. It becomes clear that Juliette is Ida’s biological mother, meaning that Jaro and Ida are siblings. This revelation comes to light when Jaro visits Solal in the hospital, where everything about Ida’s true parentage is revealed. Solal admits that it wasn’t planned and that Juliette didn’t even realize she was pregnant. Overwhelmed and unsure, Juliette refused to keep the baby, leading Solal and his wife, unable to conceive, to raise Ida as their own.
What shocking truth does Jaro uncover about his mother and aunt in the final revelation?
As the story nears its conclusion, Ida and her father are traveling when she gets a message indicating someone is trying hard to reach her. At a petrol station, she shares with her father that someone kept checking data on a genetics map she shared and found it impossible for Caleb to be the father. This news stresses her greatly.
Meanwhile, at Jaro’s place, he discovers a recording in his bed. Upon listening, he hears his mother singing, followed by another woman named Roxane urging her to talk about something serious happening to Juliette. Roxane advises Juliette not to let her brother hurt her, leading to Juliette angrily telling Roxane to leave. Jaro is overwhelmed with emotions, especially after hearing his mother’s voice. His uncle, who had been outside the door, leaves. Jaro confronts his uncle in the barn, where his uncle, holding a gun, apologizes and admits to shameful acts, including killing Roxane to keep secrets hidden. He confesses to attacking Solal, the journalist because Solal’s questions triggered memories. He also reveals that he killed his wife, Marine, in an attempt to forget.
Jaro calls his uncle a monster, prompting his uncle to point the gun at him. Jaro asks a crucial question: Did his mother really commit suicide? His uncle responds that she could never hurt Jaro and that he killed her. Jaro attacks his uncle furiously but without causing harm. It becomes clear that the uncle orchestrated everything. Ida arrives just in time to witness the confrontation.
