If you opened HBO Max this week and wondered why a French period drama is everywhere - you're not alone. One week after premiering, The Seduction has jumped into the global conversation and cracked the service's worldwide Top 5, according to FlixPatrol. From Albania to Venezuela, people are leaning in. It's steamy, sharp, and unapologetically ambitious.
What's the hook?
The Seduction is a six-part historical drama set in Paris, following Isabelle de Merteuil - betrayed, furious, and determined to climb. Not by pleading, but by outmaneuvering everyone in the room. The story riffs on Pierre Choderlos de Laclos' Dangerous Liaisons, but it doesn't color inside the lines.
That choice is key. The show is less "faithful adaptation," more "what if the woman at the center grabbed the pen and rewrote the rules?" It's about power, desire, and the costs of both - especially in a world where women were told to stay quiet.
Why it's blowing up
Short answer: it's glossy and gutsy. The rooms glow like candlelit stages, the costumes whisper money, and the performances give the intrigue teeth. Anamaria Vartolomei (movies and tv series) is magnetic as Merteuil, with Diane Kruger (movies and tv series), Vincent Lacoste (movies and tv series), and Lucas Bravo (movies and tv series) rounding out a cast that knows exactly how to twist a knife with a smile.
There's also timing. Weekly drops on Fridays keep the chatter alive. And honestly, audiences love a revenge climb done with elegance - it's wish-fulfillment wrapped in satin.
But is it good?
Critics are split so far, with a middling score on review trackers like Rotten Tomatoes. The sticking point: it strays from the original novel in ways some purists won't love. Fair.
If you don't come in expecting a straight retelling, it plays as its own thing - stylish, sensual, and pointed. The finale sticks the landing well enough to satisfy viewers who aren't married to the "cold catharsis" of the classic.
The essentials
- Format: Six episodes, French-language drama set in Paris
- Network: HBO Max
- Release: Premiered November 14, 2025; new episodes on Fridays
- Creator: Jean-Baptiste Delafon
- Directing/Writing team: Jessica Palud (director); Jean-Baptiste Delafon, Gaëlle Bellan, Jessica Palud
- Main cast: Anamaria Vartolomei (Isabelle de Merteuil), Diane Kruger (Madame de Rosemonde), Vincent Lacoste (Vicomte de Valmont), Lucas Bravo (Comte de Gercourt), Noée Abita (movies and tv series), Julien de Saint-Jean, Fantine Harduin (movies and tv series), Samuel Kircher (movies and tv series), Sandrine Blancke (movies and tv series)
- Source inspiration: Dangerous Liaisons by Pierre Choderlos de Laclos
Here's what this could mean
Period dramas with heat still travel, especially when they center a woman grabbing agency - not asking for it. For HBO Max, it's another proof point that European originals can punch above their weight globally. It also hints at a simple truth: audiences don't mind bold deviations if the story feels alive.
Will The Seduction hold in the Top 5? Maybe. Momentum is real, but so is competition. For now, it's winning the oldest game there is - attention - and doing it with a smirk.
Bottom line: If you want faithful, read the novel. If you want a sleek, bracing take on desire and leverage, queue this up on Friday night.
