Soil

Behind the Scenes of Soil (2021): The Gritty Belgian Series That Dug Deep

Soil (2021), the Belgian crime drama from directors Adil El Arbi, Bilall Fallah, and Mathieu Mortelmans, arrived with a trailer that promised raw tension and a story rooted in the underbelly of Antwerp. But what went into making this series, and why did it stand out in the crowded crime genre? latestnetflix.com's take is that here’s what the trailers and early buzz reveal—without embellishment.

A Director Trio with a Signature Edge

Adil El Arbi and Bilall Fallah, the duo behind Bad Boys for Life and Rebel, brought their cinematic flair to Soil, teaming up with Mathieu Mortelmans for a project that leans into their shared knack for gritty storytelling. Their previous work often blends high-stakes action with emotional depth, and Soil appears to follow suit. The trailers tease a world where crime isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a character itself, with Antwerp’s streets serving as a pressure cooker for the cast’s moral dilemmas.

El Arbi and Fallah’s involvement likely ensured the series would avoid the polished sheen of typical procedurals. Instead, Soil seems to embrace a grittier, almost documentary-like realism, a hallmark of their style. Whether this was a creative choice or a budget-driven necessity remains unconfirmed, but the result is a series that feels immediate and unfiltered.

The Cast: A Mix of Rising Stars and Veteran Talent

The trailer spotlight falls on Yassine Ouaich and Ward Kerremans, whose on-screen chemistry drives much of the early marketing . Ouaich, known for his role in Black, and Kerremans, a familiar face in Belgian television, anchor the series with performances that hint at a fraught partnership. Ahlaam Teghadouini, another standout, adds emotional weight to the ensemble, though her character’s arc remains largely under wraps in the trailers.

Veteran actors like Barbara Sarafian and Reinhilde Decleir bring gravitas to the supporting cast, suggesting Soil isn’t just about the criminals—it’s about the people caught in their wake. The inclusion of Saïd Boumazoughe and Ben Hamidou, both known for their work in Belgian and French cinema, further cements the series’ commitment to authenticity. The trailers tease high-stakes confrontations, but the specifics of who’s betraying whom are left tantalizingly vague.

The Netflix Factor: A Global Push for Belgian Crime

Soil’s arrival on Netflix marked a rare moment for Belgian television—a homegrown series given a global platform. The streaming giant’s involvement likely meant higher production values and a broader reach, but it also raised questions about creative compromises. Did Netflix push for a more "international" tone, or did the directors retain full control? The trailers don’t answer this, but they do confirm one thing: Soil was designed to travel.

The series’ bilingual dialogue (Dutch and Arabic, with subtitles) is a nod to Antwerp’s multicultural fabric, a detail that sets it apart from more homogenized crime dramas. Whether this was a selling point for Netflix or a creative decision by the directors isn’t clear, but it’s a rare authenticity in a genre often dominated by English-language productions.

What the Trailers Don’t Show (And Why It Matters)

For all the tension teased in the trailers, Soil’s behind-the-scenes story remains frustratingly opaque. There’s no word on on-set conflicts, budget overruns, or whether the series was greenlit after a single pitch or a years-long battle. The trailers focus squarely on the product, not the process—no behind-the-scenes footage, no cast interviews, no director commentary.

This silence is notable. In an era where even mid-tier series spawn "making of" documentaries, Soil’s lack of supplementary content suggests either a tight-lipped production team or a deliberate choice to let the work speak for itself. Either way, it leaves fans with more questions than answers: How many episodes were there? Was the season finale always the plan, or was a second season scrapped? The trailers don’t say, and the evidence doesn’t either.

The Verdict: A Series Worth Digging Into?

Soil’s trailers promise a crime drama with teeth, one that leans into its Belgian roots while aiming for a global audience. The involvement of El Arbi, Fallah, and Mortelmans guarantees a certain level of craftsmanship, and the cast delivers performances that feel lived-in rather than performative. But without more behind-the-scenes details, the series remains a tantalizing mystery—one that’s easy to recommend but hard to fully dissect.

For now, Soil stands as a testament to Belgian storytelling’s growing reach. Whether it’s a one-season wonder or the start of something bigger remains to be seen. But if the trailers are any indication, it’s a series that dug deep—and left us wanting more.