This Is Not a Murder Mystery: the intersection of quiet crime and art in a surreal, highly entertaining Belgian drama

According to the CinemaDrame news agency, this Belgian series blends the world of “quiet, domestic crime” with avant-garde art, resulting in a glamorous, violent, and highly entertaining murder mystery that is both playful and steeped in surrealism.

The story takes place in 1936, when an English aristocrat hosts a private exhibition for a group of surrealist artists on the brink of global fame. After a chaotic evening, René Magritte—played by Pierre Gervais—wakes up next to the body of a woman, both of them with their heads covered in cloth, in a chilling recreation of one of his own paintings. Fame may unsettle artists, but this case is something far more disturbing.

Detectives DC Thistlethwaite and DC Quante are assigned to the case and quarantine the estate, where a group of bohemian artists and figures are gathered: Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Man Ray, performance artist Sheila Legge, and American war photographer Lee Miller. Magritte is determined to prove his innocence, but as the exhibition approaches, further murders occur—each intricately referencing the works of these artists.

The series title itself references one of Magritte’s famous works. At the center is the younger Magritte, portrayed by Pierre Gervais: a tall, serious figure who moves among the guests with a troubled gaze, trying to uncover the truth while remaining one of the main suspects.

As the investigation unfolds, Magritte uses his artistic sensibility to assist the detectives, even introducing artistic interpretation into the inquiry—suggesting that artists speak a distinct language that requires translation into reality.

The writer blends fact and fiction by placing historical surrealist figures into a crime narrative, while also weaving in playful, exaggerated traits. For instance, Picasso is said to drink only sparkling water, while Sigmund Freud reportedly never stops talking at the dinner table.

With a humorous take on crime genre conventions, the series turns killers into artists whose crimes function as aesthetic signatures. Even the murder scenes are meticulously composed, balancing violence and visual beauty.

Alongside the crime narrative, the detectives remain present, though at times overshadowed by the complexity of the artistic world. Nevertheless, the visual design and casting—such as a fragile, trembling Dalí and an ethereal Lee Miller—add to the show’s appeal.

Overall, This Is Not a Murder Mystery is not a conventional “quiet crime” drama, but a Belgian reinterpretation of the genre, enriched with artistic references, historical detail, and the lavish atmosphere of the 1930s. It is at once a mystery, an art piece, and unexpectedly, a highly entertaining experience.