If you watched American Primeval, then you must have definitely gotten an eerie feeling when the French family appeared on screen. Their presence must have raised many questions in the minds of the viewers. American Primeval was released on January 9, 2025, and has become extremely popular amongst viewers.
It has a unique storyline bringing forth the birth of the American West. We also get to see how different cults and religions fight against one another, all for getting an upper hand while controlling this new world. Available for streaming on Netflix, let’s dive into the details about the French family in Americal Primeval and all about them.
Who is the French family in American Primeval?
The French family in American Primeval is a primitive group of people with cannibalistic tendencies, and according to ScreenRant, they were in the fur trading business.
They developed cannibalism through years of survivalistic instinct. They represent the darker side of human nature. The side that is not polished and is not scared to do anything.

There is a distinct importance of the appearance of the French family in American Primeval. Especially the addition of the old woman adds a layer of horrifying intensity to the storyline.
In an interview with Decider, executive producer and director Peter Berg said,
“We did quite a bit of research when we were putting together the scripts and one of the things that [series writer] Mark L. Smith found were that there were groups of French Canadians — no disrespect to French or Canadians — but there were different groups of French Canadians who had drifted into this part of America in 1857, in that time period, and were just sort of living off the land,”
He continued by saying,
“Some of whom in our mind may have been a bit nefarious and may not have been the ideal folks that you wanted to run into accidentally or on purpose at any time. And unfortunately, some of our characters do run into some of these folks.”
The disturbing practices of the French family in this TV show create an eerie feeling throughout. Their savage nature makes them a monstrous and inhuman threat.
What do the French family in American Primeval want?
As can be seen, their main motive is to trap and consume. They use the young girl as bait. The young girl led Sara into the trap after her good nature could not ignore her distress. Their actions are triggered by their own survival. Their survival is what leads them to do the things they do.
How American Primeval is narrated is a depiction of isolation and dreadful surroundings. The French family becomes the symbol of this very concept.
Betty Giplin, who plays Sara, in an interview with Decider, said,
“I think for Sara, her arc is sort of, you know, kind of finding her her inner ‘American primeval...I think that when we meet her, she’s pretty buttoned up and prim and proper and terrified in this environment. But we know she has this secret.”
She continued,
“What I tried to think about is that maybe the external elements of this world that is so foreign to the world that she grew up in, even though it is terrifying and new to her, that actually it is a closer match to what she feels inside as a person,”
It cannot be denied that the nature and the look of the French family often bring us a memory of the movie The Hills Have Eyes. There is a similarity in the unsettling manner of both the movie characters and this TV show.
The detective and predatory nature of the French family is also a major similarity between the two. The horror and thriller aspect of this TV show can be said to be carried heavily by the French family.
The haunting presence of the French family in this TV show is hard to overlook. It is an exploration of the savagery. The savagery that existed on the American frontier leaves a lasting impact on the viewers.
Their story serves as a stark reminder that in this brutal world, the danger can also come from a group of people who have been pushed to the very edge of humanity. Their actions make them a different kind of monster. The influence of the French family in this TV show is very significant.

With an 8.0 rating on IMDb and 72% on Rotten Tomatoes, American Primeval is definitely a must-watch for the nuanced depiction of horror through its plotline.
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