A family living in isolation faces a home invasion during a planned birthday party. Nora has kept a deadly secret from her family, and it surfaces violently when intruders arrive. Flo and Begue enter after Begue kills the family dog, threatening the household while speaking indirectly and circling around the neighbor Cristina, the child Ida, and Thomas. Thomas and the family wait for Nora to return after a flat tire. The intruders are also waiting for their boss, Franck, who has a dangerous charisma and a history with Nora. The film delays clear motives for more than an hour, relying on extended dialogue before revealing the situation.
"Léa Mysius adapts the novel Histoires de la Nuit by Laurent Mauvignier into this dull home invasion thriller about a woman who has kept a deadly secret from her family, one that has surface in violent fashion. It's funny that this film echoes a bit of "Funny Games" given how much that Michael Haneke provocation caused a stir on the Croisette way back in 1997. This one won't make nearly the same headlines. It's not daring enough to do so."
"A family made up of mother Nora (Hafsia Herzi), father Thomas (Bastien Bouillon, also here in " La Frappe"), and child Ida (Tawba El Gharchi) live in a house that seems distinctly removed from society, the only neighbor a painter named Cristina ( Monica Bellucci). Thomas is planning a small birthday party for Nora when trouble arrives in the form of a smooth talker named Flo (Paul Hamy) and his muscle/brother Begue (Alane Delhaye). How much trouble? They're introduced after Begue has killed the family dog."
"What do Flo and Begue want? For far too long, we have no idea. They're threatening, of course, but talking in circles around Cristina, Ida, and Thomas, who are waiting for Nora to come home after she's been struck with an unfortuitous flat tire. It turns out the bad guys are also waiting for their boss, who arrives in the form of the clearly dangerous but charismatic Franck (Benoit Magimel, easily the best thing about the movie), who reveals he has a history with Nora that has brought him and his tough guys there that night."
"He reveals it after more than an hour of talking"
#home-invasion-thriller #family-secrets #film-festival-reception #psychological-tension #french-cinema
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