**_Police procedural about finding the killer of a woman burned alive_**
The film was based on the case of Maud Maréchal, whose corpse was found in 2013 in Lagny-sur-Marne, a suburb east of Paris. This fictional version transports events a few years later to the capital of the French Alps, Grenoble in southeast France, and the ski resort town 65 miles east of there, Saint-Jean-de-Maurienne, which is where the crime occurs. The film was also shot in these locations.
It’s reminiscent of Euro detective flicks “The Girl By the Lake” and “The Girl in the Fog,” mixed with the artistry of the 2009 version of “Last House on the Left.” Like in “The Prophet’s Game,” you get to know the key detectives as they investigate several suspects, and you understand their frustration when damning evidence is lacking. I’m talking about the characters played by Bastien Bouillon, Bouli Lanners, and a couple of others.
Going deeper, the story revolves around escaping self-imposed psychological constraints, which is symbolized by Marceau seeing a flower amidst dead weeds, not to mention Yohan at the end. In addition, it’s interesting how the perverse act of immolation can be traced back to some of those dubious witch burnings that occurred from the 1400s-1700s in Germany and places nearby.
It runs 1h 54m and was shot in 2021.
GRADE: B