What stands out about this film, as many reviewers have already noted, is the one-shot take. There are three informal chapters in that the film follows three central characters during its 90 minute runtime. During the first chapter, there were a number of times that felt slow and I kept hoping that there'd be a few takes here and there. There are scenes of the character in the first chapter sitting, staring into space, walking to his car, starting his car, driving fir a few minutes without anything happening, him arriving at his home, and then him showering. Perhaps the director wanted to show the mundanities of everyday life to contrast with the horror of the rest of the film, but it still felt tedios. A good 20 mins could've been cut from the first section, and that time could've been used for one of the two sections for more exposition as to what was going on. The film doesn't really start to pick up and become a non-stop nightmare until we get to the second chapter with Anais. The film, while genuinely unsettling, at times intense, and the dread is constantly building throughout the film, getting to know the characters a bit more and learning about what exactly was going on would've really elevated this. And the lighting at times was mediocre, rendering some scenes difficult to see properly. But the one-shot technique used in the film is effective in that it immerses you into the world of these characters.
The acting across the board is good. Laurie Pavy as Anais, and Lucille Guillaume as Julia particularly were both excellent and revelations. Without their strong performances, this film would not have worked. They were both excellent and stole the show from the first actor playing Romain. The spasming, ticcing, tremoring and convulsing was all really disturbing and felt so real. Overall, this was a pretty fun and scary ride that takes some time to pick up, but when it does, it doesn't stop.
