French cinema has come to Fantasia International Film Festival in the form of The Soul Eater. This thrilling, twisted mystery was written by Annelyse Batrel and Ludovic Lefebvre, both making their feature film debut, with the team of Alexandre Bustillo and Julien Maury (Inside, The Deep House) directing. The Soul Eater tells the stories of two very different investigators from different organizations crossing paths in a small French town. One of them is there to investigate a bizarre murder scene, while the other is looking for a possible connection to a string of kidnapping cases in the area.

Bustillo and Maury have a long history of making films together. With The Soul Eater, they have created what is probably one of their more understated films, but one that still leaves a lasting impact. The story that Batrel and Lefebvre wrote begins by introducing the two protagonists as they arrive in the small French mountain town. From there, the audience is introduced to an array of mysteries. The murder itself is just a small piece of the larger puzzle, as there is also the case of numerous missing children, plus the investigators themselves are mysteries. Each clue uncovers more about the murders, the missing children, the investigators, and the tangled web that connects it all together. There are plenty of surprising twists and turns to keep the audience at the edge of their seat, but what makes this thriller even more suspenseful is the local legend of the “soul eater.” A sort of boogeyman figure that has existed in the region for generations, the soul eater is said to take children who wander too close to the woods. As the investigation progresses, this entity becomes an ever-looming presence that could be at the heart of it all. There are so many layers and intricacies to The Soul Eater, every minute detail having significance, yet it all comes together beautifully by the time the film ends.

Part of the impact of The Soul Eater comes from the superb performances. Virginie Ledoyen (The Beach, 8 Women) stars as Elizabeth Guardiano. As a commander from the city coming to investigate a crime in a rural town, especially as a woman, Ledoyen gives Elizabeth a tough outer shell. She’s a straight-forward person who doesn’t back down, but Ledoyen also reveals the hidden depth and compassion the commander tries to hide. Paul Hamy (The Ornithologist, 9 Fingers) plays Franck de Rolan. A captain from a department that specializes in “alarming disappearances”, Franck is a secretive man dedicated entirely to finding the missing children. Hamy is brilliant in this role, making Franck an enigma, while also delivering one of the most gut wrenching performances of the film. Together, Ledoyen and Hamy perfectly convey two people with very different investigative styles and very different goals coming together to solve an impossible puzzle.

Despite the film being a more grounded thriller, there is still a lot of great visual interest. The Soul Eater has stunning cinematography, giving each scene in the sleepy mountain town an ominous feeling, as if from a sinister fairy tale. The sets lend to that feeling, every building appearing worse for the ware. It lets the audience know this town has been forgotten by the rest of the world, allowing it to crumble into ruin. There is also a lot of stunning imagery related to the soul eater figure. From old paintings to new drawings to wood carvings to a large, looming silhouette, the design for the soul eater is as horrifying as it is striking. This being a murder mystery, there are also plenty of grizzly wounds created through practical effects. These effects are very well done and set the tone for just how horrific the murders are.

The Soul Eater gives a dark fairy tale spin to a layered mystery, where nothing is as it seems, and everyone has something to hide. Not only is this Bustillo and Maury’s best film in recent memory, but it’s also a truly remarkable debut for both Batrel and Lefebvre as screenwriters. The performances bring the story to life in a way that drips with tension, while the visual elements deliver plenty of horrors. The Soul Eater really is a brilliant blend of mystery, suspense, and horror, delivering a little something for everyone.

OVERALL RATING: 8.5/10