Vincent Must Die

A dense psychological thriller with an original concept. The story revolves around Vincent, a very ordinary guy who works in an office, but all of a sudden he is attacked by random people who want to murder him and he has to adapt to a new lifestyle. Danger lurks at every turn and he learns that there are more like him. Vincent is literally living a nightmare where no one can be trusted – even small children will want to kill him. It's clever, it's pulled off by the lead actor's performance, it's got quite a disturbing atmosphere, it's entertaining, and the ending builds to a finale of apocalyptic proportions that was pleasantly gritty. A French metaphor for violence in society and I enjoyed it. It's a shame the film leaves questions unanswered, I certainly wouldn't be angry for a twist here. 75% (04/17/2024)

An insanely simple idea from which the filmmakers extract an incredible psychological study of a man in an absurd situation that transitions into a social satire of post-apocalyptic proportions. Without fantasy elements and grand scenes, even though the film plays out predominantly in exterior settings. Some people simply just attack Vincent for no reason. And they do so very aggressively. Escalating danger of incomprehensible origin and reason, rising paranoia, inescapable isolation. Vincent Must Die is a lot of movie made for not a lot of money. [Sitges FF] (10/09/2023)

A new addition to my favourite sub-genre of films in which the main character loses his security of being as a result of an inexplicable phenomenon and has to cope with it somehow. They have managed to turn a great idea into a functional film for little money, brimming with a paranoid atmosphere and an escalating sense of hopelessness. There aren't many "horror" scenes as such, but the "horror" at its core is stronger and more impressive than the vast majority of pure genre films. The first half is better than the second half, and I agree with the criticisms of others that the film is not very successful in finding its footing at the end. (04/20/2024)

Vincent Must Die is the story of a middle-aged man in hiding who suddenly begins to fall victim to random brutal attacks by his friends or passers-by. And what begins as a rather comical premise gradually escalates to new and new levels. To reveal more would be a disservice to the story, as it's very entertaining to watch the film take new directions as the minutes pass. (10/21/2023)

A simple metaphor for violence in society and the absurdity of conflicts, Vincent Must Die starts out as an adrenaline trip with elements of black humour, but it ultimately runs only at half-throttle and the rather slower narrative pace is given priority. Particularly in the first half, a number of scenes are entertaining, but then the film starts to get bogged down in its own inconsistency and a lot of questions come up that it is unable to answer. Furthermore, the plot shifts over time from being about the necessity of adapting to newly established rules in order to survive in a world in which violence is spreading like the plague to a bizarre romantic storyline, which is an unwelcome diversion from the most interesting part of the film. (10/18/2023)