Directed by:
Frédéric TellierCinematography:
Matias BoucardCast:
Raphaël Personnaz, Nathalie Baye, Olivier Gourmet, Michel Vuillermoz, Christa Théret, Thierry Neuvic, Adama Niane, William Nadylam, Chloé Stefani (more)VOD (1)
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Paris, 1991. The true story of Franck Magne, a young inspector starting out in the Criminal Investigation Department at 36 quai des Orfèvres, in the Crime Squad. His first case deals with the murder of a young woman. His investigation leads him to study similar cases that he's the only one to link together. He's quickly confronted by the reality of police investigation work: the lack of equipment, bureaucracy... For 8 years, obsessed by this investigation, he'll hunt the serial killer that no one else believes exists. As a decade goes by, the victims multiply and leads become muddled. The gap between the brutal murders grows shorter. Franck Magne hunts down the monster that begins to emerge, so as to stop him for good. The inspector from the Crime Squad becomes the architect of the most complex and vast investigation ever undertaken by the French Criminal Investigation Department. During it, Magne crosses paths with Frédérique Pons, a dedicated lawyer determined to understand the destiny of the man hidden behind this merciless killer. The film plunges us into 10 years of investigation, amongst opinionated cops, determined judges, conscientious forensic policemen, and impassioned lawyers who will all be affected by this case that became the sensational "Guy Georges, the killer of Eastern Paris" case. (official distributor synopsis)
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Reviews (9)
Gritty, raw and bleak French crime drama following the 10-year hunt for serial killer Guy Georges! The resemblance to David Fincher's Zodiac is definitely spot on. The film has an interesting narrative style, following two timelines. One is set in a court trial and in the other we follow the work of the police as they try to solve the increasingly frequent murders of young beautiful girls. Very nicely portrayed, as such work goes. Frustration, helplessness, lack of evidence, no leads and no cooperation. You won't envy the detectives. The film has a slower pace, but the topic makes it very engaging, the acting is perfect, and the court scenes also have a lot of charge. For a film that is 6 years old it still hasn't got into people's minds, needs to be rectified! Story****, Action>No, Humor>No, Violence***, Entertainment****, Music***, Visuals****, Atmosphere****, Suspense***. 8/10.
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A great "police procedural". A skillfully composed and rhythmic mosaic of exhausting investigation, frustration and lack of cooperation. A must-see for fans of distant detective films (and at the same time characteristically moralist and socially responsible). Given how few such things arise, it's definitely a great pleaser. Fréderic Tellier is a man to watch!
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It seems crazy to me that the film is based on real events, as the brutality of the murders was quite shocking. Otherwise, Serial Killer 1 does not deviate from the usual standard of similarly tuned crime thrillers. Another problem I see is that the central character of the detective searching for a serial killer of women is rather bland, despite some resemblance to Alain Delon. Perhaps the only one worth mentioning is Adama Niane, who gave an excellent performance as the assassin Guy Georges. (65%)
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A quality detective film set in the unique French environment, revolving around France's first serial killer, and especially captivating with its naturalistic approach (without unnecessary embellishments). It can truly be categorized as a crime drama with an old-school vibe. Don’t expect shootouts or big fights, as the film focuses on the meticulous work of the involved detectives. They must investigate every tiny detail to make everything fit together perfectly in the end—an enviable job indeed. Raphael Personnaz brings vitality to the lead role, and in emotionally intense scenes, you can see the helplessness radiating from him. Portraying a detective who’s been on a single case for so long without achieving a resolution is no easy feat. Adam Niane also deserves admiration for his convincing portrayal of the cold-blooded killer—simply wow. An outstanding performance. For me, it gets 83%.
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I won’t pretend that I didn’t have big expectations of this crime investigation movie. Especially of the story and the atmosphere, which I had hoped to be a return to the 1970s and 1980s, i.e. the peak of the French crime films with Belmondo, Ventura and Delon in the lead. What I got instead was a not-so-awful movie, but as far as the actors go, it simply didn’t satisfy me the way I’d expect it to. The most charming character was probably the killer, whose performance was extraordinary. The investigators merely seemed to exist. They just “were” and “investigated”. But overall, nothing was really happening. I had an issue with the story outline. The movie was playing, time was passing by and it was obvious how things were going to turn out. The final shock that I’m used to with French crime investigation movies just wasn’t there. But it definitely wasn’t bad. It was just a modern-day time crime investigation standard that has nothing to dazzle with the second time you’re watching.
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