The Night Of The 12th (La nuit du 12); movie review

 

THE NIGHT OF THE 12TH

Cert 15

114 mins

BBFC advice: Contains very strong language, strong injury detail, violence, domestic abuse

"We do a weird job. Good versus evil with a wonky printer."

Believe it or not, journalists and police have a natural empathy, so I completely understood the reference from one of the murder detectives in The Night Of The 12th.

When I was a reporter I interviewed the bereaved and witnessed their very different reactions to the death of a loved one.

Thus, my heart went out to the police as they delivered the news to the mother (Charline Paul) of a young woman (Lula Cotton-Frapier) who had been burned alive.

Night Of The 12th is based on a true crime in Versailles in 2016.

The setting has been switched to Grenoble in the French Alps, providing a picturesque background to the macabre events.

Dominik Moll's film stars Bastien Bouillon as Yohan, the new captain of detectives literally facing a baptism of fire.

Thus, it is not just about the chase of the killer but also him trying to find his way as the leader of a dedicated but cynical squad.

If Yohan is a clean-cut, play-it-by-the-rules chief, his second-in-command (Bouli Lanners) is a polar opposite.

Already on edge because of a crumbling home life, he is ready to go for the jugular as they try to find the murderer.

Their problem, however, is unusual - there are too many suspects - all with motives.

The Night Of The 12th delves deep into the psyche of the police and shows the mental strain of dealing with those lacking a moral compass.

Indeed, the questions that emerge are how do the officers keep their head above the cesspit and, if they do, how can they keep horrible cases from preventing them sleeping at night?

We couldn't understand why the result of the investigation is given away in the opening sequence because it detracted from the film's tension but, nevertheless, this is a superior movie with quality acting.

Reasons to watch: Gripping thriller

Reasons to avoid: Its cynicism

Laughs: One

Jumps: None

Vomit: None

Nudity: None

Overall rating: 8/10

Did you know?  After decreasing since 2016, intentional homicides in the EU increased by 3.5% in 2020 Women accounted for 37% of the victims of intentional homicide compared with 36% in 2019.

The final word. Dominik. Moll: "A great many news items are directly related to cases of violence perpetrated by men against women. The officers who have to fight this violence are almost exclusively male. What do these men think about when they investigate crimes committed against women who could be their daughters, their partners, their friends, their sisters? How do they view the suspects? And the victims? What feelings does all this provoke in them? We wanted the film to lead the audience to ask such questions."

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