Dominik Moll may have only made a small handful of films over the course of his three-decade career (having directed just over half a dozen films over the past thirty years), but it seems entirely appropriate, considering he is one of the most intense filmmakers working at the present moment. His films are rough, harrowing and often extremely difficult to get through, in a way that emphasizes their brilliance rather than criticizing the hand at their helm, and are usually cited as being acquired tastes at the best of moments. One of the most obvious examples of this principle in practice comes in the form of Only the Animals (French: Seules les bêtes), in which Moll sets out to adapt the novel of the same title by Colin Niel, which focuses on several intersecting narratives, each one centring around the disappearance of a local eccentric in the pastoral snow-capped landscapes of Massif Central, who may not have been a major part of the community, but whose likely death exposes a darkness within the close-knit town and its occupants. A harsh and harrowing depiction of smalltown life, condensed into a series of moments in the lives of these characters, Only the Animals is an extraordinary work of contemporary crime storytelling, made by one of the few modern directors who can actively focus an entire story on the most sordid, unforgiving aspects of the human condition and have it be one of the most beautiful, affecting works of its year. By no means a film that will be appreciated by the feint of heart, or those who don’t have the ironclad courage to peer into the existential void that Moll so effectively evokes in telling this story, this is still a masterful exercise in creative nihilism, a bleak and haunting depiction of the darker sides of humanity, and how we are all ultimately united by some sinister philosophical force that causes even the most logical and decent of individuals to fall victim to temptation, which is something that can penetrate society at any given moment.

There have been some that have mistakenly referred to Only the Animals as a whodunnit, and while this is technically not inaccurate (as it does focus on the mystery surrounding a death, with the revelation of who the killer is only coming towards the end), it is surprisingly not actually driven by the desire to know who the murderer is, nor their motives for the act, which are important but not the aspect of the plot that propels the plot. Instead, the film focuses on the circumstances around the death, employing a non-linear structure that highlights the various characters that surround the central disappearance – they may not all be directly related to the murder, but they all factor into the broader story, which is what this film is so intent on exploring. Using intersecting narratives is always a good way of experimenting with a particular story, especially in the manner in which Moll approaches the material. We essentially have a story that consists of five vignettes, each one seemingly isolated and self-contained at the start, but which quickly changes once we start to see the characters overlapping. There is something so fascinating about a narrative in which a minor supporting role in one story is the primary focus for another, which highlights the fact that there isn’t any such concept as a background character, but instead just an entirely different story to which we don’t have access, which makes us view those supposed minor roles that are only incidental to most narratives very differently. This approach is quite fascinating for a film like Only the Animals, since we see supporting characters engaged in activities that we initially view as inconsequential, only to realize that we are experiencing some of the most important plot developments long before they actually register for us. This allows the film to always retain that vital element of surprise that propels the narrative, as well as placing the viewer in the position of being amateur investigators ourselves, piecing together the answers to the questions posed throughout the film by taking those small fragments we are given and using them to unearth the many fascinating and sinister details that underpin this film.

The conceptual foundation of Only the Animals is drawn from how it uses its characters, which intersect and overlap in creative and surprising ways – without strong performances at the heart of the film, this story would not have been even marginally as effective. Moll may not be well-known enough to have roles in his films actively coveted by every actor in the industry, but he has shown an aptitude in attracting notable talent to his films, and this is not an exception. Just looking at the cast, one is struck by the impressive group of actors that the director managed to get for this production – the entire ensemble of Only the Animals consists of some of the most well-rounded, interesting actors working in contemporary French cinema, people who may still be journeyman actors, but who unquestionably have risen to a place of being well-regarded, representing the future of the industry as we see the slightly older legends gradually step away. Choosing a standout is difficult, since the entire nature of this production hinges on the cast’s ability to work in tandem, each one being the protagonist of their own story, as well as an important supporting presence in the stories of the other characters. Among those doing some of the very best work of their career so far are Denis Ménochet, who once again plays a character who is at the perfect intersection between endearing and terrifying (few actors have been able to use their hulking physicality with more impact than him), and Laure Calamy, who has a slightly smaller role but one that serves as our first introduction to this story. Bastien Bouillon and Nadia Tereszkiewicz are younger actors who have already made a substantial impact in the industry, being cited as representatives of the future of French cinema, and not without reason. The latter in particular is an absolute revelation, and her work here rivals that of her breakthrough performance earlier this year in Les Amandiers, which is interestingly directed by Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, who plays the eccentric woman whose disappearance is the central catalyst for the narrative. A wonderfully character-based narrative that focuses on the details, Only the Animals is an incredible achievement in how it develops these individuals and uses them as the primary motivation for the narrative, always finding ways to surprise and unsettle the audience throughout the film.

While it is decidedly a film driven by its characters by virtue of how the plot is structured, Only the Animals is effective not only as a result of the performances, but also the manner in which the storyline is developed on a visual level. Moll is a very gifted filmmaker in his own right, but even the best directors would be challenged with this material, with Niel’s novel not being particularly easy to adapt in any format. In an effort to not only honour the source material, but also explore his own artistic curiosities, Moll once again employs his distinctly bleak approach, which is somehow both stylish and harrowing in equal measure, which is perfectly appropriate for this film and everything that it represents. Moll’s direction is prone to focusing on the darker moments, which is reflected in the very bleak visual palate from which he is working – most of the violence takes place in brief moments, or entirely off-screen, which is usually done to create an atmosphere of suspense (which goes back to the theory that we are most unsettled and intrigued by what we can’t see but rather suspect, which is usually used when discussing horror, but also applies to dense psychological thrillers such as this film), but here also has a narrative use. It is a quiet and subdued film, and one that takes a much more elegant approach to explore such haunting material, which somehow makes it even more disconcerting, since it constantly feels as if it is on the verge of collapsing into complete chaos, which surprisingly never occurs, but remains a continuous threat until the harrowing final moments, which are surprising and not nearly as cathartic as we may expect. The horror imagery that drives this film is not accidental – Moll crafts Only the Animals to evoke a similar sense of fear and despair, as well as keeping us in a state of suspense until the very end, by which point we have given up hope that everything will be resolved – we may know who murdered Evelyne, but there are far more pressing questions that the film asks but intentionally leaves ambigious, which is precisely why Only the Animals is simultaneously inspired and frustrating.

Dark, deceptive and utterly brilliant, Only the Animals is the kind of film that can only be described as hypnotic, luring us deep into its web of deceit and darkness, putting us under a transfixing spell as it manipulates and challenges us to look beneath the surface, finding hidden details that we may not have noticed in a more conventional piece. It is by no means an easy film – the world into which Moll places us is harrowing, bleak and terrifying, and we are forced into a position of profound discomfort for the entirety of the film, which is not a particularly pleasant affair, but one that is still very interesting if one is able to handle some of the haunting subject matter. We are essentially witness to the affairs of a group of characters who are almost uniformly unlikable, each one a hedonistic individual that only cares about their own position in the world, and are willing to do anything to get what they desire, even if it means becoming morally ambigious and committing crimes that could have long-lasting consequences, all for a moment of pleasure or carnal satiation. There are few films that are more harrowing in their worldview than this one, to the point where the title of the story is not metaphorical but actually quite appropriate – this is a narrative driven by animalistic desire, focusing on the darker side of humanity, and how we descend into a rabid state at a moment’s notice. A haunting, uncomfortable and very strange film, directed with incredible prowess by Moll, whose work is absolutely impeccable, and well-acted by a brilliant cast that are capable of taking on these unsettling characters, Only the Animals is an extraordinary film, dark and deceptive but also achingly beautiful in ways that are often quite unconventional, all of which is part of the brilliance that drives this film and makes it one of the best modern crime stories produced in the last decade, and a work that will likely withstand the test of time, both through its labyrinthine narrative and unconventional perspective on the genre, which is developed into quite a striking piece of social and psychological commentary.