While it may seem peculiar to even imagine such a project existed, there is a film that exists at the perfect intersection between Richard Linklater’s Before Trilogy and Michael Haneke’s Funny Games, a concept that is almost too absurd to be realistic. However, it is very much extant, as evident by Rendez-vous, the ambitious feature-length directorial debut by Pablo Olmos Arrayales, who tells the story of a pair of young singletons in contemporary Mexico City that meet through the wonders of online dating and spend a lovely afternoon traversing the museums and streets of this iconic metropolis, only to return to the young man’s apartment to continue their date, in which their encounter takes an extraordinarily dark turn as secrets are unearthed and intentions are revealed. A dark, manipulative psychological thriller that is about as horrifying as any high-quality horror film, Rendez-vous is quite an achievement, an elegant but unsettling depiction of the dangers of the online world, and the inherent manipulation of the human race, it is a profoundly strange film that takes quite a bold approach, especially in terms of how it realizes some of its more abstract ideas, which could have easily caused the film to spiral out of control. Rendez-vous is certainly not a perfect film, and its nuances are sometimes hidden under layers of absurdity that stretch the boundaries of plausibility – but as a brilliant example of a B-movie masquerading as a touching independent drama, it is an exceptional, compelling work of tonal and narrative experimentation, the kind that we don’t often come across in our day-to-day cinematic encounters. While he is not yet seen as someone of any notable stature, Olmos Arrayales is a filmmaker on the rise, and we would certainly be wise to keep an eye on him, since his level of talent, as well as his intrepid willingness to venture into the artistic unknown, is astonishing and anchors this film within a very specific kind of ambition that is quite rare in contemporary cinema.

It would be fascinating to unpack the feelings Olmos Arrayales has towards the human race as a whole because if Rendez-vous is an accurate summation, he possesses some very bleak feelings about our species, which is represented so brilliantly throughout the film. We find ourselves expecting to be taken on a journey that demonstrates all the best qualities of the human condition, and there is a point where it feels like it is the most gentle, placid romantic comedy imaginable. However, we soon learn that Rendez-vous is a deeply misanthropic film hidden beneath the veneer of a social realist drama that initially focuses on the lovely interactions between two profoundly likeable individuals, only to become more bleak and unsettling once we are nestled firmly within the film’s clutches. Credit has to go to the director for being willing to tell such a story – both of the two leads are amongst the most despicable, unlikable characters in recent cinematic memory, and it is rare to find a film in which it is singularly impossible to root for either character, this being one of the very few that gets it correct on all accounts. Whether or not the director feels like humanity is just a homogenous mass of broken promises and psychopathic delusions is not entirely clear, but this film certainly pays homage to the more despicable side of society by placing two deeply unpleasant characters across from each other and inciting a game of cat-and-mouse, where the two leads oscillate between being the victim and perpetrator, which is so effective, by the time the film concludes and we get some resolution, the audience will likely be divided as to who the true victim was, as well as the overall interpretation of the film as a whole, which is both deeply disturbing and unquestionably riveting, often in ways that are singularly impressive and profoundly effective.

What is quite important to note about Rendez-vous is how this is not a film solely driven by the plot or characters – it is centred on interactions between the two individuals that are at the heart of the story, but this narrative can only go so far before it becomes tedious. The truly masterful component of this film is how the director oscillates between genres – going into the film entirely void of any knowledge of its genre or even the basic plot will be a great benefit to the viewer, since what seems to start as a delightful and charming romantic comedy quickly descends into a bleak and disconcerting thriller, the kind that intentionally seeks to disturb rather than exciting, which is quite a bold move for a genre that relies on a feeling of uneasiness but not to the degree where it is outwardly scathing and quite harrowing. The tonal shifts throughout this film are truly beautiful – how Olmos Arrayales achieves such a precise, sharp atmosphere, especially in his feature-length debut, feels like an absolute marvel. Without the manipulation of the tone, the main narrative thrust of Rendez-vous would be deeply ineffectual, and the overall experience would not be particularly compelling, which is why most of the credit has to go to the director for establishing such a specific mood throughout the film. However, the twist isn’t suddenly thrown at us – it is more of a gradual build-up, the result of a growing sense of unease and discord between this character. As the viewer, we are actively invested in this narrative, and we watch with an almost voyeuristic gaze as these characters interact (which is a result of the use of a handheld camera as the main form of recording this story, which often makes it feel like we are in the room with these characters), and in our position, we start to notice small details that eventually lead to the major revelation – and of course, some multiple twists and turns follow, which only amplifies the terror and makes this an even more fascinating film.

The vast majority of Rendez-vous is spent with two characters, who are introduced in the opening scene and are essentially together for the entire duration of the film. As a result, this film is deeply inspired by two-hander theatre, where all the dramatic tension is derived from conversations between two characters – there are others woven into the narrative, but in relatively small, incidental roles that offer a brief reprieve from the tension but otherwise are inconsequential. It is a character-based film, and credit must go to the two leads for turning in such impressive performances, at least as much as the director responsible for capturing these performances and shaping the raw material into a compelling narrative. Antonio Alcantara and Helena Puig are stellar, both turning in truly impressive work and even more so because this entire film was designed to appear like it was in a single shot. There aren’t any visible cuts, which makes it seem like it was made in real-time, or at least gives off this illusion. There are many correlations between this film and theatre (and it is surprising to see that it was not based on a stageplay, since it has all the traits of a stage-to-screen adaptation, in the best way), and much like a live production, a single mistake could have derailed the entire film and made it virtually impossible to take seriously. Kudos must be given to the actors for commanding the screen and playing such complex, rich characters. Neither Lili nor Eduardo is particularly likeable nor endearing, and the entire premise of the film is that these are two deeply despicable characters that essentially take turns to be villains of the story, which toggles between the two in a way that highlights their various traits. Their ability to not only handle the story itself (which is quite dense in terms of dialogue), but also switch between tones as the film progresses is remarkable and brings up many of the more challenging aspects associated with live performance, around which Rendez-vous is heavily inspired.

In terms of both form and content, Rendez-vous is an absolute triumph. There is something so profoundly captivating about a film that is driven by such an immense sense of complexity but yet executes its many ideas through a simple approach that feels organic and meaningful, while still not being necessarily overwrought. There is an elegance to this film that feels quite contradictory to the rough, hardened exterior based around the narrative – but the details that underpin the film are truly extraordinary and feel unique to this particular narrative, at least in terms of style and substance. It is difficult to not embrace this film and find the value in even its most inconsequential details – and based on a cursory glance, it may not seem particularly compelling. Whether we look at it as a romance (which is only possible if you go into the film without any prior knowledge, which is the ideal scenario to maintain that level of surprise) or have some inkling that there is something more complex underlying the film, Rendez-vous is a fascinating piece of filmmaking, and the proclamation of Pablo Olmos Arrayales as one of the most exciting young directors working today, with his control of both style and substance being staggering. It is a compulsively dark and bewitching film, and it seems to be willing to take its time in reaching a coherent point – but once it does, we are set forth on an extraordinary journey, the trajectory of which we can simply never predict. It is dark, manipulative and profoundly enthralling, and proves to be an absolute hidden gem of a film, which is especially notable considering the challenges associated with making original thrillers, a genre that was in dire need of such a refreshing, earnest voice behind the camera.