Good fences make good neighbours – or so we’ve been often told. There’s something very peculiar about the relationship between people who live in proximity to one another, where some prefer to maintain a very clear, well-defined distance, and others choose to be more involved in each other’s lives. It can often lead to unexpected tensions, or in some other cases a more complex relationship forming where one gets involved unnecessarily in the lives of others, leading to some unexpected consequences. This table-setting is the starting point for The Birthday Party (French: Histoires de la Nuit), an adaptation of the novel by Laurent Mauvignier and the third directorial outing of Léa Mysius, who sets out to tackle a range of complex subjects, not in the least the story of the relationship between a group of people living in close proximity. In the film, we’re introduced to Thomas and Nora, a couple who have been living in a remote farmhouse somewhere in the countryside for a number of years, choosing to raise their young daughter Ida in gentler surroundings, while also questioning whether this is truly the right place for a child to grow up. The girl doesn’t seem to mind, as she has befriended Cristina, the reserved but kindhearted painter who knew Thomas’ father years before, and was able to take up residence in the small house attached to the larger one, where she and the family have developed a close bond, albeit one that begins to prove to be a bit of a problem when they’re suddenly paid a visit by three shadowy figures, who arrive on the night of Nora’s birthday party, intent on resolving some past issue that eventually reveals deeper secrets about this family, who immediately find themselves in immense danger as a result of these unexpected guests. A relatively straightforward psychological thriller that has some unexpected layers that weave together to form a fascinating character study, The Birthday Party is an intense and compelling way to spend two hours, cobbled together by a young filmmaker who has already proven her skills behind the camera and continues to make the most out of every opportunity she has been given.

The Birthday Party is certainly quite a traditional thriller based on a cursory glance, being a relatively conventional story of a family being subjected to physical and mental torture by a trio of home invaders, who seemingly arrive at their doorstep without ulterior motives, but then over the course of the evening, their reasons for being present – which the family initially expected to just be an opportunity for some low-level criminal activity that involves a bit of theft and intimidation – become much more obvious. This is where the film is at its most interesting, since it explores themes much deeper than we may have initially anticipated based on a cursory glance, with discussions around the thorny nature of a complicated past becoming central to the storyline, especially when the reasons for the criminals to be present at this particular place on this specific day are gradually and methodically revealed. There’s something about a home invasion thriller that makes it a genre more terrifying than any more traditional work of horror (although this film is certainly not against infusing a bit of those elements into the story itself), for reasons that we find quite obvious – our home is a sanctuary, a place where we can let our guard down and feel entirely protected from the outside world. The moment someone enters with motives to cause harm and despair, this now previously safe space becomes the stage for unimaginable terror. It’s hardly surprising that home invasions are one of the most universal fears across all societies, with the idea of malicious figures infilitrating the one place where we are allowed to feel safe being a concern for most people. Mysius is very smart in how she takes this concept and allows it to flourish into something even more complex, exploring the reasons behind the invasion as much as the act itself, creating a dynamic push-and-pull between the characters as they gradually get to know one another as more than just predator and prey, with the steadily escalating tensions revealing a shared past – and one into which their neighbour also inadvertently gets pulled simply because she also happens to be present at this unfortunate moment – turning into quite an engaging and provocative psychological thriller that has very strong roots in more complex themes.

Whether it was a result of her steadily growing reputation in the industry as a solid and reliable filmmaker, her many connections formed from years of working in various positions in film, or simply because the subject matter was compelling, Mysius managed to enlist quite a strong cast to bring The Birthday Party to life, including a blend of exciting younger names that are already leaving their impression on the industry, and a few seasoned veterans who bring their experience and legacy to some challenging roles. The two primary leads are Hafsia Herzi and Bastien Bouillon, who play the central couple whose relationship is the foundation for the story. There is an expectation that when you marry someone, you should at least know a bit about their past, and the seemingly happy relationship between Nora and Thomas leads us to believe that they have always been open with one another. However, as the film progresses, the tensions between them begin to expand as Nora’s past presents itself to be far less straightforward than she would like to admit. The performances by the two leads are very strong, even if they’re intentionally not the most interesting of characters, since that responsibility is given to the supporting cast, which includes Benoît Magimel as the film’s primary villain, as well as Paul Hamy and Alane Delhaye as his terrifying henchmen whose own relationship with their boss leads to additional internal tensions that are almost as compelling as the main narrative drive. It takes a lot of work to turn such seemingly one-dimensional characters into fully-formed antagonists, and while the film can sometimes present them as nothing more than mindlessly violent criminals, there’s a complexity that defines their characters that feels very rich. Monica Bellucci delivers the best performance in the film as the older woman who simply wanted to live out the rest of her life in peace, but simply by existing in proximity to a family who are targets of some sinister plot, she is plunged into a state of danger, an unwilling participant who cannot escape. It’s a subtle but striking performance, and while she doesn’t have much impact on the central plot, we walk away from The Birthday Party with her stunning, complex work being what lingers most in our minds, the emotional anchor that defines the entire story in an unexpected but very effective way.

Beyond the performances, which are most certainly the anchor that keeps the film afloat, we find that The Birthday Party is a film that works best when it is allowed to be a bit more abstract with its core ideas. Mysius is certainly not focused on creating a film that is in any way unwieldy or unnecessarily dense, but rather cobbling together something that seems traditional at a glance, but has layers of complexity that can sometimes eclipse the more conventional subject matter. There’s a certain level of admiration that comes when someone decides not to attempt to reinvent a genre, but rather allows it to play out conventionally, slowly introducing slightly more subversive elements that present themselves not as radical, sudden twists, and instead contribute to a slow decline in the sanity of these characters as new connections are made between them. It’s absolutely thrilling filmmaking that feels so much more engaging than the usual way these stories tend to transpire, being one of the rare instances of a psychological thriller that puts equal emphasis on the journey as it does the destination, placing the viewer in the position of an observer in a single evening that descends from a joyful celebration to a violent confrontation between people who refuse to stand down, even when the threat of being seriously injured (if not worse) eventually turns into an inevitability. Working with a tone that is incredibly intense but not afraid to be more subversive where required (the fact that Mysius finds some time to pepper in some pitch-black humour into what is already a very difficult subject is fascinating and one of the many directorial flourishes that make the film so intriguing), since it knows that simply moving from one point to another without having at least some degree of complexity is not a wise decision by any means. Instead, we find The Birthday Party unravelling into an intense and deeply unnerving psychological thriller that always has a few tricks up its sleeve, especially when we least expect certain surprises.

There are some films that do thrive on the audience being told not to make certain assumptions or expect anything specific, since their most interesting moments come when we find the element of surprise gradually and methodically making its way into the story, where the viewer is taken on quite a thrilling journey. By no means is The Birthday Party completely subversive or original – in fact, much of the praise it deserves comes from how the director blends traditional elements of a few genres (such as psychological drama and horror thriller) into a story that seems simple at first, but has unexpected depth that only reveals itself fully as the story progresses and we begin to understand its core intentions, which are much more profound than we may have initially imagined. Mysius is certainly a very skilled filmmaker, and someone with an undeniably distinct vision that gradually and methodically reveals itself throughout the course of this film. It’s a masterfully crafted thriller that knows exactly how to keep the audience on the edge of their seats, taking us on an immersive journey into a nightmarish night in which a group of people are forced to fight for their lives, whether through their words or the eventual descent into violence – regardless of how much they all want a peaceful resolution where their individual goals are met, they realise this evening has to end in some bloodshed, with the audience having to watch in bated breath to see which of the two warring factions will ultimately emerge victorious. It’s harrowing but wildly entertaining filmmaking, featuring some terrific performances from a very strong cast, impeccable writing (very rarely do we find films of this nature that are this complex in terms of their screenplay) and a strong sense of direction that binds everything together, making The Birthday Party a strong, engaging affair that is as provocative as it is extremely compelling.