Writer/director (and so much more when it comes to this production) Alexis Bruchon has crafted a riveting noir-esque thriller that will have viewers on the edge of their seats awaiting twist after twist.

A burglar (Paul Bruchon) is hired by a mysterious woman (she insists on him wearing a sack over his head during their clandestine meeting so she won’t be recognised) to break into a house in the country. She wants him to obtain a box that’s hidden in the owner’s study. A simple enough task, until just as he’s about to leave, a group of people arrive at the house. The owner has returned to have a party. Panicked, he hides under a table in the study, as people come in and out of the room to deposit coats and the like. Peeking from underneath the table cloth, he recognises a pair of shoes – the same ones worn by the woman who hired him. As the night progresses, things get much worse.

Even giving that synopsis, we feel we’ve given too much away. This is a film worth going in as blind as the hooded burglar in the opening scenes. As the intricacies of the plot are revealed, we’re drawn further into the situation. The burglar – a character who would usually be an antagonist, but sympathetic here – is the only person we see fully throughout the film. We certainly feel for his position, whoever much we might disagree with his choice of profession.

The story’s execution is so simple; it’s a wonder it hasn’t been done a lot more. The film is presented in black and white, which heightens the old-world style. Yet it’s a tale taking place in the present, the use of mobiles being the big giveaway. For a first feature, Bruchon excels with his camera’s imaginative use and a steady drip-feeding of the narrative. Acting as auteur here, he shows his command of the format perfectly. It’s a cleverly edited, neatly paced, and never less than engaging movie. In short: utterly unmissable.