Rent The Night of the 12th (2022)

An unusual French 'film noir' that is more social realism than conventional thriller - The Night of the 12th review by Philip in Paradiso

This French film deals with the nature of police work, focusing on a team of detectives working for the Judicial Police department (the equivalent of CID in Britain) of the city of Grenoble, in south-eastern France. A young woman has been murdered in terrible circumstances, and the police officers try to establish who the murderer may be. In the process, they dig deep into the past of Clara, the victim, and her complicated sentimental life.

As we are told right at the beginning of the movie, about 80% of homicides in France are solved by the police, i.e. the culprit is identified and arrested, but, in 20% of cases, no one is ever charged. The film describes such a case. In other words, the detectives will not manage to pin the murder on any of the suspects known to them. From this premise, the film develops its narrative.

This is not a conventional thriller. There are no fireworks. It is more in the tradition of social realism, but focused on police work, here. The police officers, in their various ways, are quite ordinary. And yet the film is fascinating in what it shows and examines. The investigation draws us into the story as if we were the detectives conducting the police work: each time they question a suspect, we cannot help but think that he is the one, and they will be able to corner him, to expose him. In this sense, the film is supremely well and very skilfully crafted.

The underlying, burning questions are never far from the surface of the events, tragic or not: how do you cope with pure evil when you are confronted with it? How does it affect those who have had to deal with it as part of their job? The lead officer, Yohan (Bastien Bouillon), is remarkably uncharismatic, to the point of being almost dull, but this is probably deliberate on the part of the director: he does not say much, and yet he sees and understands everything, taking it all on the chin, unable or unwilling to turn the impact of reality on him into words.

Overall, a very good film.

Police Procedural Story That Lacks And Suspense. - The Night of the 12th review by GI

This is a routine French police procedural that starts superbly but fizzles out to a most disappointing ending. In 2016 a young girl on her way home is brutally murdered and a top investigative team is drafted in to save the crime. hey soon discover the girl was promiscuous and several 'boyfriends' surface as suspects. meanwhile some of the police team have their own relationship issues to deal with. I won't give away the ending over than to say the investigation drags on and you'll be very disappointed. A shame really as this had potential.

Riveting murder mystery - The Night of the 12th review by Alphaville

This impeccably realised film follows a bunch of cops as they investigate the murder of a teenage girl in a French alpine town. With masterful storytelling, interesting characters and an enigmatic soundtrack, it’s engrossing from Frame 1. Every scene moves the plot forward with no slack. As the investigation becomes increasingly fraught, along with the investigating cops, it becomes ever more involving and moving. A masterclass in its genre.