Alice and Luc (Natacha Régnier) and (Jérémie Renier), having committed a murder, (of Said, played by Salim Kechiouche) go on the run. The pair of them are, as you may imagine, perverse, but not always logical in their perversity.
In this French film, the two impetuous youngsters bury the deceased Said in a forest, get lost and take refuge in a cottage, where a hermit called Karim takes a fancy to Luc and has an intense dislike for Alice. From here, events become less and less predictable and more and more grimly enjoyable.
The meaning behind this curious tale is open to interpretation. There is a certain adult fairy-tale quality to it. The location and atmosphere have a story-book flavour. 'Criminal Lovers’ is odd and unfathomable, unyielding and tremendously well-acted.