Movies

The film follows Ellias Barnes (played by Marc-André Grondin), a successful young creative director at a Paris fashion house, whose glamorous life revolves around high society. Despite appearing to be at the peak of his career, Ellias begins to experience chest pains. When his estranged father dies unexpectedly in Montreal, Ellias travels there to take care of the formalities, only to discover a dark and shocking family secret. Legrand masterfully builds a slow yet ever-intensifying sense of menace. Through atmosphere and minimalism, he draws the viewer into a spiral of unease as Ellias realises that he has inherited far worse than his father's weak heart. This tragic tale of toxic masculinity and inherited evil is distinguished by its disciplined use of the camera and its ability to create an intense and shocking cinematic experience.

The Successor, the second feature film by the acclaimed French director Xavier Legrand, is a tense psychological thriller. It skilfully transforms from an elegant portrayal of the world of high fashion into a claustrophobic nightmare.