The Night of the 12th ★★★
YOU’VE probably seen the set-up for The Night of the 12th before.
A police detective is haunted for many years by one particular case.
There’s no specific reason, other than he may picture the woman as being his own wife, sister or daughter.
Bastion Bouillon’s film stands out purely for the precision with which it is made, garnering the French film industry highest Caesar Award at 2022.
Yohan is one of the main detectives called in to investigate the murder of a young woman in a provincial centre.
The circumstances involving the petrol burning attack are particularly severe and turn up a range of suspects.
The investigation also raises key issues about the different manner in which police approach the death of an apparently promiscuous woman.
German director Dominick Moll brings a ruthless efficiency to the screen play adapted from a book and delivers a strong police procedural with a jarring ending in keeping with the overall realistic approach and nihilistic theme.