A British crime novelist travels to her publisher's upmarket summer house in Southern France to seek solitude in order to work on her next book. However, the unexpected arrival of the publisher's daughter induces complications and a subsequent crime.
Acting
Rampling's ice queen vs. Sagnier's chaotic sun-cooked energy.
Cinematography
That pool becomes a character—glittering, menacing, inescapable.
Direction
Ozon keeps you guessing whose fantasy you're actually watching.
Director
François Ozon
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Ozon originally conceived this as a collaboration with Rampling after their success with 'Under the Sand,' tailoring the role specifically to her glacial, unreadable presence.
The swimming pool itself was built for the film and became such an iconic image that it essentially functions as the movie's second poster—despite not appearing in any key promotional material.
GB
