There are films that keep things simple – one linear plot, one overarching message – and there are films that like to keep you on your toes. The Five Devils, Léa Mysius’s mysterious romance thriller out today (13.04.2023), is definitely in the latter category. The French director’s second feature following her 2017 debut “Ava” (which won the SACD prize at Cannes), the film continues Mysius’s occupation with beautifully-filmed interwoven stories. The enigmatic plot centers on eight-year-old girl Vicky (Sally Dramé), who has an intensely close relationship with her mother Joanne (Palme d’Or winner Adèle Exarchopoulos) while ignoring her father, played by Moustapha Mbengue. But there’s something else going on: Vicky has an extraordinary sense of smell that allows her to access a person’s memories from their scent alone. When an aunt comes to visit the family’s French Alpine home, Vicky uses her special power to uncover the emotional turmoil of their past. Blending witchcraft, time travel and queer romance, The Five Devils is a film not afraid of ambiguity. Multi-layered narratives, strong performances and striking set pieces make it a challenging – and highly rewarding – watch. You can be among the first to see the film in Berlin at a special screening tonight (13.04, 20h) at Passage Kino in Neukölln, featuring a digital Q&A with director Léa Mysius. Tickets are available online and as part of a Mubi Go subscription via the app.
Text: Benji Haughton / Photos: F Comme Film, Trois Brigands Production; Daniel Horn & Yorck; Mubi
Passage Kino, Karl-Marx-Str.131, 12043 Berlin–Neukölln; map
The Five Devils special screening with director Q&A, 13.04.2023, 20h – tickets available online and on Mubi Go.
The Five Devils is released in cinemas today (13.04.2023) and online on Mubi from 02.06.2023. Ava can also be streamed on Mubi.
@mubideutschland
