Alain Guiraduie’s latest film Misericordia is a mystery, a comedy, a drama, or some combination of the above tags. But that label still don’t quite hit the mark. That’s the sneaky power of this French director’s work to date. Even his most celebrated previous film, the thrilling masterpiece Stranger by the Lake, avoided easy categorization as it toyed with genre types. 

While Misericordia does have cinematic precedent (shades of Claude Chabrol’s Le Boucher and the many adaptations of Patricia Highsmith’s Tom Ripley stories casting shadows throughout), it remains slippery and elusive. No matter where you think Guiraduie is headed, he has an entirely different path mapped out. 

The core of the story is a murder—a brutal crime of passion that takes place in the damp woods outside the small French village of St. Martial. We see the killing about to take place, but wince less at the bloodshed than at the knowledge that the ripple effects of the action are going to affect absolutely everyone. 

Until that point, Guiraudie focuses on Jérémie (Félix Kysyl), a young man who returns to St. Martial after the death of his former boss and mentor. His arrival in the village is a catalyzing force, electrifying everyone around him. No one is more affected than Vincent (Jean-Baptiste Durand), his former friend. Their demeanor toward one another suggests a past sexual situationship, without expressing anything outright. They tussle playfully a bit, leaving only a frisson of tension that grows stronger as Jérémie overstays his welcome. 

But what is JĂ©rĂ©mie up to as he cozies up to Vincent’s mom, Martine (a brilliant Catherine Frot)? Or when he ingratiates himself upon Walter (David Ayala), an acquaintance who JĂ©rĂ©mie otherwise ignored when they were schoolmates? In both cases, JĂ©rĂ©mie’s motivations are foggy and only become more so during sensually charged encounters with both. 

The question of just what JĂ©rĂ©mie is playing at permeates everything, preoccupying both the characters and the audience. Which is just how Guiraudie likes it. The actions  of Misericordia’s main character could be read as calculating or wildly impulsive. The director knows that viewers bring their own biases and expectations to the theater, and he fucks with all of them.

Guiraudie doesn’t follow the recipe for an easy to swallow cinematic experience. Instead, Misericordia provides something far more delectable: a sweet and sour morsel to be savored and considered for days after.

Misericordia opens at Fox Tower 10 on Fri Apr 11.