The Origin of Evil

Director: Sebastien Marnier, Cast: Laure Calamy, Doria Tillier, Dominique Blanc, Winner: Audience Award at Venice Film Festival, Frameline San Francisco International LGBTQ Film Festival, French with English subtitles, R

When Stéphane gets in touch with wealthy Serge, announcing that she is his long-abandoned daughter, his immediate family are none too thrilled. As Stéphane embarks on an extended visit in hopes of getting to know Serge, she also becomes entangled with the hostile women who share a tense existence in his beautifully appointed mansion by the sea: the restaurateur’s wife, his other daughter, a rebellious granddaughter, and a strangely off-putting housemaid, all of whom are clearly unsettled by the arrival of Serge’s newly announced heir. But Stéphane is a confident liar with secrets of her own, which writer-director Sébastien Marnier teases out with cool assurance in this wildly entertaining thriller that will keep you guessing all the way to the end. “This decadent murder-movie takes the online credo, ‘be gay, do crimes,’ and runs with it—to delicious results.” —New York Times