After making a big impression in 2021 with his debut feature La Nuée, French director Just Philippot is at it again with his second film, Acide, which was released to the public on September 20, 2023. With this work, the filmmaker once again blows us away, and establishes himself in the Pantheon of the best French-speaking genre filmmakers. Here's a look back at a nightmarish thriller that kept us on the edge of our seats from start to finish!
Like La Nuée, Acide is also a fantastic film about nature and climate change. After a punchy introductory sequence, we meet Michal, played by Guillaume Canet, his ex-wife Élise(Laetitia Dosch) and their daughter Selma(Patience Munchenbach). A dysfunctional family facing an unprecedented catastrophe: a deadly acid rain storm.
And what a wonderful idea for a genre film! With this very simple background, filmmaker Just Philippot manages to deploy an impressive, and above all terrifying, device. Philippot is perfectly at ease staging moments of panic and chaos, and the first rain sequence is a veritable nightmare with no escape. The tension is palpable, and you soon find yourself breathless.
Fortunately, the director has no trouble renewing both his direction and his script. Each scene of tension and horror focuses on a different facet of these deadly rains, and Philippot knows exactly how to pace his sequence to make it work at its best. And Rob' s brilliant soundtrack adds to the chills felt throughout the film.
Acide is a real feat, and after two such successful films, Just Philippot is definitely one of the filmmakers to keep an eye on for all genre film fans.
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