1998 · thriller · revenge · drama
Secret Defense
Directed by Jacques Rivette2h 54m1998
After biologist Sylvie discovers her brother Paul trying to steal a gun from her lab, he explains that he wishes to avenge the death of their father whom he suspects died at the hands of his business partner.
Our read: Secret Defense (1998) reads as a sombre, measured, inventive thriller · revenge · drama entry — measured in intensity, mid-stakes in scope, cold in temperature, nihilistic in outlook, with a strong directorial signature.
Sombre, measured, measured thriller / revenge, inventive in texture. Nihilistic, mid-stakes, cold.
- sombre
- measured
- intense
- bleak
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Availability in the US · via JustWatch
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How Secret Defense feels to watch.
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What watching it is actually like.
“You want a deliberate slow French arthouse mystery full of paranoia.”
Skip it tonight — You need fast plots and constant action.
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