The Five Devils is a film directed by Léa Mysius, with screenplay by Léa Mysius, Paul Guilhaume, Léa Mysius, and Paul Guilhaume.

Story

The film centers on a young girl, Vicky. Vicky has an obsession with smell, and she’s able to recreate any scent. She keeps these scents in labeled jars, several of which are of her mother, Joanne. Her father’s sister, Julia re-enters their lives, and when Vicky recreates her scent, the result leads her to enter vivid memories that uncover family secrets.

Visuals

The film is set during the winter, and you can definitely feel that through the cold palette. It has some scenes that were really vibrant and beautifully shot. I especially loved the scene where Vicky is wearing some funky glasses that create a psychedelic effect.

Acting

Adèle Exarchopoulos as Joanne and Moustapha Mbengue as Jimmy were the standout actors. All of the emotions that they depicted felt realistic, and it was especially interesting seeing their complicated relationship unfold throughout the film. I really felt for both of their characters as you begin to discover their regrets.

Overall

The Five Devils was an interesting genre-bending film. I feel like the film could have cut out some of the scenes where Vicky smells the jar of Julia’s scent, because it would feel repetitive seeing very similar scenes. However, I still really enjoyed it. It was a unique story that centered upon the act of smelling and memory.