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Who is the monster in François Ozon’s twisted and sweaty reimagining of the Hansel and Gretel fairy tale? Is it Luc (Jérémie Renier), the young killer who has no idea how closeted he is? Is it the mysterious “man of the woods” (Miki Manojlović), the strange hermit who seemingly gives him refuge after he slays a classmate, Saïd (Salim Kechiouche), but then shows intentions toward Luc’s own body that could be carnal or cannibalistic? Or is it all really Alice (Natacha Régnier), whose criminal obsessions set the whole sordid affair in motion? Ozon’s misanthropic edge overweighs hints of misogyny in this New Queer French Cinema classic. – Richard Whittaker
