The Successor on France 4: a thriller as captivating as it is destabilizing (review)

New film from Xavier Legrand after the triumphant Up to the Guard, this thriller about the post-mortem toxicity of a father manages to paralyze with irregularity.

Seven years after Until the Guard, Xavier Legrand has not returned to success with his latest film, The Successor, which attracted less than 50,000 spectators in French theaters when it was released in 2024. Catch-up session this Tuesday evening on France 4, and the next day for free streaming on the France Télévisions website. Our review:

A cinematic coup which won the César for best film and stunned with its description of patriarchal influence and family violence, Up to the Guard had set the bar of expectations high around Xavier Legrand. The talented director returns with a second feature film which this time shows how patriarchy also exerts brutality on adult men, and not only on women and children…