Follow the Arrow [Marc Saez, France, 2012]

A short thriller from French director Marc Seaz, Follow the Arrow tells the story of a man, a woman and a hunt slash obsession between that forms between the two of them.

It’s a film that is visually rich from the start. From the first shot there are some great examples of what can be done with darkness on film, with the shadows feeling both foreboding and strangely inviting. Splashes of red also add to the uneasy tone of the film, whether it be the female lead’s red dress in a dark bar or faded blood on a sink. The camerawork is strong too, with some interesting usage of rack focus and evocative shots of a city by night.

Both leads (Veronique Picciotto and Jean-Marie Lamour) give fantastic performances, with Picciotto doing a lot to make her character feel like she has an internal life and Lamour riding the line expertly between charming and intense. The musical score also adds a lot to the scenes between the leads as it constantly feels as if it is building towards a climax.

Thematically, Follow the Arrow explores relationships, courtship and how these can often take over our lives and become an obsession.