A fixed shot of a pretty white stone house, lost in the middle of the orange groves and the arid lands of California. Violin, flute and clarinet notes speed up, slow down, reminiscent of Hitchcock films. The atmosphere is set from the outset, of the suspense thriller genre, when “Contrecoups” begins, posted online on Friday March 18 on Netflix. Slowly, the director places his pawns.
Long tracking shots make us discover the interior of the opulent residence. We linger on a sculpture, a living room, the swimming pool. He cleverly baits us with always this little heady music in the ear. A man, with an ordinary look, full beard, wanders in the building. Who is he ? Where is he from ? We understand that he is not at home. He visits, like us.
We are waiting for the turning point, which is not long in coming. In the background, the strings of the violins move. As the man is about to leave, a car arrives on the property. A couple gets out and enters the house. They are the owners and they come to spend a few days in their second home. The visitor hides. Before being quickly discovered. He decides to demand money for their freedom.
A surprising outcome
A breathless closed session begins between these three people of whom we do not know much. No first name. The woman is young and pretty (Lily Collins, the heroine of “Emily in Paris”), his serious face, his words are thoughtful. Her husband, impressive Jesse Plemons, a little paunchy, is a millionaire in tech. Their kidnapper, played by Jason Segel (“How I Met Your Mother”) is not talkative.
Why does he want this couple? What outcome will this partition find? It’s exhilarating and breathtaking. This rhythm, made up of long silences, slow tracking shots, and innocuous discussions that suddenly shift, catches us. Everyone hides their secrets, their cracks.
Charlie McDowell, the director, is having fun, and so are we. The balance of power shifts, the roles are reversed, without the tension ever slackening. The ending does not provide all the answers. We are with this trio, cut off from the world, like on a theater stage. Without ever guessing the outcome, surprising.
« Backlash », film by Charlie McDowell, with Lily Collins, Jesse Plemons and Jason Segel. Duration: 1h32.