First Time Is A Charm For Henri-Georges Clouzot’s LES DIABOLIQUES

Classic movies are classic movies for a reason. 

Henri-Georges Clouzot’s Les Diaboliques has become a seminal film in the thriller genre, one that has been homaged and copied for decades – and even remade in 1996 with Sharon Stone (the less said about that the better, really). The original 1955 film sees Simone Signoret and Véra Clouzot as a wife and mistress who plot to murder their abusive lover (Paul Meurisse). Their plot is a success – but then the body goes missing…

Based on Pierre Boileau’s novel, Les Diaboliques was one of the first thrillers to feature a twist ending and the French-language film had a tremendous impact on Hitchcock who used the film as an inspiration for Psycho, while the master of suspense would also adapt a Boileau novel for Vertigo.

Les Diaboliques is a great film, with plenty of nuance and a lot of intriguing plot points. It might not be as good second time around – but the first time is well-worth it!