At the start of the Algerian War, a French teacher named Daru is ordered to escort a dissident, Mohamed, to the authorities to face trial for murder. The two form a bond that forces Daru to question where his loyalties lie.

Adapted from Albert Camus’s short story about the Algerian War, David Oelhoffen’s western-styled drama is psychologically intense, beautifully shot, and imbued with moral questions regarding war and colonialism. Viggo Mortensen gives one of his finest performances as a French teacher in Algeria.