When a young girl is found raped and murdered in a slumbering fishing community, the newly-appointed female chief of police identifies René, a washed-up artist as the primary suspect. His seemingly devoted wife supports him in the face of rumors, while conducting an illicit liaison with a writer.

As Chabrol’s thrillers are rarely straightforward, this tragic tale is not only a character study but also a portrait of a community torn apart by grief and distrust. The painterly yet naturalistic cinematography is deceptively pleasant as deceits bubble underneath the serendipitous landscape.