‘The Five Devils’ Review – An Unapologetically Queer Witchy Drama

Directed By: Lea Mysius

Starring: Adèle Exarchopoulos, Sally Dramé

Plot Summary: Vicky, a strange and solitary little girl, has a magical gift: she can reproduce any scent she likes, and collects them in a series of carefully labeled jars. She has secretly captured the scent of Joanne, her mother for whom she nurtures a wild, excessive love. When her father’s sister Julia bursts into their life, Vicky reproduces her smell and is transported into dark and archaic memories which lead her to uncover the secrets of her village, her family and her own existence.

For better or worse, you cannot deny that Lea Mysius’s follow up to Ava (2017), The Five Devils, is a real oddball movie. Whatever you may think of the final product, the movie is sure to leave you with a mixture of thoughts and feelings. It’s a challenging movie in that it is not dumbed down or made palatable for a mass audience. There is something both exciting and alienating about this, but you have to respect that this vision is clearly and unabashedly Lea Mysius.

The movie itself is a bit of a mixed bag, working on some levels whilst failing on others. From the very first minutes of the film, Mysius really knows how to grab your attention with a narrative that is mysterious and beguiling. It is this completely unapologetic queer-witchy flavor that makes this such a standout film. The Five Devils has a way of making you always feel off-balance in a good way, and you are kept engaged simply because you don’t exactly know where the film is heading. The blending of the more whimsical elements serves to add a layer that sets this apart from other genre-bending outings.

The glue that holds this film together is truly the powerhouse performances. When you strip out the more fantastical elements of this film, it’s a marital drama. Adèle Exarchopoulos gives a raw and altogether bold turn as a wife that is hanging on by the barest of threads. Even when she comes totally undone, she never crosses into camp. It’s knowing this line that is the mark of a true actor. Newcomer Sally Dramé is also great and showcases a level of maturity that is rare in child actors. Couple this with a stellar visual style and well thought out shot composition, and you have the makings of a wild experience.

Sadly, this is where the positives come to an end. Mysius has a lot of interesting ideas that she piles one on top of the other. This would be fine, if not for the fact that these threads never feel like they totally come together in a way that makes narrative sense. Even those used to more abstract films may find themselves feeling like things are needlessly confusing and at times contrived. While not every film has to conform to a mainstream demographic, you still need to convey your thesis statement in a way that feels clear.

The film might receive more of a pass if the entire experience was meant to work as a tome-poem rather than grounded in any kind of reality. While yes, you can straddle the line between fantasy and reality, it takes an exceptional level of writing skill to pull it off well. While the drama and the relationship dynamics keep you invested, the movie never offers any true scares, or any hard-hitting psychological underpinning. This latter point is really where this movie misses the mark. Outside of a few memorable sequences, there is nothing that really sticks with you in terms of dread and white-hot horrific moments.

Despite its flaws, The Five Devils never plays it safe, which is an achievement on its own. A movie always has some level of value when it is completely assured in its identity. While it may not connect with everyone, the impressive Rotten Tomatoes score proves that some people will respond very positively to it. This is far from a bad film, and it is more than worth a shot to judge for yourself. 

The Five Devils is currently playing in select theaters courtesy of MUBI. 

[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlU6SSYIMYc]