Film Review: LA MORT VIENDRA: Sophie Verbeeck Shines in an Intriguing Crime Story That Gets Too Violent Towards the End [Locarno 2024]

La Mort viendra Review

La Mort viendra / Death Will Come (2024) Film Review from the 77th Annual Locarno Film Festival, a movie directed by Christoph Hochhäusler, written by Ulrich Peltzer and Christoph Hochhäusler and starring Sophie Verbeeck, Louis-Do de Lencquesaing, Laura Sepul, Marc Limpach, Nassim Rachi, Hilde Van Mieghem, Luc Felt and Pitcho Womba Konga.

Christoph Hochhäusler has crafted a unique dramatic international crime picture called La Mort viendra. In the film, Charles Mahr (Louis-Do de Lencquesaing), an aging gangster, decides that he must learn the truth regarding the backstory of what has become of his courier, Yann (Pitcho Womba Konga). Charles enlists an investigator named Tez (Sophie Verbeeck), a tough-as-nails woman who is ready to help Charles get to the bottom of what is going on before it’s too late. But, is it already too late as Charles has penned a letter to his wife that he’s demanding not to be opened til a later date? The details in that letter will spell out the fate for many of those involved. La Mort viendra doesn’t play games as it digs into its compelling premise and it’s ultra-violent towards the end which works against it considering the heavy, compelling themes that were explored here. This film could have been a bit more but is still well-acted and interesting despite its occasionally problematic third act.

The film opens as we meet the courier, Yann, who demands that his food be delivered to him in his hotel room before it gets cold. He is soon brutally murdered which leads Charles to stand to lose a lot of money. There is art work with a large amount of cash which is discovered and it makes Charles question whether or not he can explain to those who he owes money to those circumstances that have gotten in the way of Charles keeping his promise to them. When he seeks the help of Tez, there is hope that maybe he can figure out why things went down as they did. In the meantime, his caring wife receives a letter from him that she’s not supposed to open.

Key players in the action include Patric de Boer (Marc Limpach) and Carlo (Nassim Rachi). Both Limpach and Rachi deliver in terms of their performances. But, it’s the themes the movie explores that keep it interesting. Right from the start, we are treated to clever scenarios. We see a sexy doll that is meant to cure loneliness and one of our central characters seems baffled by its existence but is told it could be a profitable endeavor to sell them. The concept of a gangster in over his head who has everything to lose, including his reputation, is fascinating and the direction is capable of maintaining viewer curiosity in the events that transpire throughout the picture.

Tez is expertly played by Verbeeck in a performance that is layered and deep. Taz is determined even if there seems to be a less than optimistic outlook in the future of the scenario she is investigating. Verbeeck plays her with enthusiasm and edginess. She takes a liking to a female at a bar at one point and has charisma that makes the character one with some sort of respectful earnestness about her. She’s willing to fight for what she’s trying to accomplish though the movie gets heavy-handed with one gruesome killing towards the end that could make the film a turn off for people who would otherwise be very interested in the material.

Louis-Do de Lencquesaing is nothing short of exceptional. He keeps the movie from getting boring as there are some plot reveals which will create keen interest in the material at hand. The actor makes the part his own and commands the audience’s respect and attention at all times, criminal or not. That is not an easy feat.

The big secret of this film is what’s written in the letter that Charles has penned. Given the nature of the title, there is some significance in the way the picture is titled in regards to what is on the horizon for Charles but to say more would be wrong. There is a lot of captivating material here and the picture creates the emotional side of a failed gangster character who has put his life on the line due to the situation that has occurred with his courier. It will be up to the wildly ambitious Tez to see if there’s anything she can do to steer Charles’s fortune in another direction.

La Mort viendra is ultimately a powerfully rendered drama. It goes off on tangents at times with subplots that don’t always gel but the focus of the picture is sharp when it has to be and the ending, in particular, is devastatingly effective. Despite the formidable scenes of violence (one sequence in particular stands out as more intense than the others), this is the type of drama that can work for gangster fans, drama lovers and action fans equally. It’s great to see Verbeeck on-screen tearing into a character who could be featured in a spin-off series based on this film. There’s an idea.

Rating: 7/10

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