The Origin of Evil

Viewers who become impatient with The Origin of Evil in its first hour and consider bailing are wholly justified in their reasoning.

The latest feature from French filmmaker Sébastien Marnier initially presents itself as yet another film about rich people behaving badly, but lacks the scathing satire of such recent subgenre peers asTriangle of Sadness or The Menu.

The tale of suddenly homeless cannery worker Stéphane (Laure Calamy) connecting with her wealthy, estranged father Serge (Jacques Weber) as a means of last resort may be elegantly filmed, yet the barrage of cliché rudeness she endures at the hands of Serge’s wife Louise (Dominique Blanc), daughter George (Doria Tillier), and housekeeper Agnès (Véronique Ruggia) is enough to make one wonder if this story has a point.

Then around the halfway point, a revelation occurs about one of these individuals’ true identity and things take a deliciously dark turn. What was once an exercise in place-holding transforms into a fascinating portrait of deception and devious alliances, simultaneously shedding new light on its first hour and justifying practically everything in that build-up.

That doesn’t mean getting to that juncture isn’t a bit of a trial. But stick with The Origin of Evil — you'll be glad you did.

Grade: B-plus. Rated R. Now playing at the Fine Arts Theatre

(Photo: IFC Films)