In the House

A gifted young writer (Ernst Umhauer) catches the attention of his teacher (Fabrice Luchini) with a quick writing assignment that probes much deeper and reveals much more than the instructor ever planned. The boy’s talent is outweighed only by the curiosity of his subject: Himself, snaking his way into a richer classmate’s seemingly perfect domestic life. The title In the House describes exactly that, the chapters of work the student dedicates to becoming one of the normal, well-adjusted people he imagines behind his classmate’s door, and the lengths he’ll go to get there. Director François Ozon goes to great lengths, too, revealing both an uneasiness with voyeurism and how easy it is for someone to slip into it. This is one of those movies where you know a big ending is in the works, but credit Ozon for never letting on exactly what it is.