Red Lights

If Hitchcock were still alive he’d have made this film. Or maybe sued the people who made it, because it rips off a bunch of shots from Psycho. Still, if you’re going to rip someone off, Hitchcock is a pretty good bet. Red Lights is a clever little thriller that builds slowly and then becomes intensely engaging. Antoine and Hélène are on a road trip to pick up their children from summer camp. Antoine gets drunk; they argue, and Hélène leaves to take the train. Meanwhile, the radio broadcasts warnings about an escaped murderer. If you think you know where this is all going, well, you’re sort of right. But Red Lights keeps you guessing until just about the end, at which point it continues its seamless homage to American film-noir by tipping its hat to underappreciated classic Hot Rods to Hell. If you like old-fashioned suspense, and are willing to sit out the long set-up, this is one French film that should appeal to the American in you.