Michel Serrault gives an extraordinary perfomance as ‘Dr Petiot’, a serial killer who lured Jews into his trap by offering them protection from the Nazis. The film’s expressionistic quality, emphasised by the heavy make-up of Petiot, and the deep focus photography, gives the film a nightmare quality reminiscent of the early German silent horror films. Indeed the film opens with scenes from one such film, plunging us into a world of evil. Based on a true character, Serrault’s perfomance is chilling.