while iain reid's novel extracts horror from blood and dread, charlie kaufman's interpretation extracts it from existentialism, from the unavoidability of aging, from the unease of being perceived, from the eeriness permeating the claustrophobic atmosphere. they both tell the same story in completely different ways, which is exactly what a book-to-film adaptation should aim to do.

in the book, there's a fascinating passage about how humans need allegory and metaphor in order to more comprehensively understand the world around us.…

“do all lovers feel they’re inventing something?”

the clandestine stealing of forbidden glances. the thankless task of trying to tamp a lover’s image into the folds of your brain. the dread of said image’s inevitable fading. the smoldering slow-burn of impossible yearning, and the explosive fireworks when it’s finally reciprocated. the sizzling sound of a final farewell.

director céline sciamma packs each frame with tangible emotion, and she does it all without a manipulative score. we know exactly what to…