Sauvage is a hard-hitting debut from French director Camille Vidal-Naquet, an intimate portrait of a young, transient male prostitute navigating the choppy waters of his chosen lifestyle. It’s a raw experience, explicit and unflinching in its depictions of sex and emotional turbulence.

Félix Maritaud is mesmerising in the lead role. The film rests entirely on his shoulders, and he carries it admirably with a brave performance. The supporting performances in the film are also note-worthy. The world we are thrust into is almost exclusively populated by ‘whores’ and johns, but there is an honest individualism to each character that makes it feel authentic and realistic.

Sauvage won’t find an audience with everyone, but those who don’t mind being put out of their comfort zone will find an at times uncomfortable, thoroughly engaging and surprisingly touching experience.