In “The Five Devils,” her beguiling and exquisitely crafted latest, French director Léa Mysius furthers the ideas of adolescent self-discovery and extraordinary perception that drove her riveting début film, “Ava,” even as she introduces new elements of supernatural intrigue and intergenerational trauma to her cinema. 

Whereas “Ava” set a coming-of-age story across one ephemeral summer, as experienced by a teenager soon expected to go blind, “The Five Devils” (now in theaters, streaming on Mubi May 12) finds Mysius and co-writer Paul Guilhaume, also the film’s director of photography, casting their gaze back through time to tell a story about the painful family secrets guarded by a young mother (Adèle Exarchopoulos, “Blue is the Warmest Color”) and the magical ability that empowers her child (Sally Dramé) to uncover them. 

Continue reading ‘The Five Devils’: Léa Mysius On The Material Magic Of 35mm Film & More [Interview] at The Playlist.

There are a ton of studies that talk about how smell is one of our senses that is able to trigger so many memories. But even the most astute senses of smell probably can’t compete with the young girl at the heart of the new film, “The Five Devils.”

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2023 We’ve Already Seen

As seen in the trailer for “The Five Devils,” the film follows the story of a young girl with the ability to not only pinpoint the differences in smells to a ridiculous degree but to replicate exact smells.

Continue reading ‘The Five Devils’ Trailer: Adèle Exarchopoulos Stars In Léa Mysius’ Acclaimed Thriller at The Playlist.

For years now, each and every project starring Adèle Exarchopoulos is worth getting excited about. And that’s saying something, considering she’s still only 29 years old. However, it’s been a decade since “Blue is the Warmest Color,” and since then, the actress has continued to collect a number of great performances in truly interesting and sometimes wonderful films. Her next feature, “The Five Devils,” likely continues that trend.

Continue reading ‘The Five Devils’ Teaser: Adèle Exarchopoulos Stars In Wild New Drama From Director Léa Mysius at The Playlist.

Yes, we’re still here with Best-of 2022 recaps and 2023 anticipated features; we know. We’re gluttons for punishment and maybe a little bit psycho. But yes, we obviously like to look ahead and look back, and our annual The Best Films Of [Insert Year Here] We’ve Already Seen feature is the perfect opportunity to do both.

READ MORE: The 25 Best Films Of 2022

The gist? Well, we’ve already made our list of the 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2023, which could have been much longer and will be expanded, by the very least, in our Sundance preview.

Continue reading The 25 Best Films Of 2023 We’ve Already Seen at The Playlist.

“The Five Devils,” from French director Léa Mysius, captivates from its very first seconds. We see Adèle Exarchopoulos in a sparkling gymnast outfit with other similarly dressed girls, all watching an enormous fire in the background; when she turns around, she is crying — fire, beauty, passion and death all conveyed in one image. But more striking than the themes that the shot conjures up are the many contrasts at play within it.

Continue reading ‘The Five Devils’ Review: Adèle Exarchopoulos Is A Force Of Nature In Léa Mysius’ Formally Stunning Drama [Cannes] at The Playlist.

Every child learns at a young age that smell and memory are closely linked, but what if one special child could harness that connection to her own ends? That’s the premise behind “The Five Devils” (“Les cinq diables“), the second feature from writer-director Léa Mysius that stars Adèle Exarchopoulos of “Blue Is the Warmest Color” fame. “The Five Devils” will premiere this weekend in the Director’s Fortnight section of the 2022 Cannes Film Festival.

Continue reading ‘The Five Devils’ Trailer: Léa Mysius’ Second Feature Makes A Lot Of Scents at The Playlist.