Reflection in a Dead Diamond, directed by Bruno Forzani and Hélène Cattet, centers on a retired spy whose quiet life on the French Riviera unravels after his neighbor’s disappearance forces him to confront the ghosts of his past.
Starring in the movie are Fabio Testi, Yannick Renier, Koen De Bouw, Maria De Medeiros, Céline Camara and newcomer Thi Mai Nguyen.
The film premiered at the 75th Berlin International Film Festival followed by the Tribeca Film Festival. It will have a limited theatrical release in the US starting November 21, 2025, then streaming on Shudder starting on December 5.
Here’s the synopsis: When the mysterious woman in the room next door disappears, a debonair 70-year-old ex-spy living in a luxury hotel on the Côte d’Azur is confronted by the demons and darlings of a lurid past in which moviemaking, memories and madness collide.
In an interview, husband-and-wife team Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani explained their inspiration for the film, saying “It all started when we saw Monte Hellman’s Road to Nowhere in 2010, starring Fabio Testi. He reminded us of Sean Connery, and was wearing a white suit that reminded us of Dirk Bogarde in Visconti’s Death in Venice . That’s when we said to ourselves: “But why not create a universe mixing James Bond with Death in Venice , two antithetical cinemas, and see what happens?” Over the years, the exhibitions we’ve seen, the world we live in, the places we know, etc., have nourished this universe… Finally, Christophe Honoré’s staging of the opera La Tosca and his unconventional approach to a great classic finally gave us the impetus to write.
In their review Variety wrote “The latest eyegasm from the French couple behind “The Strange Colour of Your Body’s Tears” continues their pop-art worship of guilty-pleasure ’60s cult cinema.” But added, “While such sight gags amuse, the movie is so wedded to its genre that no part of it seems rooted in reality.”
Watch the trailer for Reflection in a Dead Diamond above.
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