The Crimson Rivers (2000) ***1/2

Mathieu Kassovitz’s The Crimson Rivers (2000) is an above-average psychological thriller with an enticing, isolated snowy mountain setting (featuring the beautiful Mont Blanc) backed by an intriguing, Bernard Herrmannesque score by Bruno Coulais. 

Its beats are familiar for anyone versed in the serial killer cinema playbook but there is enough stylish cinematography and strong performances (plus a random and hilarious but awesome techno-soundtracked fight scene) to keep the film entertaining throughout. The ending may seem to come out of left field but it’s perfectly suitable for those with a love of gialli. 

Recommended for fans of The Silence Of The Lambs (1991) (review), Insomnia (both its 1997 and 2002 (review) incarnations), Se7en (1995), and Alfred Hitchcock.