20-Minute Tension Overload: Summer’s Most Stressful Movie Scene Revealed in “Rapaces”!

In the summer of 2022, Dominik Moll released “La Nuit du 12,” a powerful thriller that tackled the issue of femicides from a police officer’s perspective. In Peter Dourountzis’s “Rapaces,” the subject of femicide and investigation resurfaces, but this time it’s conducted by journalists.

The screenplay is co-written by Christophe Cantoni, a former journalist for the magazine Détective. The newspaper serves as the starting point for the film. The story follows Samuel (played by Sami Bouajila), a reporter, and his daughter, Ava (Mallory Wanecque), an intern at the newsroom. As they cover the death of a young girl attacked with acid, the pair connects it to another similar crime.

A Thrilling Final Act

At the beginning of the film’s third and final act, the two main characters find themselves in a secluded restaurant near the road. What follows is a long, nearly 20-minute sequence of great effectiveness that ramps up the film’s intensity.

Of course, revealing the details would spoil the experience. The sequence is filled with suspense and a tightening trap. The director takes his time to build a climate of dread, relying on off-screen space to instill a deep sense of discomfort.

“I love the idea of taking the audience on a big thriller ride, and showing them that it’s all about plausible, accessible, everyday situations,” the filmmaker explains in the press kit.

Significant Influences

He continues: “Here, I wanted to stretch time, playing on a dual temporality. There’s the time of the customers dining peacefully; a time that stretches, dilates. And then there’s the silent urgency of Samuel and Ava, making the scene suffocating. Everyone can identify with the feeling of being trapped.“

Among the inspirations for “Rapaces,” the director cites, among others, Steven Spielberg’s “Duel,” Brian De Palma’s “Blow Out,” and Alan Parker’s “Mississippi Burning.” This certainly piques interest.

“Rapaces” hits theaters this July 2nd.