Beyond Fest review: 'Vincent Must Die' frustrates despite promising premise

LOS ANGELES, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- The French film Vincent Must Die, which screened at Beyond Fest in Los Angeles, is especially frustrating because it has such a clever idea. But, the execution of that premise is inconsistent.

Vincent (Karim Leklou) is at the office doing his job as a graphic designer when an intern starts beating him with a laptop. The next day, another coworker starts stabbing his hand with a pen.

Vincent discovers that the attacks begin any time he makes eye contact with another person. So, Vincent moves to his father's isolated house to stay away from potential attackers, i.e. everyone.

It doesn't take long for Vincent to yearn for human contact. Vincent does connect with Margeaux (Vimala Pons), a waitress who brings his orders out to his car.

Vincent develops a routine for getting by on his own, which makes it glaring when much simpler methods do not even occur to him. For example, he never thinks to blindfold Margeaux when they're sitting together.

But then, the film plays fast and loose with the direct eye contact rule too. There are lots of darting glances between Vincent and others, but plenty of times it is clear they made eye contact and did not trigger an attack.

The premise is a unique take on zombies, making them more personal zombies that only attack a single person. They are relentless, as not even a septic puddle will deter one from attacking poor Vincent.

Yet, if the rules are not consistent it's hard to get too invested in Vincent's plight. The film keeps fudging the eye contact rules begging the question: Why doesn't Vincent just stare at his feet any time he's within striking distance of another person?

Was his dad (Francois Chattot) immune, or is family compatible? They certainly looked each other in the eye.

The story also works as a parable on the COVID-19 pandemic. Isolation is the safest alternative for Vincent, and everywhere he goes he suspects strangers could kill him, because in this case they will literally try.

Vincent meets another person (Michaël Perez) who points him towards a community of Sentinels, people targeted by strangers for attack. The Sentinels have a website and message board where they share tips for staying safe, also like survivors of the COVID-19 pandemic.

This also isn't a Hollywood blockbuster that can show cities full of people mindlessly chasing Vincent. There are a few set pieces involving crowds that are well executed, better than one-on-one scenes that keep breaking the rules.

By the time Vincent Must Die asks pertinent questions, it has violated too many of its own rules. It asks which is worse, to be attacked or to be the mindless attacker? A valid question, but one that would be more poignant if the film had been consistent throughout.

XYZ Films will release Vincent Must Die in the U.S.

Fred Topel, who attended film school at Ithaca College, is a UPI entertainment writer based in Los Angeles. He has been a professional film critic since 1999, a Rotten Tomatoes critic since 2001, and a member of the Television Critics Association since 2012 and the Critics Choice Association since 2023. Read more of his work in Entertainment.