FFFA: Maldoror

Maldoror

Australian Premiere

“Maldoror vigorously evokes the epic tales of crime and punishment that became a Sidney Lumet hallmark in 1970s American cinema.” – Screen Daily

This brutal and gripping police procedural thriller is loosely based on a serial killer case that rocked Belgium in the 1990s and led to a full reform of the country’s police force.

Paul Chartier (Anthony Bajon, Teddy, FFFA 2021) is a hot-tempered young police recruit, who is assigned to a surveillance operation with the codename ‘Maldoror’. This secret unit has been formed to keep watch on the prime suspect in the case of an abduction of two young girls. But when the operation fails due to incompetence and inaction by Chartier’s colleagues, the young cop decides to take matters into his own hands, becoming completely consumed by the case in the process.

Anchored by a towering performance by Bajon, Maldoror is a nail-biting, labyrinthine true crime thriller that explores the nature of evil and our willingness to confront it, no matter the personal cost.

Festivals & Awards
Venice Film Festival 2024
BFI London Film Festival 2024
São Paulo International Film Festival 2024
International Film Festival Rotterdam 2025

Rating

Unclassified 18+

Duration

153 min

Country

Belgium, France

Language

French (English Subtitles)

Cast

Anthony Bajon, Sergi López, Béatrice Dalle

Director

Fabrice du Welz