Custody

In some respects, Custody feels like a throwback to 1970s thrillers that seemed to spend two-thirds of their running time setting up their pre-ADHD audiences for a climactic burst of action at the end. Director Xavier Legrand’s debut feature film definitely has that same ticking timebomb feel to it as it tells its bleak story in stark documentary style, centering on the domestic tug-of-war between Miriam Besson (Léa Drucker) and her ex-husband Antoine (Denis Ménochet) for their 11-year-old child Julien (Thomas Gioria). Viewers learn early on that Antoine has been accused of some sort of spousal battery, but this is left ambiguous as Legrand lets the audience discover Antoine’s true nature for themselves. Antoine is adept at playing the victim while also being the victimizer, and he uses his allotted time with his son as a way of attempting to insinuate himself back into Miriam’s life and re-assert his role as dominating patriarch. Antoine is a complex ball of fleeting emotions, while Miriam maintains a calm head and never yields to her ex’s pleas for sympathy. But once Antoine finally boils over, Custody suddenly morphs into a bona fide horror film that makes Halloween look like a house party. Recommended. (M. Sandlin)