Scribe review – tense but overcomplicated thriller

Shades of The Conversation and The Lives of Others colour this French thriller from Thomas Kruithof, about a man (François Cluzet) who is offered a job transcribing surveillance recordings. The ominous chill of the sound design and decent work from an impressive cast help to create an atmosphere that sucks the very oxygen from the cinema as the tension mounts. Unfortunately, too many layers of convoluted double-crossing, and motives as murky as the grim production design, rob the film of a satisfying sign-off.