Malpertuis

Harry Kümel's 1972 Belgian film adapts Jean Ray's novel of the same name and is one of the strangest works of European fantastic cinema. A young sailor finds himself trapped in the labyrinthine mansion of his occultist uncle, where the eccentric relatives all seem to be holding a dark secret. What that secret turns out to be changes the genre expectation entirely. Orson Welles gives a short performance as the dying uncle that nonetheless forms the film's centre of gravity. Kümel's visual language rests on the colour and texture of Flemish painting; the house is not a set, it is the film itself. The version released was shortened by the producer, and a director's cut surfaced years later; the difference between the two is large. Who it's for: viewers interested in European fantastic cinema, gothic adaptations and Harry Kümel's work. Who it's not for: anyone wanting a clear plot and explanation, or starting without knowing which version they are watching.