The Five Devils (Les cinq diables)
Directed by Léa Mysius
Written by Paul Guilhaume and Léa Mysius
Starring Adèle Exarchopoulos, Swala Emati, Sally Dramé, and Moustapha Mbengue
Unrated
Runtime: 103 minutes
In theaters March 24 and Streaming on Mubi May 12

by Tori Potenza, Staff Writer

The realization that your parents are flawed is an essential part of growing up. It can also be a surreal, trying time for a child. When the fantasy you had of your parents fades away, there are a variety of hard, complex feelings that come along with it. This particular growing pain is an essential part of Léa Mysius' new film, The Five Devils. While the story has mysterious fantasy elements that make it fit well amongst other genre films, it mainly functions as a compelling family drama. Ultimately, this is a tender portrait of a family confronting a traumatic past with the help of generational magic.

Vicky Soler (Sally Dramé) is an eight year old who looks up to her parents and spends much of her time following her mom around. She is a loner who often gets picked on by the other kids at school so when she is not with her parents, she is often alone. Her mom, Joanne (Adèle Exarchopoulos), begins to notice her daughter has an uncanny sense of smell, something she mainly keeps to herself as she worries what her husband, Jimmy (Moustapha Mbengue), would think about it. Around the same time, Jimmy invites his estranged sister Julia (Swala Emati) to stay with them. It becomes clear that Julia’s presence unnerves Joanne and the other people in their small town. Vicky notices this and wants to understand what her family has been hiding. Luckily her sense of smell is able to help transport her back to the past to get a glimpse into the lives of her family members before she was born.

The Five Devils has similar storytelling devices as other magical realist films like the classic Eve’s Bayou and You Won’t Be Alone, which came out last year. They all focus on young girls who have a connection to some sort of magical power that gives them insight into worlds they do not understand. Whether uncovering family secrets, learning about the outside world, or a combination of both, these girls explore family ties and human nature with their unique gifts. Sally Dramé’s performance as Vicky fits in perfectly with these other incredible movies. Through her eyes we once again experience the confusion and pain that comes with accepting the adult world. Mysius reminds us that even when we think children are too young to know what is going on, they are able to pick up on much more than we expect them to.

The movie also does a great job at alluding to essential story elements without having to outright say what is going on. This is set in a small town where many people spend their entire lives. So gossip, rumors, and history often pepper the townspeople’s views of people they do not understand. In flashbacks, we see that Julia was treated like an outsider partially because of the strange behavior she exhibits but also because she is one of the only BIPOC individuals in the town. We also see Vicky struggling with this in the present. Because they are different, they are easily blamed for anything strange that goes on. It shows the small town paranoia that is often fueled by racism, and other prejudices. These simple moments in the movie speak volumes to how these small towns can tap into their own kinds of witch hunts by ostracizing those they think are different. Considering that Vicky and Julia both have some kind of magical connection, this makes those witch elements of the story even stronger.

The movie enhances these witchy vibes further with the use of elemental imagery; specifically around water and fire. Red and blue are colors the family is frequently wearing and often take up the background of scenes. Jimmy works as a firefighter while Joanne is a swim coach at a local pool. Fire and water also play essential roles in their shared traumatic past, and in the climax of the film. Vicky’s love of the forest and collecting natural samples she finds there add in earth elements to the story. The three main women of the story all have powerful connections to this whether they exhibit magical powers or not.

Its subtle connections to witchcraft and childhood curiosity are all beautifully spun together. The story structure also allows us to unveil the family mystery along with Vicky. So we go through the movie making assumptions or judgments on the characters based on what we see only to then realize what they have collectively dealt with for years. We see Vicky make these same judgments and reactions, often lashing out because she simply does not understand. Watching her work through her own anxieties and fears is compelling, and very relatable.

Léa Mysius crafts a movie that is able to explore how people react differently to trauma, and gives us an opportunity to empathize with the individual struggles everyone is working to overcome. It is an important reminder that excavating the past is not always about finding fault or blame, but simply understanding how someone else felt. Life does not often give us opportunities to revisit the past and find ways to make amends, so getting to see others have this chance feels therapeutic and satisfying. The Five Devils is a movie with plenty of heart and offers a kinder way to look into our past.