A gripping portrayal of growing up and the dangerous isolation of being a misfit.

Swiss filmmaker Katharina Wyss’ debut is a powerful statement about growing up. Filmed in a 4:3 ratio to give every frame an uneasy claustrophobia we follow Sarah as she tries to connect with those around her. Her family life is bizarre, with not so subtle hints of incest. Sarah’s only outlet is to abandon herself onstage at her theatre group. But like many young imaginative and disturbed people Sarah falls into a dangerous waltz with depression.

Loane Balthasar’s fearless performance as Sarah drives the film and the realism in the direction makes it feel achingly true. Rich opulent colours dominate the colour palette of the film which gives it a sense of excess that veers towards the grotesque, a metaphor for Sarah’s psyche perhaps. Another aspect of the cinematography and style of the film that I enjoyed was he lingering shots on critiques of theatre performances, opera and Nietzsche which is very indie French cinema.

Overall, Sarah joue un loup-garou is a fantastic psychological journey into the mind of a girl on the cusp of womanhood who is too fragile to survive in a harsh and indifferent world.