The Cry of the Owl 1987

Parisian illustrator Robert Christophe Malavoy becomes consumed by the image of a young woman, Juliette Mathilda May. Night after night, he sneaks around the house to catch a glimpse of Juliette, until one day he gathers the courage to introduce himself. Juliette realizes that she is not happy with her fiancé, Patrick Jacques Penot, and leaves him to be with Robert. Robert, however, is not happy with Juliette’s persistent advances, and the uneasy dynamic between them begins to tilt toward obsession rather than romance.

One night, Patrick attacks Robert in a deserted area; Robert defends himself and knocks Patrick unconscious, leaving him on the shores of a nearby river. The next day, the police question Robert, under the watch of the commissioner Jean-Pierre Kalfon. Patrick is missing, and suddenly Robert is the prime suspect. Unbeknownst to the investigators, Patrick has allied with Robert’s bitter ex-wife, Véronique Virginie Thévenet, to take revenge on Robert; Patrick hides while Véronique sows doubt to make the authorities believe Robert killed him.

Robert’s professional and private life rapidly deteriorate as the investigation tightens and rumor and fear spread through his circle. The mounting pressure coincides with a deeper emotional unraveling, and the situation escalates when Juliette dies by suicide, prompting Patrick to intensify his vendetta against Robert. In the aftermath, a final clash between the two men erupts, during which Véronique is accidentally killed, and although Patrick is ultimately defeated, Robert is left again as a suspect in an apparent crime scene. The film closes on a note of unresolved guilt and paranoia, as the truth remains elusive and the wounded artist faces the consequences of a desire that blurred the lines between passion and peril.