Erotic thrillers of ‘80s,’90s inspire twisty French film ‘The Origin of Evil’

By LINDSEY BAHR
AP Film Writer

A mysterious woman, down on her luck and working a miserable job makes contact with the extremely wealthy father she’s never met — and his suspicious heirs — in the French thriller “The Origin of Evil.” Though the title may conjure up associations with jump scares, hauntings and demonic possessions, this film, now playing in 200 theaters in North America, draws its inspirations not from horrors but from the psychological, erotic thrillers of the 1980s and 1990s. The mystery woman is played by Laure Calamy, from the French comedy series “Call My Agent!” The New York Times said it was ”‘Succession’ meets Brian De Palma.”