Tearing through its meagre 77-minute runtime, Deerskin wastes no time on plot set-up. It becomes quickly apparent that the storyline simply consists of: man buys deerskin jacket, man believes deerskin jacket should be the only jacket left in the world, man goes about destroying all other jackets in a remote French town. Considering there really is little else to this incredibly odd film, it does come as quite a surprise as to just how much fun it is.

Undeniably bonkers and shockingly gory, Deerskin demands you leave any questions at the door as, honestly, there are no answers to be found here. Instead, we get to witness the terrific Jean Dujardin as Georges, having a whale of a time as he stomps around in his deerskin attire, pretending to be a film director and enlisting the help of a gloriously fun Adèle Haenel. The remote setting epitomises the film’s perfect balance in tone between horror and black comedy, putting the audience permanently on edge, which certainly makes the laughs feel more unexpected as the film progresses.

Writer-director Quentin Dupieux is certainly no stranger to bizarre storylines, with his 2010 feature Rubber centering around a homicidal car tyre. But off-the-wall ideas aside, Deerskin eschews silliness in favour of dry humour and gory laughs, while giving Dujardin and Haenel room to have a lot of fun. Their unlikely friendship is the highlight of the film; it’s never clear whether Haenel’s Denise is quietly mocking Georges or if she does really feel affection towards him, but their chemistry is a delight to watch unfold as their situation gets wholly out-of-hand. 

An incredibly entertaining film that takes the audience in a very unexpected direction, Deerskin is deliciously dark and offbeat, with Dujardin and Haenel making it a truly captivating watch.

RATING: 4/5

INFORMATION

CAST: Jean Dujardin, Adèle Haenel, Albert Delpy

DIRECTOR: Quentin Dupieux

WRITER: Quentin Dupieux

SYNOPSIS: A man’s obsession with his designer deerskin jacket causes him to blow his life savings and turn to crime.