Fragile, unhappy, paralyzed by strange stomach pains, Chloe decides to see a psychotherapist. She meets Paul, who allows her to find a certain balance. A few months later, he ends her therapy and they become a couple. As they settle into a new apartment and a new life, Chloe meets a man in the street who looks just like Paul. Worried, she discovers that he is Paul’s twin brother, also a psychotherapist. Without telling Paul, she decides to pretend to be someone else and go to therapy sessions with his double...

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The first scene after the credits says it all: with Amant Double, François Ozon wants to astonish and push the boundaries of his brand of cinema, which has become more dull and ordinary than his debut, 1998’s offbeat comedy Sitcom. In the wake of Swimming Pool, Young and Beautiful and The New Friend, the director continues to question and have fun with sexuality, this time within a pure thriller that’s a little kitsch. But Ozon is not Brian de Palma. The flashy style, a profusion of mirrors, repetitive nudity, overly theatrical shots and a handful of scenes are designed to shock and create both discomfort and excitement, but it all comes out strange and prefabricated. Too much seriousness can’t keep up with the creepy aspect – this movie would have been better if it had embraced the silliness for a thriller worthy of its funny and ridiculous plot.