When Passion Crosses the Line to Predation

Read Time:5 Minute, 39 Second

MOVIE REVIEW
Trouble Every Day (Limited Edition) (4K UHD and Blu-ray)
–

Genre: Horror, Thriller, Erotic
Year Released: 2001, Eureka Entertainment 4K 2025
Runtime: 1h 41m
Director(s): Claire Denis
Writer(s): Claire Denis, Jean-Pol Fargeau
Cast: Vincent Gallo, Tricia Vessey, Béatrice Dalle, Alex Descas, Florence Loiret Caille, Nicolas Duvauchelle, Raphaël Neal, José Garcia, Aurore Clément
Where to Watch: available August 18, 2025, pre-order your copy here: www.eurekavideo.co.uk

RAVING REVIEW: Few films manage to combine intimacy and brutality with the confidence of TROUBLE EVERY DAY. Claire Denis’ first engagement with genre cinema is as much a meditation on the human body as it is a horror story — a slow, measured plunge into lust, hunger, and the territory where those instincts become indistinguishable. More than two decades after its controversial debut, the film has lost none of its ability to unsettle, disturb, and haunt. Think of a fusion of RAW, BYZANTIUM, and POSSESSION, with the lingering sting of IN MY SKIN.

The premise is deceptively simple. Newlyweds Shane (Vincent Gallo) and June (Tricia Vessey) arrive in Paris, evidently for a honeymoon. In reality, Shane is on a private mission, seeking out former colleague Léo Semenau (Alex Descas) for answers about past experiments into human sexuality. Léo, however, is in hiding, keeping his wife Coré (Béatrice Dalle) under lock and key — not out of jealousy, but to contain the cannibalistic lust unleashed by those very experiments. It’s a condition Shane feels stirring within himself, a hunger he’s desperate to suppress.

What Denis crafts from this setup is not a conventional narrative, but a sensory experience. Working with longtime cinematographer Agnès Godard, she captures moments that hover between eroticism and menace: the brush of skin in dim light, a locked door with something breathing behind it, the warm pulse of blood beneath flesh. The camera lingers not for shock but for observation, treating violence and desire as equal and inseparable forces.

The gore, when it comes, is unflinching. There are only a few extended scenes of outright violence, but the film’s deliberate pacing heightens their impact. Denis refuses to over-explain the nature of the condition afflicting Shane and Coré — the subplot exists only to suggest a possible origin, not to satisfy curiosity. The absence of answers forces the audience to dwell on the emotions and impulses that drive the characters, rather than on plot mechanics.

Dalle’s Coré is feral yet strangely sympathetic, a woman entirely consumed by the urges that imprison her. With minimal dialogue, Dalle communicates everything through movement, expression, and the unnerving calm that precedes her attacks. Gallo’s Shane is a tightly coiled presence; his stillness is of a man aware of his monstrous potential. Their performances are magnetic in different ways — one outwardly predatory, the other inwardly imploding.

The film’s place within what would later be labeled the “New French Extremity” is cemented by its willingness to push boundaries. Yet Denis’ approach is markedly different from that of some of her contemporaries. TROUBLE EVERY DAY doesn’t revel in excess; instead, it uses transgression as a lens through which to examine longing, guilt, and the limits of intimacy. Even its most explicit moments are shot with the same restraint as its quieter passages, maintaining a continuity of tone that makes the violence feel like a natural — if horrifying — extension of the romance.

The 2025 Masters of Cinema 4K restoration offers a renewed opportunity to appreciate this precision. The new transfer preserves the deep shadows and muted palette that are essential to the film’s mood, while also giving clarity to its textures — the play of light, the grain of Parisian interiors, the starkness of hospital corridors. The remastered soundtrack, anchored by Tindersticks’ haunting score, further deepens the atmosphere, blending mournful melodies with uneasy silences.

This restoration also includes valuable extras that frame the film within both Denis’ career and its broader cultural impact. Interviews and essays dissect the way TROUBLE EVERY DAY straddles the line between arthouse and horror, highlighting its influence on later filmmakers who sought to blend sensuality with savagery. For a work so polarizing at release, it’s telling that time has largely vindicated its artistic ambitions.

Of course, the film’s deliberate pace and storytelling style will still alienate some viewers. Those expecting a traditional horror structure — with clear exposition, escalating suspense, and a cathartic resolution — may find its refusal to follow that structure frustrating. The violence is impactful precisely because it is not constant, but for those seeking a more visceral ride, the long stretches of quiet may feel indulgent. Yet it’s this very aspect that allows TROUBLE EVERY DAY to sit with you. The film doesn’t end so much as fades out, leaving images and sensations behind like aftershocks. It’s an approach that prioritizes mood over closure, trusting the audience to accept that not every horror can be neatly contained or explained.

Denis’ ability to merge the carnal and the monstrous without tipping into exploitation marks it as a work of precision and intent. This new restoration ensures that its beauty and uneasy intimacy can be experienced with the clarity it has never had on home release. For those willing to surrender to its pace and poetry, it offers an intoxicating, unsettling vision that still feels as dangerous as it did in 2001.

Please visit https://linktr.ee/overlyhonestr for more reviews.

You can follow me on Letterboxd, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. My social media accounts can also be found on most platforms by searching for 'Overly Honest Reviews'.

I’m always happy to hear from my readers; please don't hesitate to say hello or send me any questions about movies.

[photo courtesy of EUREKA ENTERTAINMENT]

DISCLAIMER:
At Overly Honest Movie Reviews, we value honesty and transparency. Occasionally, we receive complimentary items for review, including DVDs, Blu-rays, CDs, Vinyl Records, Books, and more. We assure you that these arrangements do not influence our reviews, as we are committed to providing unbiased and sincere evaluations. We aim to help you make informed entertainment choices regardless of our relationship with distributors or producers.

Amazon Affiliate Links:
Additionally, this site contains Amazon affiliate links. If you purchase through these links, we may receive a commission. This affiliate arrangement does not affect our commitment to honest reviews and helps support our site. We appreciate your trust and support in navigating these links.