Heat of Madness is an unsettling and bloody descent into purgatory
Writer/director Karim Ouelhaj's films aren't for everyone. His last feature, Megalomaniac, was a brutal and gory film about the son and daughter of a serial killer who carry on their old man's legacy in their own twisted way. Ouelhaj's latest work, Heat of Madness, isn't quite as grisly as his previous film, but it does follow a criminal and his descent into purgatory and madness after one last heist. The movie is also a bit more experimental in terms of its narrative, and it proves that Ouelhaj remains an exciting filmmaker willing to deal with unlikeable characters and harsh subject matter.
Heat of Madness stars Olivier Picard as Scola, who attempts one last heist before his wife gives birth. However, the heist doesn't quite go as planned, and Scola develops an increasing paranoia that his accomplices, including his partner Pedro (Claudio Dos Santos), betrayed him. All of this is established within about the first fifteen minutes of the film, underscoring how Scola has no one that he can trust, and his past actions may have finally caught up to him.
However, Ouelhaj's film isn't really a heist movie. While it's true the opening plays out like such, shortly before the halfway point, the film veers into supernatural and surreal territory. Scola meets Petite Pomme (Julie Carroll), a mysterious figure who tries to set Scola on the straight and narrow path, but he's too blinded by his obsession with vengeance and recovering his stolen loot. This triggers one violent act after another, and while the film's gore isn't anywhere near as gruesome and disturbing as Megalomaniac, there are still some bloody scenes that aren't for the squeamish.
Additionally, Picard does a good job playing an absolute asshole throughout the film. Yes, he's a criminal, but he constantly degrades nearly everyone around him with horrible and sometimes sexist insults. He even constantly belittles Petite Pomme, who tries to set him on the right path. He's a completely unlikeable character, and Picard deserves credit for playing such a detestable criminal and turning in such a strong performance. There are, however, a few flashbacks that humanize Scola and even show a more romantic side of him, but such moments underscore how awful of a person he is in the present, consumed by rage and an unsatiable thirst for revenge. Further, this movie is much more experimental in its narrative, jumping from black and white flashbacks to images of purgatory, to a narrative set in the present. The non-linear storytelling may turn off some viewers, but Ouelhaj is fairly careful to signal the transitions and jumps in time. They don't feel abrupt.
Ouelhaj has a knack for confronting difficult subject matter and presenting horrible characters on screen. Heat of Madness is a compelling look at a criminal's gradual descent into madness and purgatory, resulting in a bloody nightmare. For those who have the stomach for his films, Ouelhaj continues to be one of the most interesting contemporary genre filmmakers who presents an unflinching look at criminals and killers.
Heat of Madness just had its world premiere at the 2026 Sitges Film Festival.
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