A young couple, Gaspard (Grégoire Leprince-Ringuet) and Marion (Pauline Etienne), are enjoying a summer vacation in southern France when they discover a mobile phone. Intrigued by the mysterious messages and photographs of a woman stored on it, they decide to attend a meeting arranged between ‘Dragon’ (Swann Arlaud) and ‘Sam’ (Louise Bourgoin). After spotting the couple, they begin following them out of curiosity. However, their pursuit proves less enjoyable than anticipated: things take a dark turn when they find the couple attempting suicide in their car. They manage to rescue the girl, but her partner doesn't survive, and Marion insists she saw someone watching from the nearby woods. Despite being shaken by these events, Gaspard’s curiosity leads him to steal a camera that appears to have recorded the suicide attempt, which he later views alone. He fails to understand references to a ‘Black Beach’ mentioned by the couple, nor does he grasp why Dragon and Sam would record their deaths with such apparent emotion. Life resumes its normal course for Marion and Gaspard. Later, while out with friends, Gaspard unexpectedly encounters Sam – whose real name is Audrey – and reveals that he recognizes her. During a brief conversation, Gaspard begins to piece together some of the information from the phone messages; certain locations are linked to an online game called Black Hole. His fascination with the enigmatic Audrey prompts him to enter the game in search of her virtual persona. However, within the game, the distinction between one’s self and their avatar becomes blurred, quickly creating difficulties for a novice player like Gaspard. The film's promotional material described *Black Heaven* as “Tron meets Blue Velvet.” Thankfully, there isn’t much resemblance to *Tron*, but elements of Lynch’s style are evident in the mysterious female character, the music, and the pervasive feeling that neither the audience nor at least one of the characters understands what is happening or has a grasp on the unfolding mystery. The film prioritizes internal states over action for much of its running time, not just because portions of the plot unfold within a virtual environment; instead, it focuses on the motivations of the characters, particularly Gaspard, whose naivety leads him astray. However, nothing is fixed, and the audience isn’t allowed to settle into any single interpretation. Gaspard initially appears as an inexperienced young man, but the plot subjects him to a harsh learning experience before reverting him to that same state. Audrey/Sam also undergoes a transformation, seemingly shifting between victim and seductress (while delivering what seems like the film's best performance, regardless of whether it’s on screen or virtual). The game world of Black Hole looks impressive: while southern France is portrayed as warm, sunny, and populated by attractive people, Black Hole is its opposite, perpetually dark and inhabited primarily by a striking collection of unusual characters. There’s always the risk that what seems cutting-edge now will appear dated quickly, especially if technology drives the plot more than anything else. *Black Heaven* may avoid this fate because MMORPGs are a modern phenomenon; ultimately, the game serves as an arena to explore timeless themes such as identity and obsession. I would have liked to see more of the film set in this virtual world, as the interplay between avatar and self raises many intriguing questions. As it stands, I hope *Black Heaven* won’t lose its impact because of its computer graphics. There's a great deal happening here, and some additional explanation would have been welcome—though only a little, since one of the film's strengths is its subtly unsettling atmosphere. Another minor criticism is that Leprince-Ringuet doesn’t always convey all the complex emotions he must be experiencing, sometimes appearing overshadowed by the more clearly defined roles around him. Despite these points, I really enjoyed *Black Heaven*; it’s an innovative, stylish and unhurried film, with its successful elements outweighing any shortcomings. And as a fan of David Lynch, I couldn't help but wonder if director/writer Gilles Marchand is also influenced by him, particularly because of one scene that strongly reminded me of *Mulholland Drive*.

Source on TMDB