Le Pouple (1998) 100 mins

Following a dead-end investigation into a mysterious, latex-masked man, Gabriel Lecouvreur, aka ‘Le Poulpe’, decides to take a break in a small village in the west of France with his friend Cheryl. Or at least he thinks…

Once they discover the desecrated tombs of Cheryl’s grandmother, with the police hapless and helpless, Le Poulpe springs into action.

‘Le Poulpe’ is a collection of stories following the adventures Gabriel Lecouvreur. Initially a string of novels started by Jean Bernard Pouy in the mid 90s, the series has taken on new authors and formats over the years, incorporating comic books and film.

Guillaume Nicloux wrote a couple of ‘Le Poulpe’ books before baptising the character on camera with this effort. He accordingly transfers the intrigue and dark humour from page to screen, with the ever-impressive Jean-Pierre Darroussin embodying the endearing yet OTT Le Poulpe as if the character was written exclusively for him. Think The Pink Panther’s Clouseau meets Hot Fuzz’s Nicholas Angel.