Bertrand Tavernier’s Coup de Torchon fascinatingly interrogates the aftershocks of institutional racism through the lens of French colonialism.

This movie never quite breathes. It's an exercise. You can admire an exercise, but it's hard to really care about one.

Laced with generous dollops of dark humor, Coup de Torchon is a chilling study of curdled human nature.

Despite the period setting, the commentary within Tavernier’s adaptation remains razor-sharp in its presentation of colonization and the lengths some will go to for a clean slate.