When television presenter Georges (Daniel Auteuil) and his wife Anne (Juliette Binoche) start to receive anonymous videotapes of the exterior of their house, they initially suspect the friends of their son Pierrot. However, visual clues videos reveal that the source of the videos may be a figure from Georges’ past – Magid (Maurice Benichou), an Algerian who lived with his family as a child. As Georges tries to pursue the truth, events from his past resurface that call into question his innocence as a person.

Michael Haneke as usual excels in his direction, in particular conveying the intrusive and voyeuristic nature of surveillance filming, which has only become more relevant since the film’s initial release. From the haunting wide shots of Georges’ residence to tracking shots from the perspective of a car dashboard, Haneke uses the content of the videos for an unnerving and chilling effect, placing the audience in Georges’ shoes as he tries to deduce their origin and motives. In addition, the inclusion of subplots involving Anne’s relationship with another man, Pierrot’s running away, and a few choice shots from inside the family home hint at how advances in technology result in the widespread nature of this kind of filming and the resulting societal breakdown that can ensue.

However, Haneke also effectively uses the creation of the videos to uncover the culpability of France for its colonial atrocities. He uses the revelation of Magid’s relationship with Georges to depict not only the impact of French colonialism on its ethnic minority communities, but also the refusal of accountability combined with guilt that affects the discussion of such issues. This last aspect can be seen in Georges’ nightmares of Magid as a child, depicted in brief flashes, which sit alongside his repeated denials of involvement in any childhood wrongdoing to Magid. The issue of generational trauma is also skilfully addressed by Haneke in the character of Magid’s son, whose involvement in the whole affair reflects how the racial oppression of the past affects the second generation in the present.

The performances are uniformly excellent, however, it is Auteuil who really stands out as Georges. He embodies the character’s desperation as he struggles to uncover the meaning behind the videos, as well as his underlying hypocrisy and unconscious bigotry in his later interactions with Magid and his son. In addition, he allows moments of vulnerability to seep through that add a greater depth to Georges and prevent him from becoming overly two-dimensional.

Hidden proves to be just as relevant to today’s society as it was during its initial release, with the themes of electronic surveillance and the consequences of colonialism being equally applicable to 2025. It is to Haneke’s credit that the film can maintain a timeless quality even after twenty years.

On general release now