Before watching Un Homme Idéal (A Perfect Man), grow your fingernails out a few days because those bastards will be bit down to the quick while watching this unbearably tense thriller. Starring up-and-coming French superstar Pierre Niney, the film vibes like Best Seller and The Talented Mr. Ripley filtered through Hitchcock. Exploring how far one man will go to achieve literary stardom, Yann Gozlan’s film throws one devilish twist after the next, achieving an insane level of suspense until its final heartbreaking scene.

25-year-old Mathieu (Niney) wants nothing more in the world than to be a renowned, respected author. Despite cracking away on his laptop keys every day after working at his uncle’s moving company, he’s just not that good. While cleaning a recently deceased man’s apartment, destiny literally falls into Mathieu’s lap. He finds a leather-bound manuscript chronicling the man’s experiences in the Algerian War. And the writing is rich, soulful, and moving – everything Mathieu’s isn’t.

He makes the fateful decision to bend his integrity over the writing desk and has his way with it. Typing up the dead man’s journal and submitting it under his own name, Mathieu becomes the new sensation of French literature. “Black Sand” is a massive hit and Mathieu is thrust into fame and fortune. He even gets his dream girl, Alice (Ana Girardot), whose wealthy family welcomes Mathieu with open arms.

Mathieu’s façade begins to crumble when Alice’s old flame comes around. His father fought in Algiers and he’s very wary of Mathieu’s apparent expertise. How does he know so much about the war and the atmosphere of a place he’s never been? While Mathieu sweats, his agent is hounding him for the second book. But Mathieu is still the wannabe writer and while he’s good at spending his advance money, the page remains blank.

And then the phone calls start. Someone knows Mathieu’s secret.

Like in films such as Quicksand and A Simple Plan, Mathieu has to commit increasingly diabolical acts to sustain his new life. He’ll do anything to preserve his new image. Niney, who resembles a baby bird, delivers a performance dripping with nuance. Mathieu’s a man consumed with anguish and Niney encompasses this torture in his tiny, quivering frame. His lies and deeds weigh him down so much that by the end of the film, he looks like an entirely different person.

It’s a truly brilliant performance and Gozlan does an incredible job playing with our sympathies. We shouldn’t be rooting for Mathieu to get away, but I found myself doing just that several times. Along with the script, a lot of that has to do with Niney’s gripping performance. From the cinematography to the score, Un Homme Idéal is a modern thriller masterpiece that tightens the vice with each scene. It’s layering of suspense displays a genuine expertise of form and formula, but never feels predictable. The final scene, which features zero dialogue, is absolutely crushing. Even if you do see the end coming, Niney’s subtlety will break your heart.

Un Homme Idéal had its Canadian premiere at the Fantasia International Film Festival. Here’s hoping it gets international distribution ASAP.