What it’s about
Maureen (Stewart) works as a personal shopper for a glamorous celebrity, delivering clothes and jewelry to her Paris apartment. Her twin brother has recently died of heart failure, a condition she shares with him. Maureen is convinced that he will reach out to her from the after-life, and spends nights in his deserted house hoping for contact. Meanwhile, someone is sending her cryptic texts which become ever more alarming.
Why we love it
Assayas works with Stewart for the second time after “Clouds of Sils Maria” and her subtle, well-calibrated turn heightens this mournful ghost story. With stylish detachment, the camera trails our protagonist with a voyeuristic lens as the Hitchcockian thriller progresses from an absorbing study in millennial detachment to a genuinely creepy exploration of the spiritual world. This sophisticated yet sinister horror film won Assayas the best director prize at Cannes. Get “Personal”!