Thirst Street gets us in right from the word go. Its central character Gina (a superb Lindsay Burdge) is an American flight attendant, who comes home to find that her boyfriend has hanged himself. This would, needless to say, tend to unhinge anyone, but Gina is a more vulnerable and immature individual than most. She’s also the kind of person who seems incapable of reading body language or taking hints, whether they be from lovers or just people she’s boring in casual conversation…

In any event, Gina soon finds herself in Paris, at a sleazy bar/strip-joint, where she meets – and has a one-night stand with – the barman, Jerome (Damien Bonnard). She falls for him, precipitously and obsessively, and while the feeling does not appear to be mutual Jerome makes a concerted effort to be patient with her. This being basically a psychological suspense thriller, it would not do to reveal more about the plot.

Thirst Street is not Fatal Attraction revisited, and its characters are not archetypes. Gina isn’t abidingly dislikeable – we feel more sorry and embarrassed for her than anything else – and Jerome has his serious faults. This is suspenseful and nervily atmospheric cinema: we can’t look away for a second. The script is intelligent, and the accompanying sound and vision are highly effective. Whether it be Gina singing “Time Is On My Side” at karaoke, Anjelica Huston’s dry narration or the cinematographer’s use of lurid colour, everything is done to make this low-budget and understated film a believable and memorable one.