Maldoror (2024)
A raw, obsessive Belgian crime thriller in which a rogue detective defies a broken system to hunt down a predator after two girls vanish.
Maldoror - Movie Information
- Original Title: Le Dossier Maldoror
- Release Year: 2024
- Directed by: Fabrice Du Welz
- Type: Movie
- Genres: Thriller, Crime, Drama
- Runtime: 2h 35m
- Original Language: French
- Spoken Languages: French, Dutch
- Release Date (Theatrical): September 8, 2024 (Spain - 16), January 15, 2025 (France)
- Alternative Titles: Le Dossier Maldoror (FR)
- Production Companies: Frakas Productions, The Jokers Films, France 2 Cinéma, RTBF, Shelter Prod
- Production Countries: Belgium, France
Maldoror - Plot
When two girls go missing, Paul Chartier, an impulsive young police recruit, is assigned to "Maldoror". This secret unit has been set up to monitor a dangerous sex offender. When the operation fails, fed up with the limits of the legal system, Chartier embarks on a solitary hunt to bring down the culprits.
Maldoror - Trailer
Watch the official trailer and see the tension unfold:
When justice falters, obsession becomes the only weapon.
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Maldoror - Cast & Crew
Director(s)
- Fabrice Du Welz
Main Cast
- Anthony Bajon
- Alba Gaïa Bellugi
- Alexis Manenti
- Sergi López
- Laurent Lucas
- David Murgia
- Béatrice Dalle
- Lubna Azabal
- Jackie Berroyer
- Mélanie Doutey
Writers
- Fabrice Du Welz
- Domenico La Porta
Producers
- Violaine Barbaroux
- Manuel Chiche
- Jean-Yves Roubin
Maldoror - FAQs
What is Maldoror about?
Maldoror follows Paul Chartier, a headstrong young police recruit assigned to a covert unit surveilling a dangerous sex offender after two girls disappear. When the operation collapses, Chartier abandons procedure and launches a lone obsessive pursuit to bring the perpetrators to justice himself.
Does Maldoror have a happy or dark ending?
Maldoror leans firmly into darkness. Fabrice Du Welz crafts a relentlessly bleak moral landscape where justice and obsession blur. The ending refuses easy resolution, leaving viewers with a haunting sense of institutional failure and personal cost rather than conventional closure.
Where can you stream Maldoror right now?
You can stream Maldoror on Film Movement Plus or through the Film Movement Plus Amazon Channel. It's also available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV, YouTube, Fandango At Home, and Plex.
Is Maldoror inspired by real events or cases?
Maldoror draws heavily on the real-world atmosphere surrounding Belgium's notorious Dutroux affair, a harrowing child abduction case that shook the country in the 1990s. While the story is fictional, the film channels the collective trauma, institutional failures, and public outrage that defined that era.
Who are the main actors in Maldoror?
Anthony Bajon leads as the driven recruit Paul Chartier, alongside Alba Gaïa Bellugi, Alexis Manenti, and Sergi López. The cast also features Laurent Lucas, Béatrice Dalle, Lubna Azabal, David Murgia, Jackie Berroyer, and Mélanie Doutey.
Why does Paul Chartier go rogue in Maldoror?
Chartier's break from the system stems from deep frustration with legal constraints that let dangerous individuals slip through. When the official operation collapses and the girls remain missing, his moral outrage overrides protocol, pushing him into a solitary, increasingly dangerous personal crusade.
How long is Maldoror and is it worth the runtime?
Maldoror runs 2 hours and 35 minutes — a substantial commitment. Du Welz uses every minute to build suffocating tension and layered character psychology. Viewers who appreciate slow-burn crime thrillers with moral complexity will find the runtime fully justified by the film's mounting dread.
What films are similar to Maldoror?
If Maldoror gripped you, try Three Days and a Life (2019), The Unknown Girl (2016) by the Dardenne brothers, or Blood Ties (2013). Rogue City (2020) and Ad Vitam (2025) also share that same French-language crime thriller intensity with morally compromised protagonists.
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