The Witnesses review

Why you can trust GamesRadar+ Our experts review games, movies and tech over countless hours, so you can choose the best for you. Find out more about our reviews policy.

French writer/director André Téchiné offers a lively, timely flashback to the early days of AIDS with this character-driven drama. Paris, summer ’84: living with his sister in a run-down hotel, the gay Manu (Johan Libéreau) shares a happy but celibate relationship with middle-aged doctor Adrien (Michel Blanc). The latter introduces Manu to children’s author Sarah (Emmanuelle Béart), who’s enjoying an open relationship with her cop husband Mehdi (Sami Bouajila). But then an unforeseen affair brings the harrowing spectre of HIV into all their lives… Téchiné moves things along at a whipcrack pace until the third act, where he’s unsure if he wants a social-issue pic or a melodrama. Quality performances, though, especially from Bouajila.

The Total Film team are made up of the finest minds in all of film journalism. They are: Editor Jane Crowther, Deputy Editor Matt Maytum, Reviews Ed Matthew Leyland, News Editor Jordan Farley, and Online Editor Emily Murray. Expect exclusive news, reviews, features, and more from the team behind the smarter movie magazine.