The Substance has been the talk of Cannes 2024, but it’s not the only horror film helmed by a French woman who’s unafraid to make something graphically grotesque.

Noémie Merlant, perhaps best known for starring as a 17th-century portrait artist in the 2019 masterpiece Portrait of a Lady on Fire, is a seasoned actor in both French and international cinema. Earlier this month, she brought The Balconettes, her brightly coloured romp of a sophomore film, to Cannes.

Part ghost story, part comedy, and part #MeToo battle cry all wrapped up in neon lights and buzzing summer heat, The Balconettes proves Merlant is not afraid to make a statement in the loudest way possible.

While it’s difficult to distil the genre-defying film into a simple synopsis, the long and short of The Balconettes focuses on three women stuck in their air condition-less Marseille apartment during a heatwave. While trying to cool off on their balcony and spy on the neighbours, things take a bloody turn. 

Exploring feminism through horror tropes is nothing new, but Merlant is willing to put her own spin on things. The Balconettes mixes horror and gore with elements of dream-like fantasy and absurd comedy to dissect feminist themes like patriarchal oppression, trauma, and desire.

In an interview promoting the film, Merlant said that she felt “a combination of genres reflect the municipality of the messages: denunciation of oppression, in multiple forms, as well as, above all, the dreamlike promotion of liberation.” 

A defining feature of the film is its portrayal of the female body, outright rejecting the traditionally sexy depiction informed by the male gaze. Instead, The Balconettes keeps the sexualization of bodies at bay, giving women a space to, according to Merlant, take down the “fantasy woman of mystery.”

While reviews have been mixed, the film competed for the Queer Palm at Cannes earlier this month, and The Balconettes comes during a time where loud, boisterous and over-the-top are perhaps the best ways to get a message across.