Eva (Eugenie Derouand) is a woman who finds herself isolated from the world around her. Once a promising ballet dancer, she is now confined to a wheelchair after a tragic car accident, losing the use of her legs completely. She works a menial job selling insurance, and her boss treats her less like a person and more of a way to squeeze extra subsidy money from the government. The person she is closest to, her father, is deep in the throes of dementia. Any contact Eva has with him is tightly regulated by a controlling second wife.

Things change for Eva, however, when a friend working in Germany surprises her for her birthday. Sophie (Honorine Magnier) gifts Eva a strange wooden advent calendar. It comes with a very specific set of rules, and slowly it goes from novelty to oddity to obsession. Some doors hold great gifts for Eva while other times, the calendar demands even greater sacrifices. 

The script, credited to director/writer Patrick Ridremont, is deeply engrossing and well written. Eva is a very sympathetic character, one whose struggle we immediately empathize with. The story doesn’t go easy on Eva though, as she’s forced to make moral decisions that at times may cost other people their lives. The plot device of the advent calendar keeps the audience hooked. Every time Eva opens a new door, another mystery is unlocked. Some of the consequences are immediate while others aren’t as clear and play out in terrifying reveals. It’s a fiercely clever, original, and wholly riveting story. Ridremont’s writing is only rivaled by his sharp directing. Ridremont plays the tension of the reveals very well, making for some white knuckle moments. On top of that, Ridremont introduces a terrifying monster that will surely be the subject of some viewers’ nightmares. 

The calendar itself deserves mention and celebration. It’s a wonderful prop, one that becomes a character on its own. Every night at midnight, it announces that it’s time to open another door in a ghastly voice. Each door has its own unique look, befitting whatever terror or miracle awaits Eva. It’s very clear that a lot of thought, care, and love went into the crafting of the calendar. It’s incredibly sinister and commands a presence all its own. Without the calendar being as great as it is, the movie probably doesn’t work as well as it does. 

Eugenie Derouand, as Eva, turns in an excellent, layered performance. Eva copes with the loss of her legs by attempting to be invisible to the world around her, being less of a burden. Derouand plays these moments with heartbreaking authenticity. Where she truly shines, though, is as Eva descends into obsession with the calendar. As the possibility that she could regain use of her legs again grows, Eva’s fascination with the calendar goes to unhealthy places. Derouand’s transformation from trying to be invisible to the world to the cusp of insanity is terrifying real. Derouand not only brings a sense of sadness to Eva, but in the second half of the movie, a truly terrifying edge. 

The Advent Calendar arrives just in time for the holiday season. For anyone looking for a slightly different Christmas movie, this more than fills that role. It’s a compelling, twisty, and very scary movie, with excellent performances, excellent writing, and a really sinister calendar. 

8 out of 10