Giallo Spy Fever Dream: Reflection in a Dead Diamond Review

This Reflection in a Dead Diamond review starts with a warning: Hélène Cattet and Bruno Forzani are not interested in a straightforward spy thriller. Their 2025 film is a hallucinatory, style-drunk puzzle that rewards patience and a taste for the strange. It runs a brisk 87 minutes, and it never stops showing off.

Reflection in a Dead Diamond Review: The Story So Far (No Spoilers)

John Diman is a suave ex-spy in his seventies, enjoying a quiet life in a luxury hotel on the Côte d'Azur. Then the enigmatic woman in the room next door disappears. Suddenly the old agent is pulled back toward the people, rivals and lovers of his past.

The film's plot works more like a dream than a case file. Scenes of the older John in the present blend with flashbacks to his younger self on dangerous missions. Memory and moviemaking collide, so you are never quite sure what is real and what is stylised fantasy.

If you want a tidy mystery with clear answers, adjust your expectations. This is a mystery built on mood and imagery first, with the puzzle pieces second.

What Works in Reflection in a Dead Diamond

The look is the main event. Cattet and Forzani, who also wrote the script, treat every frame like a pulp comic panel or a 1960s and 70s Euro-spy poster brought to life. Colours burn, mirrors fracture the image, and quick, tactile close-ups turn jewellery, glass and leather into characters.

The editing is relentless in the best way. The film cuts between eras and moods with confidence, and it enjoys a sly sense of humour about spy-movie clichés. Even when the story gets slippery, the rhythm holds your attention.

The concept itself is also smart. Using an ageing spy as a lens lets the directors reflect on nostalgia, vanity and the way old movies shape how we remember our own lives.

Reflection in a Dead Diamond Cast and Performances

Fabio Testi plays the older John Diman with effortless cool. He carries the film's melancholy, and his weary charm gives the abstraction something human to hold on to. Yannick Renier plays the young John, matching that swagger with a more reckless, physical energy.

Koen De Bouw appears as Markus Strand, Maria de Medeiros as Laura, Thi-Mai Nguyen as Serpentik and Céline Camara as Amanda. The characters are deliberately drawn as pulp archetypes, so the performances lean toward stylised poses rather than deep psychology. They suit the film's heightened tone, even if few get room to grow.

Where Reflection in a Dead Diamond Stumbles

The same style that thrills can also exhaust. With so many visual tricks and so little emotional grounding, the film can feel like a sensory assault with a faint story underneath it. Some viewers will admire it from a distance and never feel invested.

The narrative is also hard to follow. Timelines overlap, identities shift and the rules of the film's reality are never fully explained. That is partly the point, but it means the central mystery lacks urgency.

The action is more about attitude than impact. If you expect big, clean set pieces, the film's fragmented approach may frustrate you.

Is Reflection in a Dead Diamond Worth Watching?

Yes, if you love bold, experimental genre filmmaking, but it is not for everyone. The film is a feast for the eyes and a clever love letter to retro spy cinema. It is much less satisfying as a conventional thriller.

It arrived in cinemas on 25 June 2025 and earned a modest 6.1 out of 10 from audiences on TMDB. That middling score fits a film that divides people: some will be dazzled, others baffled. At 87 minutes, it is short enough to try without a big commitment.

For more twisty picks, browse our thriller reviews. For background on the film and its credits, see its IMDb page.

Who Will Enjoy Reflection in a Dead Diamond

• Fans of giallo, Euro-spy pulp and the earlier work of Cattet and Forzani.

• Viewers who value visual style, editing and sound design over linear storytelling.

• Anyone curious about an arthouse spin on the ageing-spy fantasy.