Ruth works in a laboratory where animals are used for radical medical experiments. While she gets to play God at work, she subjects herself
to the religious demands of a radical sect at home: evangelical Christians who believe in the existence of demons. Her life starts to derail when
Andreas, her ex-boyfriend who was convicted of murder, suddenly reappears.
Is it really him, or a ghost? What’s happening to her teenage daughter, and
what will happen to the monkey undergoing a full body transplant?
Der Unschuldige is a fascinating, unpredictable report on Ruth’s search for answers. The marvelous locations – industrial premises with disorientatingly long corridors, a dark swingers’ club-cum-swimming pool, bland modern architecture set in picturesque Swiss landscapes – contribute to the feeling of alienation. This second feature by Swiss Simon Jaquemet bears the clear influence of cinema from neighbouring Austria (Haneke, Seidl), but adds a dash of Kubrick and a generous helping of idiosyncratic talent.