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A key figure in the French New Wave and the development of Cahiers du Cinéma, Chabrol is widely regarded—if in oversimplified terms—as the French Hitchcock (he co-authored a book on the master with Eric Rohmer), with the film noir influences of Fritz Lang often detectable as well. His meticulously crafted dark works of suspense never fail to thrill and delight. Beneath their slick, cool veneer resides soapy drama, illicit liaisons, double-dealings, deadly passion, and sometimes gnawing guilt. All but one of these selections star his entrancing leading lady, Stéphane Audran, his wife and creative partner at the time, with whom Chabrol made roughly 25 films, and the co-conspirator of his efforts to explore a more cerebral side of crime and passion.