Incredible But True

Quirky, deadpan humour, an absurdist eye for French social etiquette and a keen sense of the folly of existence are among the hallmarks of the oddball comedies of director Quentin Dupieux (Rubber, Deerskin), and Incredible But True is no different. Alain and Marie, a middle-aged couple, move to the quiet suburb of their dreams. But the real estate agent warns them that what they find in the basement may well change their lives forever. Meanwhile, Alain’s work buddy arrives with his all-new electronic phallus.

[Incredible But True is] probably deeper than usual, even though I still see it as a comedy. Maybe because the subject itself is more serious, as is what these two are going through as a couple. But even in my giant-fly movie [Mandibles], there were some pretty complex aspects at play, at least once you looked at it from a certain perspective…. When asked why he doesn’t explain his films: When I did Rubber, about this living tyre, the only question I had in my mind when I wrote it was: Should I explain it? Should I try to explain why the tyre is alive? But if you do, if you explain too much, suddenly it turns into a terrible movie. You lose all the magic because no matter what you do, it will always sound stupid.

Director Quentin Dupieux, from an interview with Cineuropa