The keeping of a terrible secret is the focus of a formally restrained yet psychologically revealing drama from Belgian writer-director Leonardo Van Dijl, making his feature debut. Julie Keeps Quiet joins the ranks of similarly thought-provoking #MeToo movies, such as She Said, Athlete A, On The Record, Women Talking and The Assistant, a collection of films that is fast becoming a genre in its own right, with their shared interest in exploring the impact of sexual assault and abuse of power. 

Co-written with Ruth Becquart and sleekly shot by seasoned cinematographer Nicolas Karakatsanis (Cruella, Bullhead), the film follows its titular teen (brilliantly played by newcomer Tessa Van den Broeck), a thoroughly ordinary, perfectly popular girl who also happens to be an exceptionally talented tennis player. We quickly realise that Julie may have been groomed by her much older coach, Jeremy (Laurent Caron), when he comes under suspicion following the suicide of one of his former protegees, Aline (Tamara Tricot). The scandal breaks as Julie prepares for national trials, with the exact nature of Jeremy’s relationship with Aline questioned, while an investigation is launched at Julie’s tennis academy to consider who else may have been affected.

How long Julie can hold out before she says something provides the tension, while Aline’s suicide casts a terrible shadow over the film, reminding us of the chilling consequences of not unburdening yourself. At one point, the academy’s manager asks why Aline might have felt unable to speak up, and the film attempts to answer that question as it probes Julie’s own predicament: did she have loyalty to her coach and a desire to keep her mind on the job or was she simply behaving like a normal teenager and needing to process what happened? Attempts by Jeremy to contact Julie are shown to be increasingly unwelcome, with Van den Broeck superbly conveying the anxiety these approaches cause her, especially when compared to lighter, healthier interactions with friends, family and teachers.

Directing with a steady hand and admirable precision, Van Dijl plumps for a less-is-more approach, keeping audiences closely aligned to Julie and showing us her strength as much as her struggles as he emphasises her remarkable drive and resilience. The director also shows how Julie resists societal pressure, opting to do things on her terms, and how she gradually reclaims her agency. Even during tennis rallies, the camera stays resolutely on her side, keeping the focus firmly upon this estimable individual who finds herself scrutinised by curious peers and well-meaning elders.

Other characters, including Julie’s worried parents, fade almost inconsequentially into the background, emphasising their powerlessness and Julie’s troubling isolation. There’s a clinical nature to Van Dijl’s directorial approach; Julie has, after all, built a wall to protect herself and this distance is reflected in an unflashy, incredibly patient film that’s often intriguingly ambiguous while finding plenty of dramatic meat in the unsaid. You’ll be scouring each carefully constructed frame for answers.

Julie Keeps Quiet is in cinemas from Friday 25 April.