Dossier 137

In Dominik Moll’s Case 137, Stéphanie, an investigator with France’s national police oversight (IGPN), takes on case number 137. It seems like any other investigation—until an unexpected detail changes everything.

During the 2018 ‘gilets jaunes’ (yellow vests) protests in France, law enforcement used rubber bullets, resulting in serious injuries. In the aftermath, French prosecutors opened over 200 investigations into police violence. The fictional Case 137 is inspired by one such case.

Case 137 is a police thriller, but it defies genre conventions. Instead of tension and dramatic twists, Moll opts for a realistic and restrained approach, with a subdued yet meticulously investigative style. The film portrays police work as it often is in reality. The central question isn’t “who did it?” but “what does an unsolved case do to the people who have to live and work with it?”