In 1930s Algeria, the apathetic Meursault (Benjamin Voisin) shows total indifference to life. His emotional detachment leads to a murder, followed by a trial that scrutinises both the crime and his character.
Ozon has said: “The themes in the book could hardly be more topical: an emotionally absent hero detached from the world, confronting our mortality, the individual’s quest for meaning in an increasingly alienating world.”