Stéphane Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.5
Overall		3.0

Stéphane Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman August 12, 2026

The list of nascent filmmakers who got their starts making low budget horror films is legion, but what about nascent filmmakers who got their starts making a low budget film about filmmaking, which then turns into a horror film? Well, that list might be significantly shorter, but it would seem necessary to include Timothée Hochet and Lucas Pastor, the collaborators who hatched Stéphane, with Pastor also taking on co-starring duties as the title character, a seeming "NPC" who wanders into an improvisatory shoot being handled by pretentious director Timothée (Bastien Garcia), but who then more or less takes over the production. The fact that the director character in the story bears the same first name as one of the co-directors of the actual film itself is probably more than enough of a clue as to how "meta" this outing is, but aside and apart from that element is an undeniable similarity to Creep*, the 2014 American "found footage" offering that, much like Stéphane was the brainchild of a duo, Mark Duplass and Patrick Brice, both of whom in that particular instance also acted in the film.

*Note: It looks like UK distributor Second Sight has released two editions of the film on Blu-ray, neither of which has been reviewed here as of the writing of this review.

Stéphane is a kind of a loosey goosey improvisatory carnival ride that, like many such efforts, may stumble on occasion and have a bit of a struggle maintaining a consistent tone, but which is ultimately so gonzo that mere critical quibbling maybe seems as pretentious as Timothée himself (the character, not the filmmaker, but maybe the filmmaker, too). The "story" (such as it is) involves Stéphane wandering into a frame of a supposed "spy movie" Timothée is making, but who then claims to have all sorts of production expertise, including a facility with special effects. Timothée senses he may have stumbled into a way to up his production values, and that then begins a roiling interaction between the two where their individual eccentricities lead to a series of increasingly squirm inducing moments. Suffice it to say neither man is exactly whom they claim to be (not much of a surprise), but after a series of interstitial misadventures the pair ends up at Stéphane's isolated estate where a third character, Bianca (Eva Grégorieff) , is introduced under somewhat perilous circumstances.

There's undeniable tension and what might be called "train wreck comedy" suffusing the piece, as the two main characters are working at cross purposes with each other, something that becomes even more potentially disquieting when Timothée decides to secretly shoot a quasi-documentary about Stéphane behind Stéphane's back (at least for a little while). There are some potent if not especially subtle points made about unbridled ambition and the willingness of some filmmakers to eschew the normal bounds of morality to achieve success, but the improvisatory nature of so much of the film may frankly undercut some of the intended snark.

Stéphane Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Stéphane is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Arrow Video with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.78:1. Arrow's insert booklet provides only some generic information about the presentation:

Stéphane is presented in its original 1.78:1 aspect ratio with DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 surround sound.

The high definition master was provided Blue Finch films.

As of the writing of this review there isn't any significant technical information I was able to dredge up online, but the bulk of this presentation is a crisply presented digital capture that has absolutely no pretensions of trying to look like "film". There's an appealing clarity throughout almost all of the footage, along with a healthy palette and expressive detail levels. As can be seen in screenshot 9 accompanying this review, once things tip over into (more?) chaos other, lower res, cameras start being used and some of that footage (closer to Academy Ratio) is incorporated as well. The intentional stylistic quirks of the filmmakers include compression artifacts like massive macroblocking behind the opening and closing credits.

Stéphane Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Stéphane features a DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track that provides some good surround activity in some of the more gonzo vignettes, like an absolutely crazy scene with horses partway through the film. Other moments include some brief explosions that provide bursts of LFE. Outdoor material has decent ambient environmental effects in the background. Dialogue is rendered without any issues. Optional English subtitles are available.

Stéphane Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Commentary by Timothée Hochet and Lucas Pastor is in French with English subtitles.


• Deleted Scenes (HD; 28:24) feature optional commentary.


• Original Trailer (HD; 1:53)


• Arrow Video Trailer (HD; 2:01)

Arrow's insert booklet contains two interesting essays and storyboard examples. The keepcase sleeve is reversible and packaging also features a slipcover.

Stéphane Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Even the back cover of this release cites not just Creep but also another French film, Man Bites Dog, as obvious antecedents to Stéphane, but really rather than any perceived "retread" aspect it's the somewhat uneven tone and hit or miss improvisations that may prevent the film from achieving bullseyes on all of its intended targets. Anyone who watched and liked (?) either Creep or Man Bites Dog may find this an interesting corollary viewing experience. Technical merits are solid and the supplements appealing, for anyone who may be considering making a purchase.