Les Diaboliques , released as
Diabolique in the United States and variously translated as
The Devils or
The Fiends, is a 1955
French black-and-white psychological thriller feature film directed by
Henri-Georges Clouzot, starring
Simone Signoret,
Véra Clouzot,
Paul Meurisse and
Charles Vanel. It is based on the novel
Celle qui n'était plus (
She Who Was No More) by
Pierre Boileau and Thomas Narcejac. The story blends elements of thriller and
horror, with the plot focusing on a woman and her husband's mistress who conspire to murder the man; after the crime is committed, however, his body disappears, and a number of strange occurrences ensue. The film was the 10th highest grossing film of the year with a total of 3,674,380 admissions in France.