Gross Out Horror Comedy Flush (OVERLOOK) Delivers Stomach Churning Tension

Title: Flush

First Non-Festival Release: TBD

Director: Grégory Morin

Writer: David Neiss

Runtime: 70 Minutes

Starring: Jonathan Lambert, Élodie Navarre, Rémy Adriaens, Elliot Jenicot

Where to Watch: Check out where to find it here

This film’s review was written after its screening at the Overlook Film Festival in 2026.

Luc (Jonathan Lambert) wants nothing more than to go home to his daughter’s birthday party, one that he promised his estranged ex-girlfriend Val (Élodie Navarre) will attend. He goes to her latest workplace, a seedy club, to beg her to join him. Needing a little courage, Luc purchases some cocaine from the club’s dealer Dindon (Rémy Adriaens). Unfortunately, his stalling and eventual accidental entrapment in the dingy bathroom stall toilet lands him in hot water when Dindon believes he was trying to steal the stash of drugs he hid inside the pipes. Luc’s inability to talk himself out of the situation lands him in an even worse predicament when he disrespects club owner Sam’s (Elliot Jenicot) pet rat, a retired police drug sniffing critter. Now trapped headfirst in the toilet, Luc must use all his faculties and resources to escape before Dindon kills him at closing time.

Flush is an effective, gross-out single location horror film that stretches its premise to its limit.

Despite its premise and the fair assumptions that Flush would over-employ gags related to bodily fluids, the French film uses a variety of tactics to repulse its viewers. Forcing Luc into the grossest possible scenario, Flush uses plenty of tactics to keep his torment fresh. Beyond the logistical nightmare of being trapped face-down in a universal plumbing scenario, Luc is forced to contend with drug sniffing rats, dismembered body parts, and foul clumps of debris barreling through the rushes of water every time someone flushes. Simultaneously clever and dumb-as-rocks, Luc’s efforts to escape only take him as far as his limited materials and movements allow. Flush embraces the foulness and claustrophobia just the same. 

Driven by his desire to do right by his daughter, Luc is only derailed by his addiction, his inability to communicate effectively, and his tendency to make bad decisions under pressure. Luc is consistently portrayed as a good man who has made plenty of mistakes but doesn’t deserve to go out like this. He is frustrating at every turn. Despite moments of ingenuity to navigate around seemingly impossible obstacles, he cannot talk his way out of a situation to save his life, literally. Each time he tries to placate Dindon or Sam, he invariably makes his escape harder. Even his moments with Val demonstrate this. Luc approaches problems headfirst, acting before considering his circumstances or alternative solutions. He is wholly frustrating as a protagonist but that’s what makes Flush so captivating.

Mirroring the intensity of being trapped in an insane situation like this, Flush frames its action tightly, never allowing the audience a reprieve from Luc’s dilemma. These restrained shots allow the tension to come to a boil when the final confrontations take place. This opens Flush up to some devilishly fun kill scenes when Luc finally fights back.  

While there is plenty going for Flush, it cannot manage to break free from its limitations. Despite its short runtime, Flush does tend to drag in places, especially in the lulls where Luc stalls in breaking free from his newfound porcelain prison. There’s a little bit of a delay in the action that allows it to be plausible but also gives Flush the sense that Luc is going to win no matter what. The fight choreography is inspired regardless of its shaky execution. It doesn’t take away from its impact, but it does prevent Flush from achieving true greatness.

Tense, frustrating, and disgusting in the best way, Flush is a winning contained horror film that makes the most of its simple premise. Its intimate setting and strong sense of pacing allows the lean psychological horror comedy to make a lasting impact on audiences. There isn’t much beyond what it shows us, but Flush is a fun watch all the same.

Overall Score? 7/10