Austrian director Michael Haneke is a long-time critical darling, but can his latest thriller see him breakthrough to wider recognition?

If there is any justice the answer is a resounding "yes", because Hidden is the best mystery-thriller of the year.

Successful TV presenter Georges (Auteil) and his equally successful wife Anne (Binoche) are plagued by unsettling videotapes sent in the post, showing lengthy shots of their house and accompanied by childish, violent drawings.

With the police powerless to stop the harassment, Georges begins his own investigation, delving into his own past and confronting those he wronged, while France’s hidden Algerian past also provides clues to the mystery.

Haneke has reined in the audience unfriendly excesses of Funny Games (mental torture) and The Piano Teacher (hardcore porn), producing a riveting portrayal of repressed memory, betrayal and guilt.

The aptly-named Hidden creates a genuine sense of dread, but twists standard conventions to make it an anti-thriller: there is no music score, scenes are played in single takes, and "real" events are often revealed as pre-recorded events.

To cap it all, Haneke includes a sudden moment of violence equal to the knockout punch of Se7en or anything else Hollywood has to offer.

The naturalistic performances are all first-rate, with top honours going to Auteil’s husband, who is far more dislikeable than those he accuses, and Binoche, as captivating here as she was in Haneke’s Code Unknown.

Although the premise is a reworking of David Lynch’s Lost Highway, it won’t be too long before Hollywood snaps up the remake rights.

They’ll miss the point, of course, and stick in those car chases, but Hidden proves there is much more to the thriller genre. And the enigmatic final shot will fuel pub discussions for weeks to come.

Rob Daniel