The film was a modest success in France and received mixed-to-positive reviews when released in the US, a gamble that paid off enough for the director, Christian Carion, to want to do it all over again.

In October 2020, when film production was possible but precarious, it was announced that Carion would be partnering with STX for an English-language remake, filmed in Scotland with McAvoy taking on Canet’s role and Foy as his ex-wife (a character played by Mélanie Laurent in the original).

For McAvoy to solve the mystery, it’s one that has to be kept as basic as possible, which makes sense for him, the actor, but for us, the viewer, it makes an already rote premise feel even more uselessly mechanical.

The nature of the film turns it into an incredibly joyless video game, McAvoy playing a character who we would usually be in charge of, going from location to location with actors revealing clues that propel him to the next scene.

The bullish hubris of My Son, which suggests a feature-length thriller can essentially be scrambled together out of thin air by an actor rather than one of those useless writer people, predictably crumbles as we go through the very dull motions of a very dull film.

There’s not even a how-bad-can-it-really-get train wreck appeal to the film – it’s far too boring for that – and so its descent from the big screen to the streaming netherworld feels like a justified mercy killing.