The Crimson Rivers

Detective Superintendent Pierre Niemans arrives in the isolated university town of Guernon to investigate the brutal murder of Professor Remy Callois. The academic community is shaken, and the discovery of Callois's eyes having been cruelly removed raises alarms about the motives behind the crime.

In his investigation, Niemans consults Dr. Cherneze, an ophthalmologist who reveals the troubling legacy of inbreeding among the university faculty. This peculiar trait stems from their seclusion and obsession with intellectual elitism, complicating the already grim case.

Meanwhile, Detective Inspector Max Kerkerian investigates the strange desecration of Judith Herault's grave in the neighboring town of Sarzac. The case intensifies when photographs of Judith mysteriously disappear from a local school, linking her tragic story to current events.

As Niemans delves deeper into Callois's murder, he realizes he is entangled in a wider conspiracy that may involve the faculty’s medical establishment. The ramifications of his findings suggest a dark undercurrent of corruption within the revered academic institution.

Niemans uncovers a chilling archive in a late librarian's office that reveals the faculty's malevolent intentions to create a super-race through selective breeding. This discovery intensifies the suspicion that their practices were part of a deliberate, unethical experiment.

The investigation takes a grave turn when another victim is discovered, echoing the ritualistic nature of Callois's murder. Found frozen in a glacier, the victim's glassy eyes send a wave of terror through both Niemans and Kerkerian, further hinting at the killer's disturbed psyche.

As Niemans and Kerkerian's investigations converge, they begin piecing together the strange occurrences surrounding Judith's grave. The shocking discovery that Judith's fingerprint is found on Niemans' firearm raises the stakes and complicates their understanding of the murder mysteries.

Navigating the perilous mountain roads to reach Fanny Ferreira's residence, Niemans and Kerkerian dodge disaster thanks to the reckless driving of the Dean's son. Their frantic race against time reveals the university's sordid history of swapping village children with faculty member offspring.

The investigators uncover the harrowing truth about the university’s breeding program, where healthy village children were swapped with those of genetically deformed faculty. The implications of Callois’s meticulous planning bring forth a terrifying moral breakdown within the academic elite.

As Judith's mother begins to question her daughter's resemblance to Fanny, Judith's intense desire to reclaim her sister leads to chaos. The desperate escape from the hospital characterizes the unraveling family dynamics caused by the faculty's unethical practices.

In her quest for protection, Judith's mother adopts the attire of a nun, showcasing her mental decline amid the horrors surrounding them. This disguise represents her desperate attempt to seek refuge from the very faculty that has turned their lives into a nightmare.

The shocking discovery of remains belonging to the program's victims in Fanny's basement amplifies the sense of dread. These grim artifacts point toward the university's dark past and underscore the malevolence lurking beneath the facade of academic excellence.

As panic ensues, Niemans orchestrates an evacuation of the university, leading to a tense standoff against Judith as she coerces Fanny to eliminate him. The confrontation escalates into a chaotic gunfight that brings the hidden horrors to a violent climax.

The tumultuous gunfight triggers a catastrophic avalanche, burying everyone beneath the snow. As the silence descends, the fates of Niemans, Kerkerian, Fanny, and Judith hang in the balance, awaiting rescue amid the chaos they inadvertently unleashed.