The Unfaithful Wife

Year: 1969

Runtime: 98 mins

Language: French

Director: Claude Chabrol

DramaCrimeThriller

Insurance executive Charles suspects his wife Hélène of playing the field, so he has a private detective locate his wife’s lover, author Victor Pegala.

Warning: spoilers below!

Haven’t seen The Unfaithful Wife yet? This summary contains major spoilers. Bookmark the page, watch the movie, and come back for the full breakdown. If you're ready, scroll on and relive the story!

Timeline & Setting – The Unfaithful Wife (1969)

Explore the full timeline and setting of The Unfaithful Wife (1969). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Location

Countryside house near Paris, Neuilly-sur-Seine, Pond where the body is disposed

The story centers around a comfortable house in the countryside outside Paris and the urban flat in Neuilly-sur-Seine where the affair unfolds. These settings create a contrast between quiet domestic life and the hidden tensions beneath. A pond serves as the grim backdrop for the murder and disposal of the body, underscoring the collision between appearance and violence.

🏡 Countryside setting 🗼 Suburban Paris area 🔎 Crime mystery

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:40

Main Characters – The Unfaithful Wife (1969)

Meet the key characters of The Unfaithful Wife (1969), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:40

Major Themes – The Unfaithful Wife (1969)

Explore the central themes of The Unfaithful Wife (1969), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 16:40

Coming soon on iOS and Android

The Plot Explained Mobile App

From blockbusters to hidden gems — dive into movie stories anytime, anywhere. Save your favorites, discover plots faster, and never miss a twist again.

Explore Movie Threads

Discover curated groups of movies connected by mood, themes, and story style. Browse collections built around emotion, atmosphere, and narrative focus to easily find films that match what you feel like watching right now.

Movies about family facades shattered by crime like The Unfaithful Wife

Seemingly perfect households crumble under the weight of a violent secret.If you liked the tense unraveling of domestic life in The Unfaithful Wife, explore more movies where a seemingly stable family is destroyed by a hidden crime. These dramas and thrillers focus on the psychological toll of maintaining a facade after a violent act, leading to bleak consequences.

suspensefulclaustrophobicuneasymelancholicchillingpsychological tensionsecrecy

Narrative Summary

Stories in this thread typically begin with a seemingly normal, often affluent, domestic setting. A single, brutal act—often a murder motivated by jealousy or betrayal—shatters this illusion. The plot then follows the intricate and psychologically draining efforts to conceal the truth, as the characters' guilt and paranoia eat away at their carefully constructed lives, usually culminating in a collapse.

Why These Movies?

Movies are grouped here by their shared focus on the corrosive effect of a violent secret on a domestic unit. They share a high intensity, a tense and bleak tone, and a heavy emotional weight, creating a cohesive experience of watching a family or marriage implode from within.

Movies with a slow burn of suspicion like The Unfaithful Wife

A character's growing distrust methodically poisons their reality and relationships.For viewers who appreciated the methodical build-up of dread in The Unfaithful Wife, this collection features movies driven by a character's obsessive jealousy or paranoia. These stories masterfully create a claustrophobic and oppressive atmosphere as suspicion takes hold, leading to devastating consequences.

suspensefuloppressiveclaustrophobicuneasypsychologicalobsessiveparanoia

Narrative Summary

The narrative pattern follows a single point of view, typically that of someone who becomes fixated on proving a betrayal or uncovering a hidden truth. The story unfolds at a steady pace, layering small details and ambiguous events that fuel the protagonist's—and the audience's—growing anxiety. This internal focus creates a deeply claustrophobic experience, culminating in an act that often confirms their worst fears.

Why These Movies?

These films are united by their specific narrative engine: the destructive power of suspicion. They share a steady, deliberate pacing that allows tension to simmer, a consistently high intensity derived from psychological tension, and a melancholic or bleak undertone as relationships are irreparably damaged.

Unlock the Full Story of The Unfaithful Wife

Don't stop at just watching — explore The Unfaithful Wife in full detail. From the complete plot summary and scene-by-scene timeline to character breakdowns, thematic analysis, and a deep dive into the ending — every page helps you truly understand what The Unfaithful Wife is all about. Plus, discover what's next after the movie.

The Unfaithful Wife Summary

Read a complete plot summary of The Unfaithful Wife, including all key story points, character arcs, and turning points. This in-depth recap is ideal for understanding the narrative structure or reviewing what happened in the movie.

The Unfaithful Wife Timeline

Track the full timeline of The Unfaithful Wife with every major event arranged chronologically. Perfect for decoding non-linear storytelling, flashbacks, or parallel narratives with a clear scene-by-scene breakdown.

The Unfaithful Wife Spoiler-Free Summary

Get a quick, spoiler-free overview of The Unfaithful Wife that covers the main plot points and key details without revealing any major twists or spoilers. Perfect for those who want to know what to expect before diving in.

More About The Unfaithful Wife

Visit What's After the Movie to explore more about The Unfaithful Wife: box office results, cast and crew info, production details, post-credit scenes, and external links — all in one place for movie fans and researchers.

Similar Movies to The Unfaithful Wife

Discover movies like The Unfaithful Wife that share similar genres, themes, and storytelling elements. Whether you’re drawn to the atmosphere, character arcs, or plot structure, these curated recommendations will help you explore more films you’ll love.