It’s hard to escape the demons of your past. Erin Bell, the protagonist of Karyn Kusama’s sensational film, knows a thing or two about that. She still struggles with trauma from her past; it has nearly derailed her promising FBI career and brought her close to hitting rock bottom—and there are many indications that the story is far from over. For Erin this means going back to confront painful experiences from her past. This California detective story might bring to mind Roman Polanski’s classic Chinatown: much like the legendary Polish director, Kusama has a wonderful ability to build a story that draws the viewer in deeper with every scene, skilfully incorporating genre tropes. The film’s dense atmosphere is brought to life by Julie Kirkwood’s stylish, atmospheric cinematography, as well as one of the most noteworthy roles of Nicole Kidman’s rich career, which resulted in a Golden Globe nomination. Destroyer proves that a genre widely considered as “masculine” really doesn’t have to be so.