Known mainly for his psycho-sexual dramas (Under the Sand, Swimming Pool), François Ozon’s new film, By the Grace of God, is a surprisingly straightforward and relatively fast-paced crime drama based on recent news events that still dominate headlines in France. The film details the efforts of three men from Lyon to seek justice, having been sexually abused as children by the same priest . Well-acted, rock-solid and even suspenseful, the movie is reminiscent of 2015’s Oscar-winning Spotlight, about reporters from the Boston Globe investigating a similar cover-up by the Archdiocese of Boston. In By the Grace of God, it’s the victims themselves who initiate and carry out much of the detective work, at the same time confronting their own religious beliefs (or lack of), and residual trauma. It’s a powerful and poignant movie highlighting the struggle of sexual-abuse victims in a country where the Catholic Church is a hugely dominant institution.

We first meet Alexandre (Melvil Poupaud), a successful, religious father of five, as he learns that Father Bernard Preynat, the local priest who abused him years ago, is still working with children. Through a series of letters (voice-overs convey the copious correspondence that set events into motion), he arranges a meeting with the now elderly Preynat (Bernard Verley). The priest doesn’t deny the allegations and admits that there were many other victims, defending himself by asserting that he has a disease and has sought treatment for it. He doesn’t, however, ask for forgiveness, which seems to be more of a concern to Church officials than making sure the crime never happens again. Instead of being defrocked, Preynat has been shuffled from parish to parish over the years, as was so often the Church’s way of handling things. (He has since been defrocked for his deeds, though his criminal trial has yet to take place). In Alexandre’s case, France’s statute of limitations prevents him from pressing criminal charges.

Undeterred, Alexandre becomes a man on a mission, next corresponding and meeting with Cardinal Barbarin (François Marthouret), who was Preyat’s supervisor. As is the case with other Church officials, the Cardinal is very sympathetic, but doesn’t do much beyond praying. He denies that he knew about the extent of Preynat’s crimes. (Barbarin has since served a suspended six-month prison sentence, having been convicted of failing to report sex abuse.) Alexandre also encourages a childhood friend and fellow victim to testify. Though his wife and sons join his mission, Alexandre’s mother is infuriatingly unsupportive, accusing him of “stirring up shit.” Why dig up old stories, others wonder.

Finally Alexandre files a complaint with the Lyon District Attorney’s office, which begins contacting younger victims. The story now moves to the burly François (Denis Ménochet), who initially doesn’t want to testify, then becomes increasingly outraged about the fact that Preynat is still active. He contacts local press and gets to work (Ménochet is wonderful as the droll, energetic François, an atheist who claims he doesn’t hate the Church). He hunts down more victims and and starts a group for these men and their families. Eventually François identifies the man who filed the initial complaint, and his resulting alliance with Alexandre is an exciting development.

Finally, there is Emmanuel (played with exquisite sensitivity by Swann Arlaud), who has been so traumatized by his experiences with Preynat that he has a seizure when first confronted with the news of the allegations. Despite his emotional frailty, he goes to the police and tells his sad story, which involves lingering physical scars.

The joining together of disparate personalities from different backgrounds, along with their families, isn’t a seamless operation, as the men argue about methods and next steps (at one point François wants to hire a sky writer to draw an obscene image in the sky). But they all have had horrible experiences with the same perpetrator, and they all want to make sure that it doesn’t continue. Ozon’s portrayal of their struggle in the face of a disproportionately powerful institution makes for a compelling story.

By the Grace of God opens on October 18 at Film Forum and Landmark 57.

—Marina Zogbi