La vie, l'amour, la mort (1969)

Made before France took its capital-punishment laws off the books for good, Claude Lelouch’s harrowing drama La Vie, l'amour, la mort (1969) is something of a European arthouse equivalent to Dead Man Walking (1995). Amidou stars as François Toledo, a married father who makes a bad habit of strangling prostitutes in the dimly-lit backstreets of Paris. The disturbed killer experiences something of a spiritual renewal with a feisty blonde mistress (Caroline Cellier), however, and vows to never murder again. Unfortunately for him, the police have already got him in their sights and refuse to rest until he’s strapped to the guillotine. Honey-blonde Caroline probably has no idea that she’s boffing a serial killer, which is why her hot-and-heavy petting scenes appear blissfully free of cares.