Recovering from an illness François (Jean-Claude Brialy) returns to his hometown in rural France after a long absence to find the scenery unchanged but the people who populate it damaged and in despair. His best friend Serge (Gérard Blain) has fallen into alcoholism and self-pity after the death of his stillborn child. Angry and bitter Serge refuses to face the the responsibility of adulthood and it is left to a redemptive François to rescue him from self-destruction.

Le Beau Serge was Chabrol’s first film since turning from critic to director and had a great influence on the nouvelle vague movement. The film itself takes much of it’s tone from Chabrol’s idol Alfred Hitchcock and Chabrol would continue to work with both male stars and leading lady Bernadette Lafont throughout his career.