Dactylo: Typewriters, Creepy Bosses, and 1930s Office Blues

Is it worth watching?

If you have a soft spot for 1930s French cinema and don't mind when a movie makes your skin crawl just a little bit, then yeah, give it a go. But if you’re looking for something lighthearted without a side of "oh, that’s actually really messed up," you’ll probably want to skip this one. It's not exactly a feel-good classic.

Watching Dactylo feels a bit like finding an old, dusty photograph in an attic. You know the kind—everyone is wearing suits and hats, and everything looks pristine, but the vibes are just… off.

The whole plot centers on Simone trying to make a buck as a typist. Simple enough, right? Except the chief of staff thinks he’s entitled to everything except her actual typing skills. It’s a classic power trip, and the movie plays it for laughs in a way that feels pretty jagged now.

Oddly specific details

• The sound of the typewriters is constant. It’s like a rhythmic, metallic heartbeat throughout the whole office.
• The boss, played by Jean Murat, has this way of leaning over desks that makes you want to reach through the screen and push him away.
• There’s a scene where the office furniture looks suspiciously like it was borrowed from The Cat and the Fiddle, or maybe I’m just imagining things.
• The hats. Everyone has a hat. Who was typing with a hat on?

Marie Glory is doing a lot of heavy lifting here. She has this way of looking at the camera when the boss is being particularly gross that tells you everything you need to know. She’s definitely the smartest person in the room.

Sometimes the film forgets it's supposed to be a comedy. It just stops being funny for ten minutes while we watch someone get pressured. It’s weird how the tone just shifts gears without warning. It's like the movie couldn't decide if it wanted to be a workplace farce or a warning label.

I wouldn't compare this to something heavy like The Natural Law, obviously. It’s much lighter, even if the premise is kind of dark. It’s got that specific, clipped pacing that feels like it’s racing to get to the next scene before you can think too hard about the current one.

The ending? Well, it happens. It doesn't feel earned, but in these kinds of movies, does it ever? They just sort of run out of things to type and call it a day. Classic. ⌨️