Der Sittlichkeitsverbrecher is a Swiss social issue film that aims to educate but often feels like a dark, unsettling drama, blending documentary elements with a grim narrative filled with trench coats and grimacing character actors.

Zurich is under siege and we follow the tireless Swiss police and the high-tech (for 1963) wizards at INTERPOL as they hunt down a rogue’s gallery of voyeurs, fetishists and sadists. Once these guys are caught, the movie shifts from a police procedural into a sterile, white-walled nightmare of psychological testing and the ultimate cure: voluntary brain surgery. 

Director Franz Schnyder was usually known for wholesome Swiss village stories, so seeing him dive into the muck of sex crimes is like finding out your favorite kindergarten teacher moonlights as a bouncer at a dive bar.

The film spends a lot of time on rehabilitation. It treats the human brain like suburban dads treat their old cars. If it’s not running right, just get under the hood, play with the timing belt, and see what happens. Except, you know, they’re cutting into human brains.