The TV warns of a blizzard and gives news of a missing woman, Evelyne Ducat, who lived with her husband in a country house nearby.
The next day, a local policeman, Cedric Vigier, calls on the Faranges asking about the case, but they tell him nothing, even though Alice saw Evelyne's abandoned car on the way back from Joseph's.
He hallucinates a living Evelyne, who forgives him for failing to report the recent death of his mother promptly, leaving the body to decompose.
In a new chapter, "Marion," we see the title character, a young waitress in a seaside restaurant in Sète, flirting with Evelyne, who is dining alone.
We return to Abidjan where young, unemployed Armand gossips with his friends about Rolex from the prologue, now seen driving up to a nightclub in high style, thanks to success in Internet scams aided by the sorcerer Papa Sanou.
Armand decides to follow suit, and begins chatting with Michel online in the persona of Amandine, sending photographs of a young European woman who somewhat resembles Marion.
He returns to Papa Sanou, who interprets this complication as a spiritual punishment for not sharing the proceeds, and demands 4000 Euros for the continued favor of the spirits.
Taking Evelyne for one of these goons, he chases her down in the dark and strangles her, then leaves the body on Joseph's farm in revenge for the affair with Alice.
Monique shows up to tell Armand she is moving to France with her benefactor, and tries to give him back an expensive necklace he gave her in better days.
The site's consensus states: "Deft direction and an expertly assembled ensemble further elevate Only the Animals' intelligent, absorbing mystery.
[6] Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian wrote "The film's constituent parts... interlock like the workings of an intricate and malign musical box, creating dashes of melodrama, erotic obsession and even soap opera, and all superbly performed".
[7] Wendy Ide of The Observer commented "This is film-making that really tests the elasticity of its story strands, but it largely manages to keep the audience from teetering into disbelief".
[11] Across the border, in Ireland, Donald Clarke, a film critic for The Irish Times wrote "Jolts are not severe enough to derail a smooth-running machine, but you may like to take a few Dramamine before the last act begins".
[12] In the United States, Robert Abele of the Los Angeles Times commented "Not an entirely humming machine, but one that's been well-oiled enough to make for an engrossing ride through some intriguing thickets of love, desire and deceit".
[13] Manohla Dargis of The New York Times wrote "The multiple viewpoints are just a clever, self-satisfied device to deliver stale goods and familiar ugliness with a soupçon of glib class politics".
[15] Jordan Mintzer of The Hollywood Reporter added that "[it] can be a bit low on suspense in [some] places, but [the film] remains intriguing enough to keep you guessing till the [very end]".