This is a fictional account of the 1989 Montreal massacre in which 14 women who were engineering students were killed by a man who hated "feminists."

The film follows four characters, mostly on the day of the shootings. The murderer (Maxim Gaudette) had tried to join the military but failed. He plans to kill women, followed by his own suicide.

Valérie (Karine Vanasse) and Stéphanie (Evelyne Brochu) are roommates and classmates at Polytechnique Montreal. Valérie is applying for an internship in mechanical engineering. She succeeds but is treated condescendingly by the interviewer. They both attend a class that is the first one entered by the murderer.

Jean-François (Sébastien Huberdeau) is in the same class with Valérie and Stéphanie, and has borrowed some classnotes from Valérie. When the murderer orders all the men from the classroom, Jean-François leaves with the rest, albeit reluctantly. He runs to the security office and asks them to call the police. He finally returns to the classroom and is devastated by what he sees. Over time he is unable to cope with his sense of guilt for leaving.

The film then switches back to the experience of Valérie and Stéphanie and the murderer. Valérie and Stéphanie are both shot, but Valérie survives. Finally, we see the murderer's final rampage and his death.

The film ends with Valérie in a good relationship and discovers she is pregnant. She has a good position but is haunted by dreams of the murderer every day.

This is one of the most emotionally draining movies I've seen. It is enhanced by being in black & white, and the cinematography is excellent. So much is communicated by visuals; there are long sections without dialogue. "Quebec in winter" is one of the characters. And the terror of knowing what is coming is palpable.

There are some questions about the storyline. Why did no one immediately pull a fire alarm? The police are never visible in the film.