The action-packed crime thrillers produced in France for Netflix Original Movies have had a wide range of success and quality - AKA being one of them. On the lower end, big-star productions starring actors like Jean-Claude Van Damme (The Last Mercenary) or Jean Reno (Rogue City) did poorly in the eyes of the critics. Additionally, they failed to get enough interest to franchise something with those well-known brands. On the high end, meanwhile, there were successes like 2020's Lost Bullet, which has positive reviews and a significant enough audience to inspire a sequel, Lost Bullet 2: Back For More, in 2022.
AKA is a brand-new French film on Netflix. This one gets going quickly and doesn't let up much. I was certain that the two-hour runtime would be too long. or at least occasionally overly slow. Both are false because this action thriller maintains a high level of tension throughout. The intense action scenes and all the scheming and planning that goes on contribute to the tension. Although there are a lot of deaths in this film, it does not glorify violence. Instead, it is a weapon for both criminals and people sent on government-sponsored missions. It depends if these missions are safe or not.
I don't mean to minimize Alban Lenoir's acting ability when I describe him as an "amazing action star" in the passage above. In actuality, the reason he works so well for me as an action star is that I can relate to him on a personal level. He is certainly a skilled actor, which accounts for this. Additionally, because he performs stunts, he has a solid understanding of how to act physically.
Alban Lenoir was in the excellent Netflix horror series Marianne, which tragically only had one season. I don't think I've ever seen him in much else. Eric Cantona is a member of the cast of the Netflix series AKA. Although he is not the movie's main character, he plays a crucial role and gives yet another powerful performance as a man who is not particularly likable. But one who may also display strong loyalties and justice at certain points.
You'll be curious about the antagonists in the Netflix film AKA after that outrageous opening scene. Or perhaps you'll start to wonder more about the good people. One may empathize with the evil people because there are so many of them and they all struggle for different reasons, such as freedom, power, retaliation, etc. You also cannot put too much faith in people. Both the good guys and the bad guys can do horrible things, but both have redeeming features.
AKA's plot features numerous elements that go far beyond what is "just" an action movie. The thriller component enters at this point. Additionally, it is here that viewers like us are forced to acknowledge that we rarely really understand a situation until we have the entire picture. We are taught what is true, but can we believe those who tell us the "truth"? I believe we already know the response to that whenever politicians speak. Yes, they might slightly distort the truth for good reasons, but someone will always pay the price.
