This Oscar-nominated French movie is set in Montfermeil, the Paris suburb where Victor Hugo wrote Les Misérables but which today is a rough neighborhood. Inspired by instances of police violence that happened in 2008, the movie follows a squad of police officers who try to keep the neighborhood under control. Their methods, or lack thereof, inevitably cause things to explode. This is a thriller with a message, one which sometimes feels forced; but the payoff at the end will make you forget all of that.
Synopsis
Inspired by the 2005 riots in Paris; assigned to work alongside unethical police veterans Chris and Gwada in the' Anti-Crime Brigade, Brigadier Stéphane Ruiz – a recent transplant to the working-class suburb of Montfermeil, where Victor Hugo wrote his famous novel Les Misérables – struggles to establish a working relationship with influential community leaders while attempting to maintain some semblance of peace between his disreputable team and the citizens of the local housing projects. When what should be a simple arrest goes tragically awry, the three officers must individually reconcile with the aftermath of their actions while angling to keep the neighborhood from retaliating with mob violence.