French heist thriller “The Crew” (aka Braqueurs) directed by Julien Leclercq is now repackaged and available for streaming on Netflix. The film which has been available in the French language for quite some time is now dubbed into English. The film never promises a lot in action or story but a decent one in the specific subgenre.
“The Crew” (Braqueurs) follows Yanis Zeri, an elite robbery gang leader, who leads many successful heists around Paris. He has always kept himself and his family out of the reach of cops by only relying on a few trusted accomplices.
Yanis is helped by his friends, Franck and Nasser, and his younger brother Amine. In one such heist when they all hit jackpot, one mistake by Amine leaves them with no choice but to work for a powerful drug dealer. Now, if they fail – their families will suffer the consequences.
What we liked about “The Crew” (Braqueurs) is that it’s fast-paced and just an 80-minute long movie. The makers never tried to drag this further with the over-dramatization of situations. Unlike many other heist films, this might not be the finest in terms of action, but at least this is watchable with not-so-complex characters and overlapping plots.
As far as performance is concerned, Sami Bouajila leads from the front. While we may not see that intensity considering we see here a battle between bad and the worst lot of gang members; we certainly feel for the character who is willing to do anything to save his family.
“The Crew” has its moments with some District B13-kind gunfight on the streets. The only thing which could have been better in the film is the amount of action with some strong battle scenes. Not sure of the reason, but we see this has been softened. Also, we don’t see any plan on the drawing board before they go for their neat and clean job. Any more detail could have made this engaging and entertaining.
Watch “The Crew” movie trailer here
‘The Crew’ Review – Additional Notes
There is a section of cinephiles who would certainly like The Crew for several reasons. First, the movie looks realistic with a minimalist approach. Sometimes, less is more in terms of the message. Second, the cast is nice, at least those critical in driving the story forward. Third, The Crew movie has made it clear from the beginning that this is going to be a fight between the bad and the worst – so, there is no such middle path. Fourth, in between, we see the character of a mother – who is uncompromising on her values that itself affirms the presence of ‘good’ souls in such chaos. Overall, The Crew is a one-time watch for sure, as a low-key heist movie, just don’t expect too much extravaganza action.
Starring: Sami Bouajila, Guillaume Gouix, Youssef Hajdi, Redouane Behache, Kahina Carina, David Saracino, Alice de Lencquesaing, Baya Belal, Steve Tientcheu and Kaaris.
Genres: International Films, French Films, Crime Films, Heist Films, Action & Adventure, Action Thrillers, Crime Action & Adventure
Director: Julien Leclercq
Release Date: 7 October 2015 (Busan), 4 May 2016 (France)
Braqueurs is now streaming on Netflix with the title – The Crew.
Where to watch The Crew (2016)
