The feature debut from writer and director Michiel Blanchart and his co-writers, Gilles Marchand and Laurent Brandenbourger screened the action/thriller Night Call in various film festivals around the globe, including Fantastic Fest this past year. I found the film’s script engaging, especially when the film is in full action, as well as the dramatic scenes among the various characters. There are excellent action scenes (fights/autos) by cinematographer Sylvestre Vannoorenberghe and editor Matthieu Jamet. All the actors, lead and supporting, work effectively together to make this thriller appear as authentic as it is.
About: One evening in Brussels, Belgium, Mady Bala (Jonathan Feltre), a young student by day and locksmith by night, receives an emergency call from Claire (Natacha Krief) to open a lock to an apartment. She doesn’t have the proper ID and information he requires for the locksmith business, but he becomes lenient and helps her. Unfortunately, it backfires when she bails, and Mady’s night becomes a living nightmare. Once the resident arrives, a fight for his life ensues, and he is hauled off to explain where the missing goods are.
The lead mobster, Yannick (Romain Duris, The Animal Kingdom, Eiffel), wants what is missing, and Mady has no idea anything is gone. Yannick then gives him time to prove his innocence. It is not done without violence. One of Yannick’s thugs, Theo (Jonas Bloquet), who accompanies Mady that evening, has a story of his own that Mady learns about, and this makes a difference in the strategy he will use that evening. Feltre is excellent as a quick-thinking character who uses his skills to stay ahead of his captors and prove his innocence.
The film has many scenes of street protests, violence, and law enforcement, similar to the US. During Mady’s hectic evening of making decisions on the run, calling the police is not an option. Choices that initially seem to be questionable eventually fall together.
The film was a 2024 Nominee for the Òrbita Award, Best Feature Length Film at the Sitges – Catalonian International Film Festival, and a nominee for Best Film at the Rome Film Fest.
Runtime: 91 minutes Language: French with English Subtitles
The film opens in US theatres on Friday, January 17, and in Austin at the Alamo Drafthouse Lamar.
Source: Magnet Releasing