When the youngest of four brothers dies in what appears to be a case of police brutality the lives of the remaining three are thrown into turmoil and the Athena neighbourhood in France becomes a war zone. 

Athena opens with an utterly brilliant and exhilarating twelve minute shot that succeeds in being technically stunning whilst setting up the plot of the entire movie. Abdel (Dali Benssaleh) is led to a press conference table where he asks for calm following the death of his thirteen year old brother, apparently beaten to death by police officers as captured on smartphone footage placed online. The camera pans through the crowd to Abdel’s brother Karim (Sami Slimane) and then down to his hand which contains a Molotov cocktail which he lights and hurls towards the police. What follows is a daring raid on the police station and an escape to the Athena estate which Karim and the young men of the estate have turned into their own fortress against the riot police trying to quell them. As the title card appears on screen your heart will be racing and you will want to know what happens next. 

The film will follow Abdel, Karim and their other brother, drug dealer Moktar (Ouassini Embarek) as the estate turns into a war zone. The riot police viewpoint will be seen through young officer Jerome’s (Anthony Bajon) eyes. 

The entire film reminded me of the final third of Alfonso Cuaron’s 2006 Children Of Men set in the refugee camp of Bexhill. In that sequence Cuaron presents part of a city that has become a war zone. A sprawling urban environment, highly choreographed tracking shots and superb acting and technical wizardry. Most importantly though, all done with an overarching story that is incredibly compelling. 

Coming to that story then, in a year where police brutality headlines have never seemed too far away, this is a brutal story of a community pushed too far and there are some plot machinations that will have you talking about them for quite some time after the credits have rolled. Just how far can a society be pushed when they feel downtrodden by the institutions that are supposed to protect them? 

Co-writer and director Romain Gavras, previously better known for music videos and perfume adverts has made a war movie with a political statement. Whilst Sami Slimane, in his debut performance delivers a star making turn. 

Highly recommended.