Saloum

Beautiful start, could have been better, but went downhill quickly. Loved it all the same. 😊 Great casting. 🖤

source: Saloum

I was lucky enough to see this in a local theater, and it was an absolutely fantastic movie experience. It's full of action and sad and unexpectedly funny when it needs to be. This movie experiments and goes in surprising directions and it's just a fantastic time. I highly recommend this one. The lead actor in this is also just absolutely fantastic. He's an action hero throughout, but the actor really digs into the sadness and darker sides of this character. There's a rich interior life to the main character here, and I commend the actor for bringing so much to this film. This movie is also beautiful stylistically, there's some inventive design and completely stunning shots. This movie is just fantastic all around.

I guess I wouldn't call this straight horror so much as it seems like more of an action/folk movie. It's about three men who kidnap/save a drug kingpin to earn a hefty payday. It appears the men are no more than bounty hunters and that we are watching an action flick. But as the movie progresses, we learn they are good men who fight for "the little guy" and are regarded as heroes. When their plane is sabotaged by one of the three men, it is revealed that the place they end up hiding out at is run by a sex trafficker/abuser. The men kill him and then discover they must fight their way to freedom, through evil itself. For such a simple premise, this movie manages to be pretty profound and entertaining at the same time.

This is a visually stunning film with fantastic acting. I wish my French was better so that I didn't need to read the subtitles, however, dialogue is relatively minimal so it doesn't detract from enjoying this as a non speaker. If you like spaghetti westerns, which I love, this is a very cool West African reboot. Would love to see more of these characters. Atmosphere is built masterfully by the director in particular the lighting is stunning. There are fantastic twists and turns. I don't want to risk giving away any spoilers, but there are some great surprise moments in here, and timing is excellent. Enjoy.

You will not regret watching this movie. Though I am a huge horror movie fan, I must say that the movie would've been so much better without the last part. Beautiful Africa, great characters and an intriguing story - I really enjoyed the movie. I would love it even more if it was a mystery instead of horror. Loved the cast , the nature, their customs and legends. But still the last third of the movie was somehow... Poorly executed. Still, I think it deserves a good grade! Africa is beautiful, full of myths and legends. It has such a potential for future projects! Hopefully we will see more movies like this!

This was an unexpected treat, right from the get-go. This fast paced 84 minutes of genre-bending excellent display of filmmaking by Jean Luc Herbulot succeeds in elevating the story-telling experience in a Tarantino fashion, but within the west African beautiful landscapes and with the most colorful characters you can expect to see on the big screen. All casting and performances were excellent. The cinematography, score and visual effects were captivating. My only issues were some of the dialogue that didn't make sense to me, and some rookie-filmmaker plot and technical issues. I feel this film needed another 10-15 minutes added to the screenplay for better cohesion and clarity between the first and final act. Nevertheless, it's a great film I'll be watching at least one more time. Can't wait to see what this filmmaker gives us next. A well deserved 8/10 from me.

I understand that some felt the movie was a bit like Tarantino at the beginning ... but you can't really put this into a box. There is so much going on - not everything is working - or rather flowing like a river. To put a pun into this. There are a few things that may have gone over my head at the first time viewing, but I know that you can't watch this and have a black and white view on things (no pun intended with this one). There is a lot of grey area within the movie and the moral compass you may have, will freak out on you. That said, there is violence and there is a twist that I did not expect to happen like that. But having said that, the special effects this uses for exactly that are not worse than any big budget movie (imho). And this was clearly made with a fraction of the money any Hollywood Blockbuster is using. This played at the Fantasy Filmfest in Germany and it fitted right in. Try to read as little as possible about this and enjoy the crazy and out there story that also is shot very beautifully - landscapes and framing wise. The latter even in a one-shot that is filled with action and works so smoothy you may not even notice there is not a single cut in it. If you're open minded, go ahead and broaden your horizons ... in more sense than one.

Caught this as part of the 2022 Edinburgh International Film Festival - the programmers were keen to share it, describing it as part of a new wave of confident film-making coming out of Africa. It plays quite nicely with some signifiers - at some point our main trio look like evil mercs who kill anyone for money, but other scenes show them in a totally different light - and while it is happy to indulge in some Tarantino-influenced action it is also unafraid to touch on darker elements like the vile use of child soldiers. Very stylish, cool - good late night movie, and took a few turns I wasn't expecting in the narrative.

To compare this to any Tarantino film is shallow and insulting. This film, although flawed, holds some actual originality instead of thinly disguised ideas "borrowed" from other films. The first half of the film is solid. Interesting characters in an interesting situation. The second half of the film reminds us that this is a horror film. If you have a pathological dislike for CGI - this film might not be your thing. Personally, I found the CGI as interesting as it can be...but it does take away from the realism established in the first half of the film. Interesting to see what looks to be Kumpo dance imagery. The cinematography and acting were great. The presence of a compelling story drives this film, elevating it above tired, old comparisons.