Netflix’s French action hit lands mixed first reviews

French thriller Ad Vitam has earned mixed reviews despite claiming the top spot on Netflix’s most watched movies this week.

Starring Guillaume Canet as Franck Lazarev, a former federal agent who escapes an attempted murder and must find his wife Léo (Stéphane Caillard), kidnapped by a gang of armed men.

The film from director Rodolphe Lauga, who co-wrote it with Canet and David Corona, currently features in the top ten movies on Netflix in several countries, including the UK, the USA and France.

Since its release on January 10, Ad Vitam has climbed to number one in multiple countries across the world, including Argentina, Japan, Morocco and Lebanon, to name a few.

guillaume canet, ad vitam

Netflix

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While the action flick has proven to be popular with a global streaming audience, critics are not entirely sold on its execution.

Though it doesn’t yet have a score, critics on Rotten Tomatoes are divided between those who’ve enjoyed Canet’s physical performance and those who’ve been unimpressed with the unoriginal premise and predictable denouement.

As more reviews may come in this week, let’s take a look at what’s been said about Ad Vitam — including a comparison between Canet and Tom Cruise.

Decider

“As the chemistry grows between Guillaume Canet and Stéphane Caillard as former federal agents targeted for elimination, it is able to amplify the film’s more rote action thriller elements, which while capably executed are certainly quite predictable.”

RogerEbert.com

“Rodolphe Lauga’s French action thriller Ad Vitam has its moments of excitement, but its threadbare plot between actions scenes fails to keep the heart racing.”

Midwest Film Journal

“Guillaume Canet seems to aim for a contemporary revival of those late-period Jean-Paul Belmondo movies where he’d jump from cars, buildings and quarries with little regard for his safety. But Ad Vitam feels too mannered & weighed down to elicit thrills.”

guillaume canet, ad vitam

Netflix

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Fiction Machine

“This is rock-solid stuff: entertaining, a little more than lowest-common-denominated entertainment, and an early-year refreshment after all the typical award contenders of the holiday season.”

Ready Steady Cut

“Don’t get me wrong, I didn’t go into Ad Vitam expecting Oscar-worthy performances, or even anything beyond what it provides. But I did expect it to provide that in an easily digestible and exciting way.”

Digital Mafia Talkies

“[Guillaume] Canet has given Tom Cruise a run for his money via the action sequences in Ad Vitam.”

LeisureByte.com

“French film Ad Vitam, on Netflix, is barely worth remembering because it doesn’t seem to balance both of its story points well.”

Ad Vitam is streaming on Netflix.

Headshot of Stefania Sarrubba

Reporter, Digital Spy

Stefania is a freelance writer specialising in TV and movies. After graduating from City University, London, she covered LGBTQ+ news and pursued a career in entertainment journalism, with her work appearing in outlets including Little White Lies, The Skinny, Radio Times and Digital Spy

Her beats are horror films and period dramas, especially if fronted by queer women. She can argue why Scream is the best slasher in four languages (and a half). 

Original Post on Digital Spy

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