It might be funny how Vincent Cassel went from playing Marcus in Irreversible to a DJ named Scorpex in So-Me's Banger, but maybe in another world we'd see a furious Marcus grow up and let off steam spinning turntables, right? Banger is a comedy set in France that tells the story of a DJ turned secret agent. The story is a very basic spy adventure, but honestly, it lacks a lot of comedy. I think if you watched it without any expectations, you might enjoy it a bit. Remember when Zayn Malik made Bollywood-style music videos just for fun? Well, this movie feels like an extended version of a similar music video. In the movie, Luis is a forgotten DJ just trying to stay relevant until the police ask him for help with a massive drug bust they're planning.
What I do like about the movie is that it doesn't feel like a neon-lit DJ set from start to finish. There's actually a lot of light in it. I wouldn't recommend watching Banger dubbed, because its charm lies in the original French. While the comic timing may be lost in translation, given that I don't understand French, I found the acting better in the original French than in the English dubbed version. If you like techno music, you might find it entertaining; I personally don't know anything about it, but there was a song at the film's climax that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Director: So-Me
Writers: So-Me, Elias Belkeddar, Baptiste Fillon
Stars: Vincent Cassel, Laura Felpin, Mister V
Overall, it's a fast-paced film with a lot of male energy. However, the main characters driving the investigation, the story, and even the music are women. I found it quite interesting, but don't worry, I'm not going to call it a feminist film. That's not what it pretends to be. It simply presents a simple story that, at times, comes across as a bit bland. I wasn't expecting it to be the most exciting film of 2025 or to have crazy action sequences; if that's what you were looking for, you won't find it. There are a couple of exciting, high-energy scenes, but they're overshadowed by the DJ sets that pepper the film. I think it's more of a drama than a comedy, seeking to keep you on the edge of your seat with its fast-paced plot. This isn't necessarily a bad thing; I mean, dramas can be exciting, but they make the film a bit confusing. It's also a bizarre comedy, with scenes that include naked men playing pool, just for fun. I think it even fails in its attempt to be absurd.
To be honest, the heart of this film lies in the father-daughter relationship between Luis and his son, but it's barely there. I don't know if you've noticed this pattern, or if it even exists, but a lot of movies lately have focused on this relationship. I wonder if the fathers writing these stories miss their daughters (maybe they just stayed up late watching Aftersun too often) or if they just think it's a great narrative tool that will keep audiences engaged because it brings out the sensitive side of an otherwise bland story.
What I quite enjoyed about this film is the charm with which Vincent Cassel navigates this story as a father, DJ, and citizen agent. He's like the metronome that keeps the film moving; without him, there's no success. Aside from him, the rest of the cast also does their best to keep the script alive, almost boring. It's not that the story itself is boring; I just found it lacking for a film coming out in 2025. Furthermore, the film doesn't talk much about the act of creating music itself; yes, we see people talk about making beats, but how do you achieve that? There's a scene with a siren in the background, and Scorpex turns it into a beat. As for the direction, I was hoping for some interesting camerawork and something similar to enjoy the techno beats, but it didn't add much.
There's a small twist at the end of the film, which in my opinion comes too late. I think it could have used more action to accompany its fast-paced vibe, but unfortunately, it all comes too late, and if I hadn't had to watch it to write this review, I might have skipped it shortly after the first 15 minutes. Despite being a film that seems perfect for someone with the attention span of a goldfish (i.e., people like me), it doesn't actually tell that interesting a story. I lost interest pretty early on, and at times the pacing felt almost random, perhaps because it's trying too hard to be exciting. This film is really about the old versus the new, but just as an old song can be remixed for a newer audience, the story draws a parallel between two young characters and gives us a different perspective, which was quite interesting.
Also, if you make it to the end of the film, the credits are a resounding success, so don't skip them.
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