Ad Vitam Review: Wasted Emotions, Not Enough Punches

A former member of the French Elite Intervention Squad (GIGN), Franck Lazarev is pulled back into his old life when he escapes an attempted murder charge and his wife is kidnapped. As he is pulled into a dangerous state affair, he realises that he might just be in over his head.

The French action-thriller-drama film has a runtime of 96 minutes.

Ad Vitam Review

The logic behind a man with a child on the way trying to guard a “national secret” or whatever and being utterly SHOCKED when the bad guys come after them will never not surprise me. In Netflix’s French action film Ad Vitam, there’s a particular point very early on in the film where you feel some sort of disgust for the protagonist Franck, who knowingly puts his very pregnant wife’s life at stake by taking on this very risky decision all for the sake, as the antagonist puts it, of being a hero.

Either way, the film showcases Franck’s past and how it affects his presence, with a dangerous secret on his head at all times. The best thing about French action films, which we have been getting quite a few over the past few years, is that they are fast, they are bloody and they are forgettable. You watch it, you enjoy it and you stop caring about it the moment that it’s over. However, this 2025 film starts off action-packed but eventually goes into an unnecessary and emotion-filled flashback sequence, trying desperately to make us emotional about Franck and why he is doing what he is doing. It only makes the film lengthy and sluggish and it made me feel thoroughly bored for a long time.

I think the film could’ve benefited from focusing on the action instead of trying to make us feel some sort of way for its main characters. Actor Guillaume Canet is fantastic as the very fit and capable action star, who jumps from one roof to another with ease. The movie would’ve benefited from leaning into this aspect, but trying to get into the backstory and introducing these unnecessary caveats seems like it’s trying to be it’s not. I guess I can give it to the film for showcasing a sense of friendship among the different characters who share a past together. However, it doesn’t leave an impact in the long run.

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Actors Canet and Stéphane Caillard are great in their roles, especially when they are packing the punches. It’s natural, and entertaining and keeps the runtime moving at a fun pace. Actor Johan Heldenbergh is great as well, but with a plot this convenient and cliched, it’s hard to feel anything for anyone at any point. You know exactly where this film is going and you’re either in for the ride or not.

Final Thoughts

This French action film is fine, but it’s nothing worth remembering. It soon gets sluggish when it tries to stop packing the punches and instead focuses on the brotherhood of Franck’s past work. It’s a little confusing to think about what this film is supposed to achieve, because it neither moves us emotionally nor does it pack as many punches as you’d expect. What a confusing watch!

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