“Lost Bullet” is a gripping film that has all the elements of an action thriller. The runtime (approximately 90 minutes) is what keeps things from falling apart. The film delivers what it intends to deliver, and thus there is nothing to complain about as such. The film’s take on justice is something that we have seen countless times, but Lost Bullet’s narrative, despite being predictable, is fast paced. And this helps the film stay true to its nature and thus be effective.
Spoilers Ahead
‘Lost Bullet’ Plot Summary: What Is The Film About?
Lino, a talented mechanic, and his partner Quentin, both robbers, try to break into a jewelry store in the middle of the night using a car. But in the process, Lino is captured while Quentin escapes. Some days later, Officer Charas visits Lino in prison, offering him a chance to stay out of prison. All that Lino has to do is customize Charas’s cars so that his team is able to catch the Go-Fast (the drug Methamphetamine) dealers without getting their cars crushed.
A couple of months pass by with Lino making the most of his talents customizing the cop cars. Charas, and his team, including Julia, Areski, and Marko, are in pursuit of two dealers. The team is using cars with customized bull bars (push bars) developed by Lino. The dealer’s car hits the gas and almost manages to get away when Areski comes from the front and hits it hard. Both the dealers die, and the drugs are confiscated. However, Charas is dissatisfied, as following the dealers or at least catching them alive could have led them closer to the drug racket. He also finds a red switch wired inside the car and keeps it for later. It is the same switch he found in Lino’s car when he was captured on the night of the robbery.
Lino has been working for Charas for 9 months. Charas and Lino are in the former’s vintage car, a red Renault 21. Charas brings Lino to a new garage and gives him new cars to work on. He also offers him an early release for the way he has helped Charas’ team catch drug dealers. However, he shows Lino the red switch that he recovered from the dealer’s car. Lino tells Charas that it is an injection diverter that increases a car’s power by 300%. He mentions his doubts about Lino’s brother Quentin, who might just be working for the dealers who use these injection diverters.
Lino takes Charas to the junkyard where he used to work during his robbery days. Quentin is present there along with two other people, Jacques and Kad. Charas calls Areski and Marco for backup. Both arrive at the spot. Charas decides to take Lino and Quentin along in his car and tells Areski and Marco to bring Jacques and Kad to the police station. Charas is about to start his car when he is shot by Areski, who is standing behind the car. The bullet goes through his chest and gets lodged in the dashboard. Charas is dead. Lino is shocked but manages to escape. Areski tells Kad, Jacques, and Quentin to burn the car and Charas’s body. Now, all the evidence is against Lino. He has Charas’s blood on him (he was beside Charas in the car when Areski shot Charas). He has Charas’s gun. There is also a voicemail in Areski’s phone in which Charas says that he is with Lino. Will Lino be able to prove his innocence? If yes, how? His only chance is Quentin.
Why Did Lino Decide To Seek Justice For Charas?
Charas proves his trust in Lino by offering him parole in return for the work he has done for Charas’s team. While Lino is overwhelmed when Charas takes him to a new garage that stores more cars for Lino to work on, he warns Charas that he puts too much trust in people, but it doesn’t change a thing. But Charas only smiles at him. He believes in the good that Lino carries inside him. After all, he has gone hands-on for nine months straight without asking anything in return for his free service. It only proves Lino’s love for cars and the job he does as a mechanic. Unfortunately, Lino’s words turn out to be true as he is backstabbed by his teammates Areski and Marco, who would have been working with the drug dealers and serving as moles inside the police station. And it is his death that works as the motivation for Lino to make Areski and Marco pay for their actions, even if it means going back to prison.
Why Marco Didn’t Tell Areski The Truth About The Car?
When Marco threatens to kill Kad, Kad gives up the secret Jacques told Quentin to hide Charas’s red Renault. But Marco doesn’t reveal this information to Areski. When Areski asks him if Kad revealed anything, Marco shakes his head. He later goes looking for the car on his own. He either must have guessed the place where Quentin hid the car, or Kad might have told him. The former reason makes sense, too, because the place was where they sometimes hide their drugs (as we find out when Quentin brings out a bag of drugs from the kitchen after he takes Lino there). At the location, he tells Lino that he just wants the car. Why? We do not know for sure. Maybe he wanted to keep it safe somewhere else and didn’t trust Lino or Quentin with it. He even kills Quentin. The reason we say that he wanted to keep it safe is that if he hadn’t, he would have told Areski about it. He knows very well that he and Areski would get caught if they hadn’t killed Charas, who would certainly have brought the truth out of Quentin during interrogation. He even kills Jacques and Kad for the same reason. Thus, it seems that somewhere deep within, Marco, too, had a grudge against Areski for killing their boss, Charas, and might just have planned for something else. However, it doesn’t come to fruition as he is shot, though not fatally, by Lino, who then goes looking for the car.
What Was The Significance Of Lino’s Past?
One thing that the film doesn’t explore is Lino’s past with officer Julia. We find out about this from Areski who uses this intel as leverage to keep Julia out of the scenario; making sure that she doesn’t intervene and even if she does, others will think that she is trying to protect Lino. Although it does seem that the difference in the nature of work of Julia and Lino is what led to a rift between them and they broke up, there has to be more to the story. Exploring this aspect will naturally throw more light on Lino’s past. The sequel, “Lost Bullet: Back for More”, will probably explore this angle.
‘Lost Bullet’ Ending Explained: Did Lino Prove His Innocence? What To Expect From The Sequel?
An emotionally broken Lino covers Quentin’s lifeless body with a piece of cloth and then finds Charas’ car hidden under a pile of cow manure. The car is the only evidence remaining that can prove his innocence and hold Areski guilty. He sets it up, which is, in a way, a tribute to Charas, who gave Lino the opportunity to experiment with cars. At the end of the film, we see him drive the burning car to the body shop where he used to work on the cop cars. Head of the Department Moss (Charas’ boss) and Lino’s assistant (at the car cop shop) Jeff, are there and put out the fire using fire extinguishers. With the car safe, it is only a matter of time before the bullet is extracted and analyzed, which would reveal that it belongs to Areski’s gun. This will prove that it was Areski who shot Charas. Unfortunately, Areski leaves his home and family and escapes before he can be caught. So, while Lino does find Charas’s car and the “lost bullet” is recovered, Lino doesn’t get his revenge on Areski.
The significance of the title “Lost Bullet” is that it was the only evidence for the protagonist (Lino) to protect himself and prove himself innocent. A fired bullet is harmless, but to the world, it always looks threatening. Lino was the fired bullet, who had already committed his share of crimes and wished to remain as far away from that world as possible. However, no matter what the future one longs for, the past always catches up. In the case of Lino, the authorities looked at him as a bullet that could backfire any minute. He was labeled as a criminal for life, and when someone started a rumor around him, the authorities didn’t waste a moment before declaring him a criminal because they believed it was his nature to commit a crime. Fortunately, Lino was able to free himself of all the charges with the help of one “lost bullet.”
“Lost Bullet: Back for More” will probably have the cops release a search warrant for Areski. We also need to remember that Marco is still alive. So, the cops might use him and his contacts to track down Areski. Lino also has contacts of his own who will be useful. As for Areski’s whereabouts, he must have left the state, if not the country. The sequel might also explore the romantic angle between Lino and Officer Julia. But one thing is for sure: “Lost Bullet: Back for More” will also have more cars, as Lino will have sharpened his skills and built his own garage full of customized automobiles.
“Lost Bullet” is a 2020 Action Thriller film directed by Guillaume Pierret.
