Who doesn’t love a good movie about police corruption, right? Yes, the people in this particular profession are supposed to be the bastion of justice, the protector of the common folk, and an inspiration to all. And I am sure there are many officers, constables, and detectives who wear their uniforms, ignore their low pay and outdated weapons, and risk their lives every single day because they genuinely want to keep society from descending into utter chaos. But, with every passing year, it seems like the number of righteous cops is being overshadowed by the number of dishonest cops who want to take bribes, suck up to politicians, and side with the highest bidder instead of their fellow citizens. To make things worse, movies and even TV shows all over the globe are celebrating police brutality since it apparently “looks cool” on the big as well as the small screen. And the audience keep lapping it up until, well, they’re at the other end of the baton. So, every time someone bashes the police and exposes their true face, I feel glad. Squad 36 is an exception, because even though it has its heart in the right place, its storytelling is utter garbage.
Olivier Marchal’s Squad 36, which is based on Michel Tourscher’s Flics Requiem, tells the story of the titular team of police officers who deal with gang violence. In addition to the protagonist, Antoine Cerda, the unit features Sami Belkaim, Hanna Levasseur, Richard Esteves, Vinny Segura, and Walid Jabrane, and their boss is Charles Balestra. We meet them as they try to chase a dangerous criminal, Karim Mahmoudi, through the rain-soaked streets of Paris, but are ultimately foiled because Mahmoudi is just too smart. While everyone takes a breather to digest their failure, Antoine takes part in an underground cage fight organized by a man called Marcus Reinhart. Antoine is a big draw because the challengers over there want to beat up cops. However, when his involvement in this particular illegal activity comes to light due to an altercation that happens beyond the confines of the cage, Antoine is transferred to Bobigny police station as punishment. Almost a year later, Antoine finds out that members of his old squad are being killed off by someone. He assumes that it’s Karim and tries to find clues that prove his theory. In doing so, he uncovers a deeper conspiracy that has the potential to destabilize every law enforcement authority in the country.
Unlike the lovers of “copaganda” (the subgenre of movies and shows that champion everything that cops do), I’m perfectly happy if a movie explicitly states that, given the opportunity, the upholders of justice are going to use the information they have on black money and try to pocket it. In addition to that, if they show that in this post-truth era, true justice has become irrelevant and anyone who tries to abide by the official rules and regulations, instead of the unofficial ones, is going to die in the bleakest fashion imaginable, I am ready to view it in a positive light. But if the exploration of these themes is reserved for the last 10-15 minutes of the film, while the rest of its runtime is used to solve a mystery that doesn’t exactly need solving—since the answer is staring you in the face—then I’m going to be a bit miffed. I can’t even imagine what must’ve come over Marchal to take this convoluted approach to telling his story about something as universal as corruption. I wouldn’t have minded a slow-paced story about a nationwide scandal if the characters were interesting, the plot twists were mind-bending, and the conflict was riveting. However, the screenplay relies on hours of bland exposition, zero character development, and a whimper of an ending. That’s just pathetic.
Credit where credit is due, Squad 36 does have an explosive opening. Mission: Impossible – Fallout, John Wick 4, and The Bourne Identity have kind of set the standard for action sequences set in Paris, with the one in John Wick 4 not even being shot in Paris. But Marchal makes his mark by creating a symphony of chaos and confusion, with the help of Erwann Kermorvant’s pulsating score, Denis Rouden’s kinetic cinematography, the pitch-perfect editing by Claire Andrieu and Michael Laguens, and the amazing work done by the stunt team. That said, in doing so, the film kind of peaks too early, because the rest of it is nothing like that opening set piece. No, I’m not saying that I expected the film to be an out-and-out action flick. I’m saying that the crime procedural should’ve at least been as intense as that chase scene. The shift in energy is so jarring, and the fact that the pace never picks up even when the narrative is in its 3rd bloody act is genuinely baffling. I have watched my share of boring movies, but this one really tested my patience. I’m not in any way undermining the effort that’s been put into building this world. It’s just that the final product is so tepid and toothless that the whole point of the film could’ve been surmised in an email.
The cast of Squad 36 is fine, I suppose. Victor Belmondo is extremely one-note. He gets a lot of avenues to flex his acting skills, but he always shows up with that uninterested expression on his face. Hence, Antoine’s whole journey falls apart before it starts. Tewfik Jallab is playing a pretty complex character, but he hardly gets the runtime to get into the skin of Sami. The same can be said of Yvan Attal and his portrayal of Balestra. The moment Juliette Dol randomly falls off her bike in that first scene, I knew that she was going to be severely underutilized, and I wasn’t surprised when my prediction came true. Soufiane Guerras, Guillaume Pottier, and Yousef Ramal are expressive, but their skills are wasted by Marchal in such a frivolous fashion that Antoine’s whole exercise of getting justice for his team feels hollow. I mean, if the chemistry between the protagonist and the characters he is fighting for isn’t properly established, everything ends up being immaterial. Jean-Michel Correia is intimidating but he doesn’t get the screen time to be a memorable villain. The rest of the cast is okay. Also, major props to the stunt doubles who have given it their all in the action sequences.
At the cost of sounding repetitive, the opening sequence of Squad 36 is worth a watch; the rest of the movie isn’t. In fact, you can watch that introductory act and then skip to the ending, and you won’t be missing anything. It’s that bad of a movie. But this is a rare moment where I’m kind of sad that this anti-“copaganda” film is so lackluster because I can see the potential. With a better script and some assured direction, this very narrative could’ve been one of the best movies of the year. Now it’s going to end up in my “worst movies of the year” list. I mean, Dhoom Dhaam, which was a comedy film about a newlywed couple on the run from armed criminals, did a great job of criticizing cops who misuse their powers to satiate their selfish interests instead of serving and protecting the public. Since that Bollywood movie is on Netflix too, I think you’ll be better off giving that a chance instead of wasting your time, energy, and peace of mind on Squad 36. That said, if you are adamant about watching a French film on law enforcement, I’d recommend The Monopoly of Violence. It’s not for the faint of heart, so viewer discretion is advised.
