A French action film that more than earns its place in the genre. It pays homage to American action films and the Alien quadrology with its score more reminiscent of a horror than an action film.
The plot is simple: a gang of ex-cons intend to rob a warehouse of a large stash of IT equipment. A multi-national police armed escort of a dangerous Albanian human trafficker interrupt their efforts when they are forced to divert and take refuge in the warehouse after being chased by cohorts of their prisoner, who are intent on springing him free. Trapped inside the warehouse the gang and police unite to stave off and survive the external attack from the Albanians.
The homage to the Alien films runs throughout from the opening credits where an image of white light holes, that we see later during one of the shoot outs, merge to form the title of the film as did the light in the universe at the start of 'Alien'. The Albanian thugs clearly represent the alien attackers and wear masks with red lights (that reminded me of the cybermen from Dr Who), which makes them look like aliens. There are lots of details in the film that seem to echo the Alien films, too many to list. One of my favourites is the way the Albanians call to the prisoner and he answers them from within the warehouse much as the alien soldiers call to the queen within the film 'Aliens'. There is also a dominant female lead Inspector Labourie, played by Nadia Fares, who like Ripley is maternal, courageous and ruthless in her quest to survive.
What this film brings to the action genre is intelligent imagery and a new brand of anti-hero. The film's title in French should read as 'Hornets' Nest' and not just 'The Nest'. The film begins with one of its anti-heroes, Louis, relaxing in the sunshine whilst a documentary plays on his TV. The documentary is the story of the 'Tarantula Hawk' wasp, which in French is called 'Pepsis Heros'. This wasp is described as being a parasitoid that ensnares Tarantulas as hosts for its larvae to use for food, eating the spider alive from within. Pretty gruesome stuff. The imagery is ambiguous because initially one expects the spider to win against the insect, but it falls prey. Throughout the film it is not clear who is wasp and who is spider: the ambushed/trapped people in the warehouse or the external attackers? Is the danger without: the wasp entrapping the spider (the Albanians attacking the warehouse), or from within where the wasp larvae eating their way out (the trapped turning on the attackers)? The intelligence in the imagery is that as the film progresses 'good guys' die and their success is uncertain, keeping the audience gripped to the last.
Of the handful of protagonists there are two anti-heroes: Louis, a warehouse security guard, and Santino, one of the ex-con gang who eschews guns for chewing gum and whistling. Both are thoughtful and resourceful, yet have an aura of mystery that keeps the audience unsure of them and their allegiances throughout. We see their bravery and their fears as well as their vulnerability to harm and death. Unusual in action heroes of any type.
I can't recommend this film enough and although it's great to discover a hidden gem, it deserves more accolade than its present IMDb rating gives.
The plot is simple: a gang of ex-cons intend to rob a warehouse of a large stash of IT equipment. A multi-national police armed escort of a dangerous Albanian human trafficker interrupt their efforts when they are forced to divert and take refuge in the warehouse after being chased by cohorts of their prisoner, who are intent on springing him free. Trapped inside the warehouse the gang and police unite to stave off and survive the external attack from the Albanians.
The homage to the Alien films runs throughout from the opening credits where an image of white light holes, that we see later during one of the shoot outs, merge to form the title of the film as did the light in the universe at the start of 'Alien'. The Albanian thugs clearly represent the alien attackers and wear masks with red lights (that reminded me of the cybermen from Dr Who), which makes them look like aliens. There are lots of details in the film that seem to echo the Alien films, too many to list. One of my favourites is the way the Albanians call to the prisoner and he answers them from within the warehouse much as the alien soldiers call to the queen within the film 'Aliens'. There is also a dominant female lead Inspector Labourie, played by Nadia Fares, who like Ripley is maternal, courageous and ruthless in her quest to survive.
What this film brings to the action genre is intelligent imagery and a new brand of anti-hero. The film's title in French should read as 'Hornets' Nest' and not just 'The Nest'. The film begins with one of its anti-heroes, Louis, relaxing in the sunshine whilst a documentary plays on his TV. The documentary is the story of the 'Tarantula Hawk' wasp, which in French is called 'Pepsis Heros'. This wasp is described as being a parasitoid that ensnares Tarantulas as hosts for its larvae to use for food, eating the spider alive from within. Pretty gruesome stuff. The imagery is ambiguous because initially one expects the spider to win against the insect, but it falls prey. Throughout the film it is not clear who is wasp and who is spider: the ambushed/trapped people in the warehouse or the external attackers? Is the danger without: the wasp entrapping the spider (the Albanians attacking the warehouse), or from within where the wasp larvae eating their way out (the trapped turning on the attackers)? The intelligence in the imagery is that as the film progresses 'good guys' die and their success is uncertain, keeping the audience gripped to the last.
Of the handful of protagonists there are two anti-heroes: Louis, a warehouse security guard, and Santino, one of the ex-con gang who eschews guns for chewing gum and whistling. Both are thoughtful and resourceful, yet have an aura of mystery that keeps the audience unsure of them and their allegiances throughout. We see their bravery and their fears as well as their vulnerability to harm and death. Unusual in action heroes of any type.
I can't recommend this film enough and although it's great to discover a hidden gem, it deserves more accolade than its present IMDb rating gives.