Expected in theaters on July 3, “Elyas” will see Roschdy Zem play a former Special Forces soldier converted into a bodyguard. This veritable killing machine is put back into service when a commando targets the teenage girl he must protect.
Punch. Directed by Florent-Emilio Siri, who notably directed the excellent “Nid de Guêpes” in 2002, “Elyas” presents itself as an ultra-muscular action film with Roschdy Zem in the lead role. The actor plays Elyas, a former Special Forces soldier haunted by his years of service in Afghanistan. He has since retrained as a bodyguard.
His new position leads him to watch over Nour, a 13-year-old girl who, with her mother Amina, left the United Arab Emirates to find refuge in a castle in France. When a mysterious commando threatens their existence, Elyas swears to defend the young girl at the risk of his life, using all of his skills as an elite soldier.
An absolutely captivating action film from start to finish, “Elyas” also touches on broader themes, such as loneliness, post-traumatic stress disorder, and redemption. Roschdy Zem is magnetic in the lead role. He is perfectly supported on screen by Laëtitia Eïdo and Jeanne Michel, who breaks the screen in the role of Nour.
