Every day, AlloCiné recommends a film to (re)watch on TV. Tonight: Franck Gastambige follows in the footsteps of Pablo Escobar.
When it comes to films and series on cartels in Colombia, we are served! Among the best-known works are Narcos, Escobar, and The Infiltrator. But did you know that there are also lighter comedies on the subject?
Want another TV tip for tonight? We recommend this spy film with Henry Cavill, in a role other than Superman!
Released exclusively on the Prime Video streaming platform in June 2023, Medellin is the latest feature film directed by Franck Gastambide. There we meet “Pablito” (Brahim Bouhlel), a young Youtuber fascinated by Pablo Escobar.
One day, he decides to make his dream come true by going to Medellin in the footsteps of the drug lord. But upon arriving in this town with a dark past, Pablito is kidnapped by Narcos who demand a colossal ransom. His brother Reda (Ramzy Bedia) convinces his two friends, Stan (Franck Gastambide) and Chafik (Anouar Toubali), to follow him to find him.
Humor, action and… mixed reviews
With Medellin, Franck Gastambide is a far cry from the dramatic genre of these two successful series: Validé and La Cage. Here, the actor and director mixes humor with action, as he already did in Taxi 5. This gives rise to a totally explosive comedy!
Barely released on our screens, it ranked, in less than 24 hours, at the top of Prime Video programs. In particular, he managed to dethrone the spy series Citadel. A resounding success which owes a lot to the crazy chases in narrow alleys and on the roofs of the Escobar barrio, as well as the fights and explosions.
However, reviews are mixed. On AlloCiné, Internet users have attributed to Medellin a rating of 2 out of 5, below average. And the comments are not more positive, as we can read below:
“One of the worst Gastambides…” (CityHunter14)
“This movie is a waste of time” (Jeremy V)
-“It doesn't fly very high, the direction is insipid, there is no real scenario. It's just pretexts to let loose” (Shiki)
“The idea was good, with great sets, but the scenario has already been seen and reviewed. Too bad, it could have been nice” (Jean Pierre M.)
But rest assured, in this batch of reviews, each more negative than the last, we still note a few flattering words, like these:
“This new film Franck Gastambide is just awesome” (Lyah)
“It's entertaining, beautiful, not vulgar, funny and touchingnt…” (Terral Gilles)
“Incredible images of Medellin and a touching story” (Jerempavan1)
“I had an excellent time watching this film which successfully combines action, humor and a finely written script” (slowly)
You will have understood, so it’s up to you to judge!
Tonight on W9 at 9:10 p.m.
