This French action thriller is the new number one on Netflix

As far as Netflix is concerned, I've been taking a little road trip through Europe in recent weeks. After Sweden and Norway, my destination this time was France. But you won't hear me complaining, the new thriller ‘Ad Vitam’ definitely deserves a spot on your watchlist. In this thrilling action film, a former police officer must rescue his kidnapped wife while his secrets from the past haunt him.

Time is ticking

Franck Lazarev (Guillaume Canet) is a member of the French Elite Intervention Unit (GIGN), but after a failed mission, he is dismissed. Together with his wife Leo (Stéphane Caillard), he retreats to lead a quieter life and focus on their family. But just when they seem to have everything in order, a group of armed men breaks into their home. Franck turns out to have important evidence about the case that cost him his job, and the robbers are determined to prevent the ex-officer from revealing their secrets. The then eight-month pregnant Leo is kidnapped and Franck has four hours to hand over the evidence and save her. While he risks his life trying to find the kidnappers, he becomes more and more entangled in a complex case full of international espionage.

A complex past

Anyone who thought they could sit back and relax is at the wrong address with ‘Ad Vitam’. Franck is of course not just any target for the kidnappers, and his dismissal turns out to be more complicated than you might initially think. In various time jumps, director Rodolphe Lauga and lead actor Guillaume Canet, who also co-wrote the script, take you through Franck's complex past and the real reason that got him into so much trouble. Until the end, it's a puzzle, but that's exactly what makes the film so interesting. And the view over the rooftops of Paris and the gardens of Versailles is an extra treat that we certainly won't say no to.

‘Ad Vitam’ is now available on Netflix.

Image: Netflix