LOST BULLET: Too Relentless to Feel Humdrum
One seldom comes across a 90-minute film suffused with continual action, car chases, fistfights, gunshots, and every other action-genre troupe, and yet feel lethargic. The French-language Netflix original Lost Bullet pulls off this onerous task and even manages to put off our interest within the compact time frame despite fitting all the aforementioned facets. It’s probably because these facets feel forcedly appended rather than coming off as requisites to the script. They’re more of a garnish than the main ingredient, and it’s a film that relies on the garnish to embellish the final film while ignoring a very basic necessity: a coherent script. The action and the garnish do bolster to an extent, though, if not completely alleviate the issue caused by the absence of strong writing.
Futility of Purpose Mars Tension
The protagonist of Lost Bullet is Lino (effortlessly played by Alban Lenoir, thanks to the one-note character), a small-time mechanic who, after ending up in prison for a crime he did not commit, is lucky enough to work with the police, customizing their vehicles. The character itself seems like a cross between the protagonists of American films Death Race and Faster, both equally humdrum.
The plus side is that there isn’t much time to bore you, because there’s one action set-piece after another being consistently thrown in the screenplay. Though they don’t flow, they hold the momentum. Lino’s brother-like character instigates the much-needed conflict, leaving Lino to find the eponymous bullet that’ll prove his friend’s innocence. The peril, though, is the futility of the purpose this action serves. Although not completely desultory, the action does feel slightly force-fit, which takes away from the tension and the drama – the two strongest pillars of any great action movie.
Pride or Die
The film’s first act packs in a lot and does it very well. We witness Lino getting involved in a mishap, ending up in prison, gaining an opportunity to revamp his life, and, again, messing it up. The character’s graph oscillates up and down, and it is arresting, considering how swiftly his life goes upside-down, then normal, then back around again.
That brings me back to this point: The majority of the good in the film is attributed to its slick runtime. But the script, as thin as onion tunic, struggles to keep the intrigue intact in the second act – which is when I felt the film didn’t deserve its 90-minute run time – and stretches beyond a point. The film could have been boiled to simple conversations without guns and bone-breaking had Lino, or his trio of puppeteers – writers Guillaume Pierret, Kamel Guemra, and Alban Lenoir – gave these characters the chance to sit and talk. But that’s not how it is done in action films, is it? Like Lino’s T-shirt says, “Pride or Die.” The character makes his choice, but I couldn’t stop wondering what the alternative would’ve been had he made a different decision.
Curt Second Act
The film feels like a sandwich with crusty hot bread and a flavorless patty. After a flying start, the film wanders through the second act, only to strengthen its foothold for the finale. For a medium-budget, self-aware action-thriller, that’s fine. But it’s that second act which disjoints the narrative and curtly interrupts what could have been an edge-of-the-seat thriller. There are aspects where the film transcends beyond genre cliches, and it is easing to see an action film where the hero doesn’t have to chase redemption (I’m looking at you, Extraction). Pierret must have thought, “the protagonist is in a bewildering situation with guns pointed at his head, why would you bother with his childhood?” It’s true and works in favor of the film. It’s all about cars and punches, and that might be all you need.
Conclusion: Lost Bullet
Lost Bullet is a wannabe Mad Max that takes in pride in flaunting its no-nonsense action movie tag, but sadly falls under the weight of its aspirations and remains another harmless thumbnail in Netflix’s gargantuan library that is home to far superior action movies.
Did you watch the film? What are some of your favorite action movies? Let us know in the comments below!
Lost Bullet is available to stream now on Netflix.
Watch Lost Bullet
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