Top Cast
-
Guillaume Canet
Franck Lazareff
-
Alexis Manenti
Nico
-
Stéphane Caillard
Leo
-
Nassim Lyes
Ben
-
Zita Hanrot
Manon
-
Johan Heldenbergh
Vanaken
-
Etienne Guillou-Kervern
Stanislas Lacaze
-
Jamel Blissat
Homme DGSI 2
-
Maurice Chan
Le policier scientifique
Overview
When he and his pregnant wife are attacked in their home, a former elite agent becomes trapped in a deadly manhunt tied to his own painful past.
Rating
2 Reviews
-
MovieGuys5 Jan 26, 2025"Ad Vitam" follows in the footsteps of many, many other French action crime thrillers but somehow doesn't quite pull it off. The story that occurs briefly in the opening scenes of the film and the final third are what you might expect. Frenetic action, intrigue and spectacle abound. Regrettably, these elements are sandwiched between what amounts to an excess of "cop bonhomie" that's overstated and over long, stealing too much of this films run time. The outcomes a film that feels absurdly short and as a result, more than a little dissatisfying. In summary, decent acting, decent action but let down by an unbalanced script that doesn't seem to know the difference between an action crime thriller and a drawn out police soap opera. A marginal watch.
-
Dean5 Apr 13, 2026Ad Vitam is a well-made French action thriller that succeeds in its technical execution but stumbles with its core narrative. Guillaume Canet delivers a raw, believable performance as Franck, and the opening home invasion sequence is genuinely tense and frightening. The film does a great job showing the grit of elite GIGN training, and the practical stunts feel much more grounded than your typical Hollywood blockbuster. However, the "government conspiracy" at the heart of the story is where the movie loses its footing. The idea that the French domestic intelligence (DGSI) would go to such extreme, "dirty" lengths—including kidnapping a pregnant woman and trying to assassinate a former elite serviceman—to cover up a botched robbery feels highly unrealistic. It shifts the movie from a grounded police drama into a cynical political fantasy that doesn't quite match the realistic tone of the action. Furthermore, the film is dominated by an incredibly long flashback that takes up nearly half the runtime, which kills the momentum of the present-day search for Franck's wife.
Trailers & Clips
![Official Trailer [Subtitled]](https://i.ytimg.com/vi_webp/gMmF9uWqzK8/hqdefault.webp)
Recommendations
Recently paroled thief Gabriel Russell tries to balance his life and mend a troubled family as an FBI agent hunts him down, along with his crew after a botched armored car robbery.
Out of Exile
A thief fresh out of prison, tries to work his way back into the life of his daughter and ex-fiancé. Determined, he is forced to use the skills he has as a gifted locksmith. Things take a tumultuous turn after an unexpected disappearance.
The Locksmith
Shot in reverse day-by-day through a week—a local sheriff embarks on a quest to unlock the mystery of three small-town criminals and a bank heist gone wrong.
Shimmer Lake
Danger, deception and murder descend upon a sleepy town when a professional assassin accepts a new assignment from his enigmatic boss.
The Virtuoso
Former Antigang legend Niels Cartier, known for his muscular and unconventional methods, left the force following an intervention that went wrong and led to the death of his wife. When the gang of bank robbers responsible for her death reappears eight years later, Niels won't let anyone stand in his way to seek revenge. Even if it means forming an explosive duo with his temperamental 14-year-old daughter.
The Squad: Home Run
A homeless man is hired as a survival guide for a group of wealthy businessmen on a hunting trip in the mountains, unaware that they are killers who hunt humans for sport, and that he is their new prey.
Surviving the Game
A group of officers based in a labyrinthine top-secret prison must fight for their lives against Hatchet, a brilliant and infamous high-value detainee. When he escapes, his mysterious and deadly agenda has far reaching and dire consequences.
Black Site
An ex-mercenary known for finding missing children is hired by a mixed martial arts fighter whose daughter has been kidnapped.
6 Bullets
When his young son is viciously murdered by a classmate, a grieving father with a history of violence kidnaps the child responsible, igniting a frenzied manhunt fueled by a powerful politician -- the father of the kidnapped boy.
Barron's Cove
Vice detective Bob Hightower finds his ex-wife murdered and daughter kidnapped by a cult. Frustrated by the botched official investigations, he quits the force and infiltrates the cult to hunt down the leader with the help of the cult’s only female victim escapee, Case Hardin.