Bastion 36

Good acting especially of Victor Belmondo kept me and my wife engaged until the unexpected end that I cannot spoil here.

He saved this movie to be an average cop thriller.

The story is a classic corruption film that was directed by the well known French director Olivier Marchal who did several other good mystery thrillers.

All the staff and actors did a respectable job here and the movie is fast paced. There were some hot chases on motorcycle. Alright, you know this is a dark corrupted movie seen times before but if you have nothing other to watch this works for an entertaining evening.

Solid 6/10.

A typical PolAr crime film from France, but one that surprises with German-language tracks by Rebeka WARRIOR and the band KOMPROMAT in the soundtrack!

The grandson of Jean-Paul BELMONDO (1933 - 2021), Victor BELMONDO (born 1993), plays a young police officer from the French BRI who is transferred to the BAC as a punishment because of his penchant for illegal competitions. Six months later, some of his former colleagues are killed. Apparently the former friends were involved in illegal activities. The investigation reveals further surprises.

Nothing new from the PolAr genre that is so popular in France and beyond! But with French director Olivier MARCHAL, who is primarily responsible for the genre classic 36 QUAI DES ORFEVRES from 2004, a master of his craft delivers a passable NETFLIX film. For fans of the French crime film, which is also somehow the successor to the Italian Poliziotteschi from the 1970s, it is definitely worth a viewing.

Squad 36 had an intriguing plot antonie is a cop sent to another division for something he was getting blamed for , but after two of his members end up dead and one goes missing he takes it upon himself to find out the truth behind what is happening and a possible correuption involving his former team and as antonie gets closer to the truth his own life might be in danger. The acting was decent. The action and thriller structure were not really great. I thought this film was ultimatly a let down in the end and I wish it was just the little bit better constructed because overall I did not find this film too great.

The Netflix English-language synopsis is: "Forced out of his elite unit, a troubled cop launches his own rougue investigation when mysterious killings claim the lives of his former colleagues." Okay, sounds promising: maybe a noirish thriller or perhaps a revenge action movie.

Nope! It's a cloying, dour melodrama about coplife that's pretty insipid and pointless. You can tell you're in for a bumpy ride from the outset when the main character, who's supposed to be moonlighting as an underground MMA fighter, shows up for his bouts in a long-sleeve t-shirt. Presumably the actor couldn't be bothered to get in good enough shape to not look ridiculous cage-fighting shirtless.

Regardless the "mystery" elements aren't mysterious, the characters aren't likeable enough to engender interest/sympathy and the movie teases grand conspiracies it has no interest in exploring.

If there's any point to any of this at all it seems to be that one cannot fight City Hall. Fair enough, and there's a way to do that sort of thing right: see e.g. Chinatown and L. A. Confidential. They wove compelling characters, pathos and procedural elements into entertaining mysteries with gutting (Chinatown) and/or downbeat (L. A. Confidential) finales.

This, unfortunately, is more like a smug existentialist wasting the audience's time for two hours before getting to his rather banal point.

Review: "Bastion 36" kicks off with promise, offering a gripping and immersive experience. The atmosphere is tense and well-constructed, with strong performances, especially from the main cast. The world-building is rich and detailed, pulling you into a dystopian reality that feels both believable and haunting. For the first two hours, I was hooked-captivated by the unfolding mystery, layered characters, and compelling story arcs.

However, the film's downfall lies in its final act. The ending was a major letdown, feeling rushed, incoherent, and ultimately unsatisfying. One of the most disappointing decisions was the killing of Antoine. His death was not only unnecessary but also felt forced-completely out of sync with the emotional logic and narrative flow built up to that point. There was no payoff for the audience, no real thematic justification, and no deeper meaning attached to it. If anything, it undermined a lot of the character dynamics that had been carefully developed throughout the film.

Instead of offering closure or provoking thought, the ending seemed to betray the story's original tone and depth. It felt like a shortcut-an easy way out that avoided the harder, more meaningful route of resolution. The momentum that had been so skillfully built just fizzled out, leaving more questions than answers and not in a satisfying, open-ended way-more like incomplete storytelling.

It's truly unfortunate because "Bastion 36" had the potential to be something exceptional. The cast, visuals, pacing, and themes were all on point for most of the runtime. But with such a weak and emotionally disconnected conclusion, it's hard to recommend it without reservations. A better ending-one that honored the characters and the story-could have elevated this film to something truly memorable. As it stands, it's an intriguing watch, but the final impression is tainted by a poor narrative choice.