Squad 36 – Movie Review | Netflix (2/5)

SQUAD 36 on Netflix is a new crime thriller from France (org. title: Bastion 36). It has a very (as in extremely) macho-driven action plot full of car and motorcycle chases and fight scenes. Not very deep. Read our full Squad 36 movie review here!

SQUAD 36 is a new Netflix crime-thriller from France (org. title: Bastion 36). The opening scene alone should tell you two things: This is form over substance and why the runtime is just over two hours long. The opening car and motorcycle chase is long.

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Check out the Japanese action flick Demon City released the same week >

Overall, this movie offers an extremely macho-driven plot where women aren’t important, and neither are any other people except for those who hit the hardest and care the least. I’m oversimplifying, but it’s still accurate. The runtime is 2 hours and 4 minutes. Way too long!

Continue reading our Squad 36 movie review below. Find it on Netflix starting February 28, 2025.

Strangely familiar and predictable

In Squad 36, we follow a cop just as he’s “forced out of his elite unit,” which I suppose is French for; He violated several rules and now has to face the consequences.

Yeah, I’m not impressed.

Nor does the plot of how he then starts his own “rogue investigation” after some of his former colleagues are killed impress me much. I mean, he could have just focused on doing his job in the first place instead of acting exactly like the bad guys they’re chasing.

Also, the fact that the main protagonist, Antoine Cerda, is a senior police officer baffles the mind. I mean, how did he ever manage to behave long enough to be “senior” anything?!

Except, of course, being with a unit that tends to reward bad behavior where you mimic the criminals you’re after. Still, I guess we’re supposed to recognize that he actually is a good guy who just did bad things. Now, he wants to set things right and help his former unit.

Mind-numbing action for the most part

That first opening car-turned-motorcycle chase scene should tell you all you need to know. Of course, if you’re in the mood for a mind-numbing action flick, then Squad 36 has you covered.

However, if you’re looking for something more, you’ll probably be disappointed.

Again, that long opening car chase scene tells us a lot. We have no idea what’s going on, and once we do, it comes across as extremely macho-fueled. Complete with a police officer engaging in illegal underground fights. Fight Club-style.

Stereotypical men (and a few women) who behave exactly as badly as you’d expect. Also, it’s often celebrated despite being abhorrent behavior for law enforcers. Honestly, I just want (and expect) more from my movies, I suppose.

Ultimately, Squad 36 feels like it could’ve been made a good three (maybe even four) decades ago.

Watch Squad 36 on Netflix now!

Olivier Marchal (star of Blood Coast) is the writer and director of Squad 36 (org. title: Bastion 36). French genre movies can be amazing, but too many crime-thrillers tend to be extremely macho-fueled action movies.

This one is adapted from Michel Tourscher’s novel “Flic Requiem”. Admittedly, I have not read the novel, so I have no idea how closely it follows this.

Also, while billed as being a crime, thriller, drama, and “Police procedural”, this is mostly just testosterone-filled action with very little character development. You can guess quite a lot from the action of the first half hour.

Basically, I’d say that if you’re well entertained by that, then I’m sure you’ll enjoy the rest of Squad 36 as well. It’s certainly a well-made production. Just without any heart or passion, which doesn’t do much for me.

Personally, I like my characters nuanced and a few steps above shallow.

Squad 36 is out on Netflix from February 28, 2025.

Details

Director: Olivier Marchal
Writers: Olivier Marchal, Michel Tourscher
Stars: Yvan Attal, Victor Belmondo, Tewfik Jallab, Soufiane Guerrab, Juliette Dol