Summary
You almost get lost in what’s happening to surround the characters as everything collapses around them. It’s an impressive feature from Gavras because of how incredible the visual storytelling is.
This review of the Netflix film Athena does not contain spoilers.
Director Romain Gavras depicts a tragic moment in the lives of three brothers through stunning cinematography, a haunting score, and impeccable camerawork. Hours after the tragic death of their youngest brother in unexplained circumstances, three siblings have their lives thrown into chaos.
What was so intriguing was the camera placement at all times. There are different points of view from each character as they go through this war. The tracking shots to show each character going into battle or searching for their loved one made this unique.
There’s a clear sense of direction for Gavras and his work with the director of photography Mathias Boucard fully immerses you into the world they created. It’s fast-paced and has a strong emotional story to connect to. Gavras draws you in from the very beginning of this film as he sets the tone early on with one molotov cocktail being thrown during a gathering with police.
Athena places the viewer in the character’s shoes and each backstory is integrated properly to get a good sense of fluidity between them. It’s beautifully shot and has some tough moments between brothers in the third act that bring this story together. They all have different lives and the way this is edited fully explores who these characters are.
Abdel (Dali Benssalah), Karim (Sami Slimane), and Moktar (Ouassini Embarek) are in different communities all fighting to avenge their youngest brother. They have all chosen to navigate this fight differently and have been using their groups to get to one another. While the story is strong, the visuals elevate it to another level entirely. You almost get lost in what’s happening to surround the characters as everything collapses around them. It’s an impressive feature from Gavras because of how incredible the visual storytelling is.
Read – Our explanation of Athena’s ending.
Read – Our post about the potential of Athena 2.
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