Summary
The Stronghold is by no means going to electrify your screens, but for those that remember the actual case in 2012, it could be a film worth investigating in its near 2-hour runtime.
This review does not contain any spoilers for the Netflix film The Stronghold (2021).
The Stronghold is a French crime thriller based on real events. Well, kind of. Those behind the making of the film have stated that whilst the events, characters, and actions within the film are fictional, it is based on an event that actually happened. That said event is from 2012. In the French city Marseille, 18 police officers from the BAC Nord unit got arrested. Those charges related to the theft of drugs. The BAC Unit, which stands for the Anti Crime Unit, argued that 19 police officers accepted thousands of dollars in exchange for a suspect’s freedom.
Whilst the innocence of those 18 police officers is a story for another day, The Stronghold follows three police officers; Antoine, Yass, and Greg. In the film, they find themselves in a similar one to the real-life 2012 case. Although this film focuses solely on three police officers, it provides a more in-depth outlook into their lives and how their families can be affected.
The Stronghold is by no means, going to electrify your screens, but for those that remember the actual case in 2012, it could be a film worth investigating in its near 2-hour runtime. The Stronghold is stylish with its own tone that may set it apart from other possible choices to watch for the weekend. However, the plot is slightly overdone, so it doesn’t make for one of the most original watches of the year.
If I can advise anything with The Stronghold, watch it in its original French audio with English subtitles. (Unless, of course, you can speak French, then watch it without the subtitles!). The French language keeps true to the vibe of The Stronghold and is less distracting than the English dubbing. The dubbing feels out of place, doesn’t match with the characters’ images, and reduces the quality of the film.
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