‘Banger’ (2025) Netflix Movie Review - Vincent Cassel in an Unremarkable Comedy

So-Me's IMDb page tells me he has directed many music videos. Wikipedia calls him "a French graphic designer, animator, director, and music producer." He also directed one of the six episodes of 6 X Confiné.e.s, titled Scorpex. I have not seen 6 X Confiné.e.s, but the title of the episode refers to the character played by Vincent Cassel. It seems as if Cassel has reprised his role as Luis/Scorpex in Banger. This crime comedy film, directed by So Me, looks like an extended music video. I am not familiar with So Me's work, but Banger is far from a banger. It's an earworm only if your definition of earworm is "a worm that damages your ears." The music featured in the film - one that So Me seems to be celebrating here - is sorely forgettable. One isn't able to distinguish one tune from the other. It all sounds the same; the beats are lifeless. Banger has a swift pace - it runs and jumps like a person high on drugs. The story, however, in a mad rush, reaches nowhere. The film's speed can initially shoot up your blood pressure. However, once you settle into its tone, the rhythms become repetitive.

Yes, there is a so-called story involving Luis infiltrating a crime ring at the request of a police officer. She is Rose (Laura Felpin), and she doesn't really request Luis to join this mission. It's more of a blackmail kind of situation (Luis has not paid his taxes, so he will be fined if he refuses to cooperate with the officers). Also, by helping the police, Luis might end up helping himself. If the operation is successful, Luis will defeat his rival, Vestax (Mister V), allowing him to make a comeback. This "story," however, is nothing more than a clothesline on which So Me hangs chaotic sequences, like the one where the camera turns delirious when Luis takes Angel Rocket, aka Drippy Drop. But beneath the hectic momentum and stoned images, there is nothing but complete emptiness. So-Me wants to take you on a "trip." As far as he's concerned, Banger works on "vibes" - it's something you experience like a stoner. Critics often complain that most films and shows are designed for "second screen" audiences. Here is a movie made for dopeheads - an acid trip that prefers its viewers to be intoxicated. But even as an acid trip, Banger is pretty tame and unremarkable. The images are colorful but also conventional. There is not enough madness on the screen - So-Me doesn't have a distinctive voice or vision. He's unimaginative, and his visuals neither have a feverish intensity nor an inebriating charm. Banger is just another lackluster offering from Netflix that will soon be consigned to oblivion.

Final Score- [1.5/10]
Reviewed by - Vikas Yadav
Follow @vikasonorous on Twitter
Publisher at Midgard Times