Hunting With Tigers (Tigres et Hyènes), will be released in 2024 and follows the life of a crime lord while incorporating facets of a father-son relationship and an action-packed storyline set in Paris. In the film, Parisian.belongs to the rotisserie class and so he spends life always on the move trying to do as much work as possible for minimal pay, Looking for quick cash by doing odd jobs. He learns that mulgret, a reputed bank robber, has recently been caught alongside his former allies. With both fighting aging needs, it might be the ideal moment to withdraw.
To compensate for the loss of the family’s violent menial workers, the agile between quarters crime lord also felt that his obligation out of the grubby limbs of his greedy aunt Aunt Margret required immediate attention, no matter how tarnished the relationship between father and son too. With their messy past and Serge’s lengthy prison sentence awaiting him, shocking quit the offer. In my muted opinion, by surrounding murky waters, things couldn’t get nastier.
Telling them to put their powered-up talking monitors on since the movie is ready to begin, while simultaneously having my glass of mulled wine brought to me by a drone surely did the trick. Never having tried to immerse myself into the depths of hell before did indeed yield the intended result. Bordelons frank lukin with unmatched energy appears stands from somewhere else entirely.
We have a new character: Iris (Géraldine Nakache), the lawyer who is working on Serge’s case. She now has an out of the box suggestion — Malik can save Serge from life in jail if he helps her reassemble Serge’s old gang and executes another heist. The person who proposed this is Chérif Zhaoui (Omar Salim), a fellow inmate who is well connected on the outside and has personal reasons for wanting the heist to go through.
Malik is unwillingly going for the deal, keeping strategical interests for himself, and now he has to find Serge’s old gang. They are not just criminals: They are the phantoms of history. Each has their own story, wounds, and doubts. Amongst these are Avi (Sofiane Zermani) the cold-blooded strategist, Estelle (Cassandra Cano) a sharpshooting sniper who is enigmatic and steely, Azzedine (Samir Guesmi) the guarded loyalist and moral compass of the group, and Ange (Olivier Martinez) a bitter and jaded thug with shifting allegiances.
What unfolds is a taut character-driven crime drama. As Malik explores this world, it begins to dawn on him the many dangers that lay ahead as well as the reflection of his own life; the violence he is bound to unleash or the option to break free from it. Obviously this heist does not go according to plan. Betrayals surface, some deep and some shallow, fierce and steadfast and Malik learns the fate of violence laced moral conundrum waiting for him where each step he takes is tantamount to a sanguinary sacrifice.
Cast & Characters
Waêl Sersoub as Malik. Malik — the protagonist of the story — is an outer man and an inner man. A man who once fled from this life of brutality finds himself drawn back into the unholy nightmare and sinks deeper because of claws of guilt and blood ties. His performance captivates the audience, is self-reflective, to say the least, rife with bubbling rage, and cracked tempered vulnerability.
Vincent Perez as Serge Lamy. Perez brings a weathered gravitas to the role this aging but sharp former thief whose imprisonment catalyzes the entire plot. An ex convict. Wise with his age. With cunning ever present sharpness in his head.
Géraldine Nakache as Iris. A shrewd lawyer who proposes to commence the heist at hand. It is indeed interesting how her partial character hints at plot advancing potential as her set of intentions stands bound by a web of strife.
Omar Salim as Cherif Zhauoi. He is the one who holds the reins of everything at stake behind the curtain allowing puppet strings to dance on Malik’s strings at his whim. Irrefutably, the smooth operator with hidden motives.
Sofiane Zermani as Avi: Avi is a calculating figure with zero tolerance for wistfulness or sentimentality. He is the operational brain of the crew.
Cassandra Cano as Estelle: One of the most profoundly explored arcs is of Estelle who is quiet and is marked by tragic loss and striking inner conflict.
Samir Guesmi as Azzedine: He is the moral compass of the group and simultaneously their past, serving as both an anchor and a lighthouse.
Olivier Martinez as Ange: He is a man with great physical presence, but with shifting loyalties while providing emotional intimidation and unexpected tenderness.
Direction and Technical Aspects
Jérémie Guez, the director of the film “Hunting With Tigers” applies a uniquely noir style to the film. The shadows, alleyways, and muted colors create a sense of grittiness that enhances the theme of betrayal and redemption while the film remains set in the urban landscape. Léo Lefèvre’s camera work is tense yet smooth as he switches from intimate handheld shots of emotional exchanges to sweeping, high-angle shots during the action sequences.
Despite the pacing issues some might have with the editing of the film, overall the use of pacing is steady. Depending on the viewers, some might perceive the middle-act as tedious. Lionell Limiñana and David Menke’s music for the film blends harsh rock and moody orchestration that elevates the atmosphere without clouding the narrative.
Themes & Symbolism (Hunting with Tigers)
The metaphor of the title “Hunting With Tigers” is both literal and metaphorical. Tigers are dangerous and powerful animals that are highly unpredictable, similar to the people Malik needs to put his trust in. With this symbol, the film examines the trust among killers, the perils of ancient loyalties, and the price of running with predators while trying to escape the wild.
Also, family—even though it is not blood family—dominates the film due to shared experience and survivorship. Malik and Serge’s bond is complex; full of love and resentment, it is deeply representative of the core conflict of whether people truly change, or instead wait for the chance to revert to their former selves.
Critical Reception
Hunting with Tigers currently sits at a 5.6 out of 10 on IMDb, showcasing mixed critical reception. Critics laud the performances, particularly praising Waël Sersoub’s breakout portrayal of the lead, but find the narrative too predictable. The film’s striking direction and commendable cast has not gone unnoticed, yet some critics think the story lacks originality and falls into the traditional European heist film narrative.
The film has earned credit for attempting a character-driven approach, particularly in a genre often dominated by spectacle. The focus on grief, moral dilemmas, and psychological wounds sets it apart from the more conventional crime thrillers.
Conclusion
“Hunting With Tigers” is a layered and atmospheric thriller that is more successful as a character study than a heist film. It offers a nuanced depiction of the Parisian underworld while challenging the audience to consider questions of loyalty, legacy, and the delicate boundary between freedom and entrapment. While the film is not groundbreaking, its gritty realism and strong performances make it a worthy addition to the French crime films.
For audiences who enjoy a mindful balance of action, character development, and consequence intertwined with psychological depth, “Hunting with Tigers” will not disappoint.
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