Les Rascals starts out as a simple suburban film, with kids squabbling, fighting, gangs, petty theft and parties. But as the introduction makes clear, the film takes place in 1984, in the suburbs of Paris, right in the middle of the European elections, when the FN (French National Front) scores heavily for the first time. This is the backdrop for Jimmy Laporal-Tresor's film, scheduled for release in cinemas on January 11, 2023, and one of our favorites of the year.
This political significance is not apparent at the start of the film, which, like a West Side Story, focuses on the rivalry between two gangs that oppose each other, one made up of the sons of immigrants, the other of boneheads, a new form of skinhead punks. Their clash begins with a simple street fight, but it has far-reaching consequences.
With this story of a spark that ends up causing a forest fire, the filmmaker brilliantly examines the political fracture in France in the early 1980s, with the rise of fascism and the Paris skins movement. The script is brilliantly crafted, tragic and often infuriating, as we realize that the immigrant gang will never be listened to, alongside the so-called "native French", even if they are dangerous. Jimmy Laporal-Tresor's analysis of this era is chilling. This is an important film, which, after having caused a sensation at the Semaine de la Critique during the Cannes Film Festival, could well win a place at the Césars.
Also check out our interview with director Jimmy Laporal-Trésor and actors Jonathan Feltre and Missoum Slimani.
January 2025 cinema releases: Films and times near you
Discover all the films in theaters in January 2025 with showtimes near you. Don't miss a single movie! [Read more]
January 2025 cinema releases: Films and times near you
