November ★★★★

NOVEMBER is one of those great thrillers based on actual events that the French do so well.

It’s a meticulous look at the investigation and hunt for Islamic terrorists following the series of coordinated attacks that occurred on public targets in 2015.

On 13 November of that year terrorists struck Paris killing around 130 people and injuring more than 400 in three separate incidents. In response, a three-month state of emergency was declared across the country, giving the authorities additional powers to investigate and search premises and arrest and detain suspects.

The film focuses on the immediate aftermath as authorities scramble to understand what has happened and the potential for further attacks. Jean Djardin, still best known for his role is 2011’s The Artist, plays the officer in charge of the investigation and you can see the tension on his face.

It’s written and directed by Cédric Jimenez whose other good thrillers include The Connection in 2014 and The Man with the Iron Heart in 2017. Jimenez covers every facet, including the mistakes made and personal toll on everyone involved.

The cracking pace also takes us outside France to Greece, Belgium and Morrocco.