BANGER Review

If nothing else, you can always rely on Netflix to drop tons of content with zero fanfare. In fact, had I not been scrolling through the “New Releases”, there’s a good chance that Banger never would’ve popped up in my algorithm. I saw Vincent Cassel in the thumbnail and decided to give it a go.

Luis used to be the talk of the club scene where he performed as a DJ under the name Scorpex. But now, 15 years later, he's lucky to find a record of his that isn't stuffed away in a bargain bin.

Scorpex's luck seems to be about to change when he's approached by Rose (Laura Felpin). She poses as a fan and bumps into Scorpex in a record store. When the store owner is explaining to Scorpex that nobody wants to buy his records and that's why they're in the bargain bin, Rose grossly overpays for the album. When she and Scorpex leave the record store, Scorpex is scooped up into a van.

Turns out Rose isn't a fan, she's an intelligence agent who is looking to recruit Scorpex. It just so happens that the newest big DJ, Vestax (Yvick Letexier), is believed to be involved in a huge drug ring. Rose needs Scorpex to get close to Vestax in order to gain insight on the drug operation and, hopefully, bring it all crashing down.

Like I said, I only stopped on Banger solely because I saw Vincent Cassel. I tend to usually like the roles he chooses and this turns out to be no different. Yes, even though Banger is a crime-comedy and Cassel usually sticks to more traditional dramatic roles. Here as Luis/Scorpex he can tap into his comedic chops when he has to. But when his character is in a more serious scenario, this is where we see Cassel do what he does best. The supporting cast around him also play their respective roles with zero complaints from me. There isn't anyone that necessarily stood out for good or bad reasons.

A has-been gets a chance to fight crime while also regaining some of his former spotlight. The story isn't anything groundbreaking or revolutionary. But it doesn’t have to be to still be enjoyable.

I am not really big into techno music. I’m not against it, just haven’t been exposed to enough of it to have an informed opinion one way or another. That being said, I appreciated that the whole movie wasn’t just a long drawn out club scene. Yes, there are sequences of club scenes, complete with neon lighting and thumping bass. But it’s not overdone to the point of making you feel lost if that’s not your world.

Honestly, what probably surprised me the most with Banger is how easy of a watch it is. It clocks in right at 90 minutes and it felt even shorter than that.

So, will Banger get any awards buzz? Probably not.

But if you’re looking for an easy and entertaining 90 minute watch, I’ve got a banger for you.

🍿 SCORE = 75 / 100