The Takedown (2022)
Director: Louis Leterrier
Screenwriters: Stéphanie Kazandijan
Starring: Omar Sy, Laurent Lafitte, Izïa Higelin, Dimitri Storoge, Stéphane Pezerat
Buddy-cop films can be hugely entertaining when they strike the right balance between character chemistry, plot momentum, and tonal consistency. When they miss that balance, they quickly become forgettable. Louis Leterrier’s The Takedown, a follow-up to the 2012 pairing of Omar Sy and Laurent Lafitte in On the Other Side of the Tracks, reassembles the two leads to investigate a grisly murder discovered on a train. Unfortunately, the result is an uneven action-comedy that, while occasionally enjoyable, ultimately feels overly familiar and strangely forgettable.
The driving strength of the film is the rapport between Sy and Lafitte. Their rivalry and mutual banter provide genuine sparks; they carry the narrative with believable friction and an easy comedic timing. The screenplay leans into contemporary social themes—race, sexuality, and urban tension—without ever devolving into preachiness. Those themes add texture to what is otherwise a routine procedural, and the leads manage to inject warmth and humanity into the material even when the script falters.
On the technical side, the film works in fits and starts. The soundtrack often lands in a deliberately playful, slightly retro spy-mode: it evokes a lighter action tone reminiscent of classic spy pastiches without fully committing to satire. That musical choice helps frame the movie as a breezy, popcorn-friendly thriller rather than a bleak crime drama. Yet that tonal decision highlights an underlying problem: the film rarely finds a steady footing between comedy and adrenaline-fueled set pieces.
Editing choices undermine some of the movie’s better moments. The rapid-cut approach and frequent camera movements seem designed to manufacture excitement, but they often distract from character beats and dilute tension. Conversational scenes that would benefit from stillness instead get chopped into jumpy sequences, which diminishes the impact of quieter, character-driven moments. At times the film feels like it’s trying too hard to look kinetic rather than trusting its cast and story to provide energy.
Budget constraints become obvious in certain action sequences, which is not inherently a problem—creative limitations can inspire inventive staging. Here, however, the camera work and editing frequently call attention to the modest scale: choices intended to amplify thrills occasionally expose the film’s limitations. For viewers who appreciate clever, resourceful set pieces, there are flashes of ingenuity. For everyone else, the action can feel contrived and predictable.
Plotwise, the screenplay adheres closely to cop-drama tropes. The central mystery moves at a steady pace but lacks surprising turns; so-called twists arrive with little shock because the narrative telegraphs them well in advance. That predictability prevents the story from sustaining suspense, and the film often trades depth for expedience—resolving threads in ways that feel convenient rather than earned.
Despite these flaws, The Takedown remains watchable. When it leans into the chemistry of its leads and allows scenes to breathe, it produces several enjoyable moments and genuine laughs. The film functions well as light entertainment: not a lasting masterpiece, but a diversion that can be pleasant when you’re in the mood for a low-stakes, comedic action ride. Just don’t expect anything especially profound or original.
The film’s main issue is ambition mismatch: it wants to be slick, topical, and funny all at once, but the execution doesn’t consistently support that ambition. Strong performances and occasional directorial flair are offset by overzealous editing and an overly familiar plot. As a result, The Takedown plays like a competent but cautious entry in the buddy-cop genre—serviceable, intermittently entertaining, and easy to forget once the lights come up.
Score: 12/24