The Assault (2010): A Procedural Thriller That Puts You Inside a Real Hijacking

Ninety minutes — sharp, cold, and lean. Director Julien Leclercq strips away melodrama to deliver a film that feels almost like a military logbook. The Assault is a tight, nerve-wracking French action thriller about the real 1994 hijacking of Air France Flight 8969 and the daring GIGN counter-terrorism raid that ended it.

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Quick Overview: What Is the Film About?

Released in France in 2011 and directed by Julien Leclercq, The Assault (L’Assaut) dramatizes the December 1994 Air France hijacking in Marseille. Instead of one Hollywood-style hero, the movie focuses on the ensemble: elite GIGN operatives, their commander, and the bureaucrats whose decisions shape the mission. It follows a strict procedural rhythm — reconnaissance, training, green light, breach, resolution — making it feel more like a military thriller than a conventional character drama.

Direction: Cold, Minimal, Relentless

Leclercq opts for a minimalistic approach: cold metallic palettes, handheld camera movements for immersion, and no unnecessary spectacle. The pacing rises in stages, culminating in a fast, brutally effective raid sequence. Critics often described the film as “technically tight” but “emotionally cold.” That’s part of its DNA — the film is about procedure, not personal arcs.

Who Made the Film

Julien Leclercq (Director & Co-Writer)

Born in 1979, Leclercq made his debut with the cyberpunk-styled Chrysalis (2007). With The Assault, he confirmed his talent for hard-edged, visually stripped-down thrillers. Later projects include The Informant (2013), Braqueurs (2015), Lukas (2018, starring Jean-Claude Van Damme), and Netflix’s Sentinelle (2021) with Olga Kurylenko. His signature: cold visuals, procedural intensity, and no fluff.

Script and Structure

The screenplay by Simon Moutaïrou and Leclercq narrows the focus: the GIGN squad, commander Denis Favier, and government officials. Dialogue is functional, exposition comes through briefings and drills, and narrative buildup is tight. The downside? Limited human depth — characters are professionals first, people second.

Cast Performances

Vincent Elbaz (Thierry Prungnaud) — known for comedies like La Vérité si je mens! (1997), Elbaz shows restraint here. His role is about professionalism within a unit, not grand heroics. He later moved between French cinema and TV, including Netflix projects.
Gregory Derangère (General Denis Favier) — a seasoned French actor, with credits in Joyeux Noël (2005) and La Chambre des morts (2007). In The Assault he captures the commanding authority of the GIGN leader with calm precision.
Mélanie Bernier (Carole Jeanton) — a rising star of French cinema, featured in Regular Lovers (2005), Les Gamins (2013), and Love Addict (2018). Here she plays a government official, giving the story a civilian angle.
Aymen Saïdi, Chems Dahmani, Janice Buziani — portray the hijackers. Dahmani later appeared in The Hunger Games: Mockingjay – Part 2 (2015). Their performances avoid caricature, aligning with the film’s restrained tone.
Marie Guillard (Jet Set, Le Nouveau Monde), Philippe Bas (Profilage TV series), Antoine Basler, Abdelhafid Metalsi, and Hugo Becker (Gossip Girl, Baron Noir) enrich the supporting cast, grounding the film in institutional realism.

Visual Style, Editing, and Score

Cinematographer Thierry Pouget captures tight, metallic interiors with a sense of claustrophobia. Editors Mickael Dumontier, Christine Lucas Navarro, and Frédéric Thoraval cut with procedural precision — no flashy tricks, just mission flow. The score by Jean-Jacques Hertz and François Roy acts as a heartbeat, emphasizing tension without overwhelming the scenes.

Realism and Ethics

Violence is sudden and sharp, without glorification. The film carefully balances political context and the technical execution of the raid. No overblown heroics — just the brutal efficiency of elite operators facing one of France’s most high-profile terror incidents.

How It Plays Today

Viewed today, The Assault stands as a compact case study of counter-terrorism cinema. Less emotional than United 93, less spectacular than Hollywood action thrillers, but rock-solid in its purpose: to show how special forces operate under pressure. If you value procedural tension and authenticity, it delivers.

Facts and Numbers (as of 2025)

Original Title: L’Assaut (The Assault)
Country/Language: France / French
Genre: Action thriller, terrorism film
Director/Screenplay: Julien Leclercq (with Simon Moutaïrou)
Production Companies: Labyrinthe Films, Mars Films
French Distributor: Mars Distribution
World Premiere: November 12, 2010 (Sarlat Film Festival)
French Release: March 9, 2011
US Release: April 6, 2012 (limited)
Runtime: 95 minutes (France), 91 minutes (US cut)
Budget: approx. €4 million
Box Office: $4.34 million worldwide (France $4.23m, Belgium $0.11m)
US Rating: R
Cinematography: Thierry Pouget
Editing: Mickael Dumontier, Christine Lucas Navarro, Frédéric Thoraval
Music: Jean-Jacques Hertz, François Roy
Critical Reception:
- Rotten Tomatoes: 53% based on 15 reviews; audience score 46%
- Metacritic: 55/100 (7 reviews, “mixed or average”)

Verdict: Is It Worth Watching?

Absolutely, if you’re into French action thrillers with a procedural edge. The Assault (2010) doesn’t aim for Hollywood spectacle or sentimental arcs — it’s about method, discipline, and execution. It may feel cold at times, but that honesty is what makes it compelling.

It’s not a perfect film, but it’s one of the most focused portrayals of real counter-terrorism on screen — a reminder that sometimes less really is more.