Official Trailer:

Athena is all about how the lives of three French siblings of Algerian descent plunge into chaos when their younger brother gets killed by the police under unclear circumstances. Friends and families want to know the identity of the police officers who killed the boy. Police claim the boy is killed by far-right members masquerading as cops. The pain of the loss along with underlying racism, police brutality, and lack of trust becomes rage and riot erupts. There seems to be no end to violence and madness. Abdel, who is in French military, believes problems need to be solved by being part of the system. On the contrary, Karim, his brother, believes only force will make establishment listen. Moktar, the third one, is an opportunistic and uses the situation to make money by peddling drugs. Then we have Jerome, the young cop who just wants to survive through the night to get back to his family safely.

Athena doesn’t dwell deep into the issues of racism, police brutality or the distrust. Rather it uses this setup as background to give us a visually impressive and an intense drama. As audience we are immersed in the middle of the rioters and the cops. We feel the rage, anger, fear, helplessness, and madness. I don’t know whether the story is fictional or based on true events, but what happens on screen feels so familiar to what is happening around the world around us. The opening sequence that lasts about 15mts or so is full of energy, movement, and so intense that you cannot take the eyes off the screen and throws you in the midst of the chaos. For a single shot sequence, it is mindboggling how they pulled off that kind of action on steroids that takes off from the police station and ends in settlement of Athena. It is not only the opening sequence. Movie is full of such sequences which elevates the mood of the drama and doesn’t stand out a like a gimmick. There is one gritty scene that makes you feel so hopeless where a battalion of cops are surrounded by rioters in roof tops throwing flames at them.

Great performances from Dali Benssalah (Abdel), Sami Slimane (Karim), Anthony Bajon (Jerome), and Oussani Embarek (Moktar). What Athena lacks in depth it makes it up with visually intense sequences, performances, and background score. An interesting watch.