Overdose (2022)

Overdose is what happens when a hard-edged crime thriller refuses to coast: Olivier Marchal stages a lean, relentless chase movie with the bruised authenticity of cops who’ve seen too much, and the momentum of a fuse burning down. The pleasure here is the craft—tight pacing, gritty atmospherics, and action that feels physical and consequential as the investigation barrels from France into Spain with no time to catch your breath. Sofia Essaïdi and Assaad Bouab give the forced-partnership dynamic real heat and tension, grounding the adrenaline in character rather than empty noise. It’s a bracing watch, but fair warning: the film earns its intensity with severe violence and heavy drug content, so it’s best for viewers who like their action thrillers dark, tough, and unapologetically adult.

Overdose is trying to be a slick, high-stakes French crime thriller: cops from different units forced into an uneasy partnership while a cross-border drug run turns into a ticking-clock chase. Olivier Marchal brings his usual grit and momentum, with some solid action beats and a moody, hard-edged atmosphere that keeps things moving. But if you’re hoping for fresh twists or characters with real depth, it can feel like familiar genre machinery—competent, intense, and a bit emotionally thin, with a romance thread that may not land for everyone. Also, the violence is genuinely heavy and drug content is front-and-center, so if you’re sensitive to brutal torture scenes or relentless bleakness, this one will likely feel more punishing than thrilling.