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★ 1 / 10
An American man referred to as #1 (Hus
Chris Sawin
An American man referred to as #1 (Hus Miller) wakes up on a bus in Dakar, Senegal with a bomb strapped to his chest and a 10-hour countdown. He’s handed a…
An American man referred to as #1 (Hus Miller) wakes up on a bus in Dakar, Senegal with a bomb strapped to his chest and a 10-hour countdown. He’s handed a phone and an earpiece as the voice on the phone (Willem Dafoe) claims that #1 will be set free after completing five missions.
Around the second mission, #1 crosses paths with another American, known as #2 (Cam McHarg) with a bomb strapped to his chest and an identical countdown. #1 and #2 are forced into being partners if they want to survive.
From co-writer and director Jean Luc Herbulot and co-writer and lead actor Hus Miller, Zero is a mess of a film that has trouble deciding if it wants to be an erratic comedy, an unpredictable thriller, or an action film with a message. Zero partially develops each concept into a film that is nothing more than lackluster during its best moments.
The word “comedy” should be used lightly since Zero is never amusing. A mediocre highlight is when #1 and #2 are forced to snort a bunch of cocaine because they’re trying to impress the drug lord for their current mission. It is ridiculous how the first few missions are these Jackass-related stunts or involve them putting their livelihood on the line solely to move on to the next mission.
The missions aren’t their only obstacle as they’re trying to dodge the cops and constant helicopter surveillance. According to the voice on the phone, the prisons in Senegal are “no joke.” But it’s like Zero loses its life-threatening steam halfway through and sends these bomb-wearing bros out into the world to run everyday errands.
The action in Zero isn’t great either. #2 is built out to be some badass with military training, but his action sequences are balls. His first big fight involves him fighting off two guys, but the film is noticeably edited every time #2 throws a punch. One of the missions involves #1 and #2 picking up a man named Daniel (Gary Dourdan) in a car. Dourdan fights about as well as the sloppiest of big wrestlers in the WWE as the camera seems to purposely avoid showcasing anyone throwing an actual punch.
The reasoning behind why these two Americans are being targeted is contrived by a bomb fetishist that you never get to see. This voice keeps track of the Americans' mission progress by drones. The missions become more and more elaborate as the film stumbles into its final act albeit they also get less and less interesting. The first mission involves stealing a phone from an amateur wrestler without getting your ass kicked while the last mission is to take this famous-on-social-media goat to this guy’s wedding.
The ending conveys a deep and ambiguous message, trying to make the voice on the phone look brilliant and paint America as one of the most evil countries in the world. This would be easier to swallow if Zero didn’t portray the people of Senegal as mindless sheep who are ridiculously easy to manipulate.
The film walks this thin line of not only terrorism controlling the world but that Americans are the only ones diabolical enough to control an entire country like this. It’s not even about whether or not you think America is evil or not. It comes off as this force-fed concept that is leaned on solely so the possibility of a sequel can be left open.
The cinematography is the best part of the film. Cinematographer Gregory Turbellier utilizes a ton of drone shots of Senegal portraying how vast the city is and how cramped its architecture is to navigate. Some of these shots look like miniatures were used, but if that’s the case it meshes with actual footage flawlessly.
There’s a decent premise buried in here somewhere and Willem Dafoe is great in just about anything, but Zero is more like a violent case of explosive diarrhea than a worthwhile thrilling action film.
The acting is subpar. These guys are sent on a wild goose chase for the dumbest of reasons. The CGI fire is distinctly cheap-looking. The ending tries to toss in a couple of different twists into its last few minutes, resulting in this deflated soufflé of rigmarole, which is exactly what a fast-paced thriller shouldn’t be.
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★ 5 / 10
It feels a lot longer than what it is.
TheMovieSearch
Zero is one of those films that quietly grows on you the longer you sit with it. At first glance, it feels like a familiar setup-bombs, countdowns, pressure…
Zero is one of those films that quietly grows on you the longer you sit with it. At first glance, it feels like a familiar setup-bombs, countdowns, pressure, and characters forced into impossible situations-but the film manages to carve out its own identity through restraint and commitment rather than spectacle. While it may not immediately hook you with flash or star power, it earns attention by steadily building tension and grounding its premise in human stakes.The story revolves around a dangerous, time-sensitive scenario in which lives are on the line and every decision matters. What works surprisingly well is how the film avoids overcomplicating its narrative. Instead of piling on unnecessary twists or exposition, it focuses on the urgency of the situation and the emotional toll it takes on the characters involved. This approach allows the suspense to breathe and feel organic rather than manufactured. You're not overwhelmed-you're pulled in gradually.Direction plays a major role in holding everything together. The filmmaker understands that tension doesn't come from constant explosions or frantic editing, but from atmosphere, pacing, and control. Scenes are allowed to unfold without rushing, and the camera work reinforces the claustrophobic pressure of the situation. The environments feel authentic, which helps sell the realism and keeps the film from slipping into exaggerated action-movie territory.The performances are another strength. While this isn't a showcase of powerhouse acting, the cast delivers solid, believable work. Each character feels like a real person reacting under extreme circumstances rather than a stock archetype. That authenticity makes the danger feel more immediate and the outcomes more meaningful. Even quieter moments carry weight because the actors commit to the tension instead of overplaying it.Where Zero truly succeeds is in its tone. It doesn't pretend to be a massive blockbuster or reinvent the genre. It knows exactly what kind of film it is and stays within those boundaries. That confidence works in its favor. The screenplay is straightforward but effective, focusing on momentum and emotional investment rather than gimmicks. While there are moments where the story could have pushed deeper or taken bigger risks, the film's consistency keeps it engaging.Ultimately, Zero is a solid, respectable thriller. It may not be something you revisit frequently, but it's far better than it initially appears. It proves that even familiar concepts can still work when handled with care, focus, and sincerity. For viewers who enjoy tension-driven films that prioritize atmosphere over excess, Zero is absolutely worth watching.
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★ 2 / 10
It takes too long to reveal the devious background scheme causing all the violence, thereby rendering it to an action movie without purpose or message
JvH48
Saw this at the Imagine 2024 film festival in Amsterdam. Apart from good casting/acting and an implicit tour through many areas in Dakar, this appears to be a…
Saw this at the Imagine 2024 film festival in Amsterdam. Apart from good casting/acting and an implicit tour through many areas in Dakar, this appears to be a standard action movie, of which we have seen more than enough. However, if we had known from the start of the devious scheme behind it all, we might have valued the proceedings more ("enjoy" would be a misnomer, given the background story and the violence overload).More background would have allowed us to live along with the two main protagonists. But we know nothing, neither about the underlying setup nor the purpose of their so-called missions. Nor do we know who the two bomb-chained men are. The bombs had a 10-hour times display perfectly in view, visibly counting. That was the only thing obviously clear throughout. And there was a voice in their earpieces telling them what to do (and what to do not).Before knowing the purpose of it all, it is merely a series of useless violence and car/scooter chases while traversing Dakar, just like a standard action movie. If you're a fan of that, be my guest, but it does not work for me. There is no clear goal that must be reached within 10 hours, and the intermediate assignments they received did not help us getting in the proper mood. There was nothing that did help us outguess what was going on. In the process, we met a series of side characters, but nothing was told how they fit in the grand scheme. For a movie marked (among others) as Thriller, such ingredients are dearly missed.Worse, we had a confusing, relatively short intermezzo, marked "Los Angeles 2 weeks ago" in yellow letters before that scene started, where we saw the two same men with the same ticking bombs. It seemed like a break in the narrative and unconnected with the story, were it not that the strategy of cutting wires is discussed. I'm at a loss how this can fit in the story line, being far away from Senegal.But there is a plan, alas not made known to us until the finale. Soon after that revelation, it is implicitly suggested that a similar setup will be executed in Paris soon after, all of that with the sole purpose of raising an upheaval with enormous political consequences. Not until that moment, it became clear why two American citizens, unmistakenly looking like Americans, were chosen for the "missions" they had to carry out. It is indeed a devious schema, causing lots of political turmoil. To conclude: an unforgivable narrative failure.
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