Night of the Kings

Night of the Kings

2021 · 93 min · FR · 6.9 (62 votes)
Dir. Philippe Lacôte · Starring Koné Bakary, Steve Tientcheu, Digbeu Jean Cyrille, Rasmané Ouédraogo, Issaka Sawadogo, Denis Lavant · Music Olivier Alary

A film about resistance and the power of words in the face of violence.

Drama

A young man is sent to "La Maca," a prison in the middle of the Ivorian forest ruled by its inmates. As tradition goes with the rising of the red moon, he is designated by the Boss to be the new "Roman" and must tell a story to the other prisoners. Learning what fate awaits him, he begins to narrate the mystical life of the legendary outlaw named "Zama King" and has no choice but to make his story last until dawn.

VIBE

A raw, urgent, and hypnotic descent into a brutal prison society. The film's energy is infectious, powered by the life-or-death stakes of a story told under duress. It feels like a fever dream you can't escape.

grittyintensemysticalvisceraloppressivepropulsivesocial realismcinéma véritéarthouse dramasurvivalstorytellingpower dynamicsfate