23/05/2023 - CANNES 2023: Just Philippot’s disaster film is definitely timely and harrowing, even though it relies heavily on overused clichés and tropes from the sci-fi and horror genres

At a time when Northern Italy is fighting back against deadly floods caused by unusual rains and dealing with thousands of displaced people, Just Philippot’s latest outing, Acide [+see also:
trailer
film profile], makes for particularly painful viewing.

Playing in the Midnight Screenings sidebar of this year’s Cannes Film Festival, the movie opens in brutal fashion with a few clips shot on a mobile phone depicting a factory worker, Michal (Guillaume Canet), who is leading a riot against his employer. The situation escalates rapidly, a video where he’s seen ruthlessly beating his boss goes viral, and Michal is forced to wear an ankle bracelet after the police clear the building. We understand that his partner and colleague, a woman called Karine, ended up in a hospital bed owing to their employer’s negligence, and this was the reason behind the factory workers’ protest. Some time later, however, clouds coming in from the west start pouring acid rain, wreaking devastation and sparking panic throughout France and Belgium. Michal ends up rescuing his ex-wife (Laetitia Dosch) and his daughter Selma (Patience Munchenbach) in the hope of reaching a safe shelter somewhere out west.

After his debut, The Swarm [+see also:
film review
trailer
interview: Just Philippot
film profile], Philippot’s second feature again deals with the theme of nature taking revenge for our negligence. Said theme, however, is explored through many of the conventions of the horror and sci-fi genres that we’re used to enjoying – or getting exhausted by – in countless Hollywood blockbusters. One of the most obvious comparisons that springs to mind is perhaps Steven Spielberg’s War of the Worlds. The two films use the same tropes of a dysfunctional family fleeing an impending danger, a threat coming from the sky (which in Spielberg’s case is of an alien origin), the feeling that the enemy could show up at any moment (especially the seemingly quietest), and the numerous physical and emotional wounds sustained along the way, to cite a few.

All in all, this heavy referencing of the tried-and-tested conventions brings in some positive qualities along with more banal choices: the presence of a frenetic narrative enhanced by fast-paced editing and highly dynamic cinematography, the creation of strong empathic bonds with the leads, a few chilling moments, some characters who act a bit too ingenuously and decide not to stick together, and a rebellious teen whose mindset clashes with her father’s.

That being said, the film is gripping and harrowing enough to retain the audience’s attention. While it doesn’t dazzle in its originality, it gains a well-deserved spot in a growing filmography addressing climate anxiety, and it’s surely frightening and involving enough for a wide, mainstream audience. There’s nothing wrong with it, but viewers shouldn’t expect too much depth in terms of the story development or the characters depicted. And that’s not to mention the questionable scientific basis for a worldwide catastrophe of this kind (the acid rain in the film manages to burn or melt almost everything in a matter of seconds or minutes) happening overnight.

Acide was produced by French outfits Bonne Pioche Cinéma and Pathé Films. Pathé Films is also selling the picture internationally.