Overview
A relentless magistrate battles the shadows of Marseille's drug underworld, risking everything for justice.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- gritty
- tense
- bleak
- crime movie night
- serious thriller viewing
What critics said
Critics generally found it a stylish, solidly made, reasonably entertaining true-crime thriller, while noting its conventional structure and unavoidable comparisons to The French Connection.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The story follows real French magistrate Pierre Michel's years-long effort to dismantle a major Marseille drug ring.
Judge Pierre Michel spends years pursuing the drug network despite setbacks, danger, and the limits of the justice system.
1970s Marseille is presented through its drug trade, criminal networks, violent streets, and distinctive local atmosphere.
Michel confronts one of France's most powerful drug rings, whose influence and resilience complicate a conventional police victory.
Films like The Connection, and why
The French Connection
Shared gritty 1970s crime atmosphere, police procedural focus, drug-trafficking investigation, and morally pressured law enforcement protagonist.
Zodiac
Shared true-crime foundation, stylish procedural storytelling, organized crime subject matter, and determined investigator confronting entrenched corruption.
Mesrine: Killer Instinct
Shared French crime setting, criminal underworld intrigue, tense investigative structure, and grounded depiction of professional obsession.
Black Mass
Shared period crime drama mode, extended pursuit of a powerful criminal network, and bleakly realistic tension between law enforcement and organized crime.
Movie Details
- Director
- Cédric Jimenez
- Release Date
- 2014-12-03
- Runtime
- 135 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (964)
Cast
- Jean Dujardin
- Gilles Lellouche
- Céline Sallette
- Mélanie Doutey
- Benoît Magimel
- Guillaume Gouix
- Bruno Todeschini
- Féodor Atkine
- Moussa Maaskri
- Pierre Lopez
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Fandor
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The Connection about?
- A relentless French magistrate wages a dangerous, years-long campaign against Marseille’s most powerful heroin network.
- What is The Connection like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The Connection as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The Connection violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in The Connection as graphic.
- What did critics think of The Connection?
- Critics generally found it a stylish, solidly made, reasonably entertaining true-crime thriller, while noting its conventional structure and unavoidable comparisons to The French Connection.
- Which films are like The Connection?
- Films with a similar feel include The French Connection, Zodiac, Mesrine: Killer Instinct, and Black Mass.
- How long is The Connection?
- The Connection runs 135 minutes.
- Where can I watch The Connection?
- In United States, The Connection streams on Fandor.
