Bastille Day
A Parisian pickpocket wrongly branded a terrorist teams with a renegade CIA agent to expose a government bombing plot concealed behind Bastille Day chaos.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- Brutal
- propulsive
- tense
- paranoid
- action movie night
- weekend thriller viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly found the film to be a serviceable but formulaic action thriller elevated by Idris Elba's performance but undermined by an underwritten script.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Michael Mason's face is captured after the bombing, causing French authorities to pursue him as the apparent terrorist despite his accidental involvement.
Corrupt Interior Ministry officials stage an explosion and exploit the resulting unrest to hide a massive bank transfer.
Pickpocket Michael Mason and unruly CIA agent Sean Briar collaborate despite beginning as adversaries on opposite sides of the law.
The plot moves through Paris streets and civic spaces as CCTV, police pursuit, bomb threats, and chase sequences drive the action.
Films like Bastille Day, and why
The Bourne Identity
Shares a Paris-set conspiracy thriller premise, explosive action, corrupt institutions, and an unlikely partnership between men on opposite sides of the law.
Body of Lies
Combines political corruption, terrorism, intelligence operations, and kinetic urban pursuit sequences in a contemporary European setting.
Lethal Weapon
Features a mismatched male duo, escalating criminal conspiracy, bomb threats, and brisk action-thriller pacing.
Movie Details
- Director
- James Watkins
- Release Date
- 2016-04-22
- Runtime
- 92 min
- Rating
- 6.3 / 10 (1572)
Cast
- Idris Elba
- Richard Madden
- Charlotte Le Bon
- Kelly Reilly
- José Garcia
- Anatol Yusef
- Ériq Ebouaney
- Alex Fondja
- Arieh Worthalter
- Thierry Godard
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Bastille Day about?
- A Parisian pickpocket wrongly branded a terrorist teams with a renegade CIA agent to expose a government bombing plot concealed behind Bastille Day chaos.
- What is Bastille Day like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Bastille Day as breakneck, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Bastille Day violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Bastille Day as brutal.
- What did critics think of Bastille Day?
- Critics broadly found the film to be a serviceable but formulaic action thriller elevated by Idris Elba's performance but undermined by an underwritten script.
- Which films are like Bastille Day?
- Films with a similar feel include The Bourne Identity, Body of Lies, and Lethal Weapon.
- How long is Bastille Day?
- Bastille Day runs 92 minutes.
- Where can I watch Bastille Day?
- In United States, Bastille Day streams on Philo, Starz Amazon Channel, Starz, Starz Apple TV channel, Starz Roku Premium Channel.
