Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Brutal
- tense
- melancholic
- gritty
- crime movie night
- french cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly found a solid but conventional French crime drama with strong performances and an affecting focus on loyalty, family, and aging.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Serge Suttel's return disrupts Edmond Vidal's retirement and forces his criminal history back into the present.
Momon's enduring bond with Serge and devotion to Janou and his descendants shape his choices more strongly than conventional lawfulness.
The story moves between the Gang des Lyonnais's early-1970s notoriety and Momon's later attempt to live peacefully with his family.
The gang's armed robberies, arrests, and criminal operations are grounded in early-1970s Lyon.
Films like A Gang Story, and why
36th Precinct
shared french crime drama tradition, aging gangster protagonist, loyalty, and organized-crime themes
Mesrine: Killer Instinct
shared crime saga structure, gangland loyalty, betrayal, and morally conflicted criminal characters
The Sicilian Clan
shared heist-film momentum, period organized crime, and tragic friendship between criminals
A Prophet
shared reflective gangster drama, criminal brotherhood, and tension between retired life and a violent past
Movie Details
- Director
- Olivier Marchal
- Release Date
- 2011-11-10
- Runtime
- 102 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (407)
Cast
- Gérard Lanvin
- Tchéky Karyo
- Daniel Duval
- Dimitri Storoge
- Patrick Catalifo
- François Levantal
- Francis Renaud
- Lionnel Astier
- Valéria Cavalli
- Estelle Skornik
Common questions
- What is A Gang Story about?
- A retired Lyon gangster is pulled back toward the loyalties and dangers of the notorious criminal past he has tried to leave behind.
- What is A Gang Story like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of A Gang Story as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is A Gang Story violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in A Gang Story as brutal.
- What did critics think of A Gang Story?
- Critics broadly found a solid but conventional French crime drama with strong performances and an affecting focus on loyalty, family, and aging.
- Which films are like A Gang Story?
- Films with a similar feel include 36th Precinct, Mesrine: Killer Instinct, The Sicilian Clan, and A Prophet.
- How long is A Gang Story?
- A Gang Story runs 102 minutes.
