Overview
Three siblings grapple with chaos and betrayal after a family tragedy shakes their world.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Breakneck
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- furious
- oppressive
- visceral
- intense movie night
- political cinema evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's nerve-rattling action craft, immersive opening, and escalating intensity while finding its political characterization and dramatic shape thinner than its spectacle.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
The opening assault on a police station and subsequent street battles are staged through flowing, high-energy movement and elaborate action coordination.
Three brothers and their neighborhood are drawn into an uprising after the unexplained death of their youngest sibling, amid conflict with police.
The film presents rage, police confrontation, fireworks, fire, and street combat with stylized intensity rather than restrained realism.
The narrative begins hours after the sibling's death and rapidly launches into armed unrest and police-station assault.
Films like Athena, and why
Les Misérables
shares explosive urban unrest, political anger, and kinetic long-take action spectacle
The Raid 2
shares immersive riot choreography, social tension, and escalating collective violence
La Haine
shares combustible class conflict, contemporary urban setting, and confrontational political intensity
Movie Details
- Director
- Romain Gavras
- Release Date
- 2022-09-09
- Runtime
- 97 min
- Rating
- 6.6 / 10 (852)
Cast
- Dali Benssalah
- Anthony Bajon
- Alexis Manenti
- Ouassini Embarek
- Sami Slimane
- Radostina Rogliano
- Karim Lasmi
- Mehdi Abdelhakmi
- Tarek Haddaji
- Guy Donald Koukissa
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Athena about?
- Three brothers confront a rapidly escalating uprising in their French housing estate after the unexplained death of their youngest sibling.
- What is Athena like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Athena as breakneck, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Athena violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Athena as graphic.
- What did critics think of Athena?
- Critics broadly praised the film's nerve-rattling action craft, immersive opening, and escalating intensity while finding its political characterization and dramatic shape thinner than its spectacle.
- Which films are like Athena?
- Films with a similar feel include Les Misérables, The Raid 2, and La Haine.
- How long is Athena?
- Athena runs 97 minutes.
- Where can I watch Athena?
- In United States, Athena streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
