Review of Athena (2022) by Bertobellamy — 27 Sep 2022

'Athena' is a punishing experience, and not in the best way. The tracking shots are amazing, rivaling those of Emmanuel Lubezki in Alfonso Cuaron's films. But the constant shouting, the flares, and the permanent movement start to become exhausting.

Also, the story feels very lackluster at the end, especially with the final reveal, which feels cheap and kind of negates the supposed film thesis. Romain Gavras is an outstanding music video director, but this is what happens when a renowned figure like him jumps to feature filmmaking; the lack of character development and style over substance are common problems.

In the beginning, at least, 'Athena' has very noble intentions: frame the social consequences of police brutality. But the lack of a real story turns into a well-choreographed 90-minute video clip and nothing more.