Mesrine: Killer Instinct
2008 · Movie · R · 113 min · ★ 7.3 · 76% critics
After returning from war to his parents’ home, a restless young man is drawn into the neon allure and easy money of 1960s Paris. With guidance from an experienced underworld figure, he abandons a conventional life and climbs quickly through increasingly risky crimes, chasing notoriety and control as the stakes and violence rise.
Also known as Mesrine: Part 1. Killer Instinct · Mesrine: Part 1 - Killer Instinct · L'Instinct de mort · Mesrine - L'Instinct de mort
Where to watch
Streaming on Cineverse and Fandor.
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Details
- Original title
- L'Instinct de mort
- Years
- 2008
- Release date
- 2008-10-22
- Language
- French
- Rated
- R
- Runtime
- 113 min
- Critic score
- 76/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.3/10 (1,000 votes)
- Box office
- $31,055,440
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a fast-moving, true-crime gangster rise-and-fall story with a magnetic central figure and lots of tension; Not for you if you dislike brutal violence or compressed storytelling like a highlight reel.
Pros: gripping true-crime energy; standout lead performance; tense, eventful pacing | Cons: very violent content; story can feel rushed; uneven focus at times
Themes
- casino
- france
- based on novel or book
- kidnapping
- gangster
- based on true story
- montreal, canada
- prison escape
- murder
- shootout
- bank robbery
- ex soldier
- +2 more
Awards & recognition
- César Award — Best Sound · 2009
- César Award — Best Director · 2009
- César Award — Best Actor · 2009
- Lumière Award — Best Actor · 2009
Cast & crew
Vincent Cassel
as Jacques Mesrine
Cécile de France
as Jeanne Schneider
Gérard Depardieu
as Guido
Gilles Lellouche
as Paul
Roy Dupuis
as Jean-Paul Mercier
Florence Thomassin
as Sarah
Elena Anaya
as Sofia
Ludivine Sagnier
as Sylvie Jeanjacquot
Michel Duchaussoy
as Pierre André Mesrine, father of Jacques
Myriam Boyer
as Mesrine's mother
Directed by Jean-François Richet