Black Box (2021) User Reviews

truth at all price

[dromasca · 8/10 · 18 November 2021]

Here is a movie that I beleive deserves a better fate than the one it has had so far. 'Boite noire' (or 'Black Box' in English) directed by Yann Gozlan, who is also co-author of the screenplay, got lost in France and other French-speaking countries in the avalanche of releases that have taken place in recent months, after movie theaters reopened. It's a shame, because it is, in my opinion, the best thriller I've seen this year. I write this, of course, with caution, given that we still have a month and a half of movies ahead of us until the end of 2021. Techno-thriller fans will be happiest if they get a chance to see it, but I don't think it will be only them, taking into account that the lead role is cast to Pierre Niney, an actor who dominates the films in which he appears, and who has a complex and disturbing role here, which he plays formidably.

The only category of spectators who probably will not have the opportunity to see 'Boite noire' are the passengers who access the entertainment systems of the air flights. The reason is that the film begins with a plane crash in which 300 people lose their lives, and the story of the film revolves around the investigation of this case: accident due to human error? Terrorist attack? Technical failure maybe due to the accelerated launching of a new model of aircraft? Those in charge of such investigations in France are the experts from BEA, a real organization with the full name of the Bureau of Investigations and Analyzes for Civil Aviation Safety. The person in charge of the investigation and the main hero of the film is Mathieu Vasseur (Pierre Niney), an expert in listening to the soundtracks recorded during flights and coordinating with the information transmitted by aircraft, information that is stored in the famous black box that is installed in modern aircraft. Mathieu has an extraordinary sense of hearing, imagination in building scenarios based on accumulated data, integrity and perseverance, but all these qualities can become impediments when revealing the truth puts him in conflict with bosses, industry magnates and even his beautiful wife who it is also involved in the flight approvals of aircraft in the skies of Europe. So we are finally dealing with the rather classic scheme of the individual hero who fights with the system and endangers his professional status, his family and at extreme his life in search of the truth. An American situation in a European film.

Pierre Niney is perfectly suited to the roles in which he fights with his own demons and in which he tries to internalize his weaknesses. Mathieu Vasseur from 'Boite noire' is one of these roles. Alongside him are Lou de Laage, a beautiful and intelligent actress, in the role of his wife and Andre Dussollier, a veteran of the French screen that I have seen in many supporting roles and who here gets a well-deserved more consistent role. The story is cleverly written with many twists and turns that keep the viewers' attention permanently awake. 'Boite noire' is a well-made and well-played techno-thriller, which I hope will have the opportunity to be seen and enjoyed by as many spectators as possible.

They don't make 'em like this anymore.

[inkwarp · 7/10 · 17 May 2022]

A solid and tense paranoid thriller like 'back in the day' with parallax view and 3 days of the condor.

Manages to remain gripping for most of its run time.

Recommended : )

7/10. Recommended

[athanasiosze · 7/10 · 27 May 2022]

I am not surprised that this movie does not get the recognition it deserves. They don't make movies like this anymore. Nowadays, a movie like BLACK BOX may be considered as boring.

This modern perception does not change the fact that this is a good movie. A political drama-thriller that deserves a greater audience. It will not get it because the majority of the people are cynical and apathetic.

Still, there are a lot of people who will enjoy it. It is not one of the best movies in this genre, but that doesn't say much. It remains as a breathe of fresh air in modern movies industry.

Decent thriller

[zozulyamak · 7 March 2022]

A perfect example of what a thriller movie should be. Suspense and intrigue in almost every scene. Neat!

As a pilot myself(PPL), I can appreciate the plot very much. Despite a few plot wholes, the story gives you quite a realistic perspective of aviation industry's dark side. Well, the first two thirds of it at least. Yeah, for some reason they decided to add a second "twist" and thus they made the movie, that could have claimed "inspired by true events"(check out Netflix documentary about Boeing 737MAX), way less plausible and truthful.

In conclusion a pretty good thriller with realistic aviation details(mostly) and overly complicated ending.

A great French action and suspense thriller

[gokhan-erguven · 7/10 · 17 February 2022]

A successful French film that uses suspense, action and suspense very well. I watched with great curiosity and tension until the end, especially the voices and sounds heard from the black box and the silence following these noises made me very nervous. I didn't expect the movie to be that good.

Very intense ride

[valherbe · 9/10 · 2 April 2021]

I was very lucky to watch this movie during the French Film Festival in Perth, Australia.

Intense from the begining to the end with interesting twists. I did not see the time pass by. Plot was fascinating and also scary - Most people are afraid of plane crashes and is a delicate subject to treat which has been brilliantly handled in this movie.

Pierre Niney also performing really well in this role.

Great fresh piece of French cinema.

Correct thriller, in an unusual domain (airplanes black boxes)

[norbert-plan-618-715813 · 7/10 · 11 June 2022]

In the technological thriller genre, we have here a specialist in listening to the black boxes of airplanes who is invited to elucidate a plane crash. A specialist of the sound then. The film mixes this dramatic arc with the problems of an aircraft manufacturer and the issues of cybersecurity. It is well seen and it composes a whole with some good ideas, to keep the spectator in suspense, even if it is not difficult to guess some twists.

The film invites some tension around the character of Pierre Niney, who does not have the profile of the action hero, and this is good, because the film does not play the card of action film, but that of suspense that rises gradually to culminate with the sequence of the navigation system that takes our main character on a lake. Beautiful sequence, intriguing, which is captivating and anti-technological precisely, which is a good idea.

We may lack elements that surprise, because some twists, without being phoned, are not difficult to guess.

Alan Pakula could have made it

[searchanddestroy-1 · 8/10 · 22 March 2022]

At least PARALLAX VIEW or ALL PRESIDENTS MEN have certainly inspired this kind of atmosphere, so rare in the French film industry. Or THE CONVERSATION, directed by Francis Coppola. This is a tremendous film, as LE CHANT DU LOUP was too; daring, powerfully directed, accurate, very well documented, a story about suspicion, plot, paranoia, conspiracy, disturbing by the way, but riveting. Excellent ending.

Thin inflated plot

[claudejunge · 6/10 · 18 September 2021]

I was disapointed, the story feels artificial, the twists seem forced. Twists for the sake of twists.

This is a piece of work rather than a work of art.

This morning I was asking myself, why that (thin) love scene?

To me the answer is, it's like the rest, forced.

And it's long.

But, of course, by actual Netflix standards this movie is good.

The truth will set you free

[kosmasp · 8/10 · 4 May 2022]

That's how the saying goes, right? And why wouldn't it - on the other hand, does it specify which truth and who it does set free? Those are important details - especially when it comes to a thriller and truth finding that may not be in the interest for some people.

Intense and very well told, this has great actors and great twists and turns to boast about. It will take you on a ride and go in different directions with you. Interesting choice in the end - whatever you may think of it. Overall I liked it - light but yet still full of surprises and heaviness of sorts.

Decent thriller

[gallagherkellie · 6/10 · 28 July 2023]

This was a good French movie, but not great. The acting was decent, but it wasn't dialogue heavy so nothing outstanding.

There were a few things that were a bit silly and unrealistic which is why I'm only giving it a 6. The actual story kept me wanting to know what happened, however it may have been a little too long and slow at times.

I like the mystery thriller aspect to the movie, but there were a couple of loose ends that weren't tied up at the end.

I hate that IMDb now makes us write essays for reviews so I'm just going to keep typing until the character limit has been used up...almost there...

Whistleblowers who are actually heroes.

[unpaid_movie_critic · 8/10 · 21 January 2022]

It is movie about big corporations, whistleblower, and air business. The cast is is amazing, scenario is twisted with unexpected turns, and it is very difficult to predict something. It is literally a gem for 2021-2022 and I think this movie is worth watching. Yes, it is Thriller and Detective with nice elements of Mystery but sadly with some realistic Drama. It has some, just a few clichés but it is okay because cast doing a very good job and scenario is unpredictable.

If you liked The Interpreter (2005), The International (2009), Headhunters (Hodejegerne) (2011), The Fifth Estate (2013), The Invisible Guest (Contratiempo) (2016), Mr. Robot (TV Show) (2015-2019), or Inside Job (documentary) (2010) then you will defiantly enjoy and like that movie.

P. S: It is more realistic than Snowden (2016) or Citizenfour (documentary) (2014) because you can see the real pressure in the atmosphere. Black Box (2021) is slowly but genuinely engulf viewer and making him or her experience the same pressure as main character. It is not about fake spies or conspiracy theories, it is purely about whistleblowers who are actually heroes.

A complex tech thriller

[pcloherty1 · 7/10 · 12 November 2023]

My first film review on IMDB.

A complex French thriller, well filmed and exciting, albeit derivative in many of its aspects.

Still well worth a watch.

I found the plot difficult to follow at times, and a second viewing was useful in better revealing the structure of the piece. I feel that certain aspects were deliberately left as hints, or loose ends, meaning that the viewer could interpret and guess at some of the plot. For instance there was reference to the head of the Pegasus Security organisation having access to flight data even during the final minutes of the flight which seemed unlikely or perhaps a deliberate red herring. It could also be argued that the true reason for the crash was still not absolutely clear at the end of the film.

The lead French actor was very good indeed, portraying an ordinary man, extremely well educated and with very fine hearing - almost a super power on him, compared to partially deaf older folk like me. As well as super hearing, he possessed tenacity and a willingness to back himself which many people do not have, and he pursues his search for truth even when the going becomes really tough.

He also shows his own weakness and vulnerability, which is partly a result of his excessive audio sensitivity.

The cabin shots in the aeroplane looked strangely false, perhaps due to the filming technique, and the camera movement being quite fluid in the confined space of an aircraft. This was disconcerting at times. It felt as though I was viewing a science lab, or a testing environment, rather than the interior of a plane in flight. It may be though that it represents the interior of a very modern aircraft very well, and that my flight experience is rather out of date now.

The film is cut into very short shots at times, contributing to a fairly sharp pace at some points, and allowing a number of characters to come and go, some easily and others less so. It also has a modern feel because of its emphasis on technology elements - satnav, tablets, autonomous (and very threatening) cars, audio playback on pc screens, etc. Nice cutting between the sounds in the aircraft and scenes set in the plane.

The parallax CVR

[vostf · 4/10 · 10 February 2022]

As a thriller Boîte Noire looks ok. Barely. Obviously a thriller implies you'll have some tough opposition so people don't expect a simple dramatization around the analysis of some imaginary CVR. What is ok here is we have a fine main character who is perfectly played by Pierre Niney. Quite frankly this is the only reason you would want to sit through these 2-hours.

Now, if you are not too tired and have a level of expectations that is slightly above FL010 (French Leniency) then you can feel all along that it simply doesn't add up. I am not talking about "icebox logic" but really about plot points that actually feel wrong in real time, as the movie tries to stay level with self-inflicted turbulence (plot twists).

Simply put, the BEA (~French NTSB) would definitely not have participated in a movie with a credible storyline incriminating its personnel. So who's corrupt here? The film-makers who accommodated some far-fetching conspiracy theory to scramble a script. I am not going to list all the inconsistencies since most would spoil the story but basically it is about the characters. A minor incident may credibly involve a couple of analysts at some point but a major crash? Deus ex machina, genius in a box... these are all variations of narrative devices that are disrespectful of the public.

Now the BEA, the NTSB etc. Are clearly not 100% independant. Building a story accounting for political or diplomatical pressure, focusing on the choice of what to include or not in a report, when to stop tracking the causes in an aviation company corporate culture... That would be a difficult thriller to write and even more difficult to shoot. Maybe it would be boring, obscure, but it would not be a stupid movie floated around a conspiracy theory that will feed into the fantasies of all the amateurs of simplistic drivel.

can we trust fly by wire aviation industry...?

[ops-52535 · 9/10 · 10 March 2022]

Well this is a good fictional take on the dubious shadow sides of international aviation industry, the aircraft builders, their subcontractors vs. The safety agencies around the world whos certificates new aircrafts and due to all the money involved the same agencies may not be so safe due to corrupt elements within the ranks. This film do have a load of realism connected to actual scenarios over the years, and displays how voulnerable you and i may be due to a flip of a coin dropped in the inner pocket of sinister culprits and eager ceo's.

Its an intense aircraft accident investigation that goes deeper than normal, due to a nerdie, partly asperger autismic investigator that have a snout for sounds out of the normal spectre, he rings the alarm bell asap but has to ride the operation through the heavy waves of resistance from his superiors.

Its a technically advanced flick, but plotted and acted in a cool way, a film made in the best of european/french filmaking. So if you want excessive exitement for the evening, do watch black box. A big recommend from the grumpy old man.

Well-made, a bit too long

[rcgatti · 7/10 · 7 August 2022]

Well-made and structured film. Screenwriting, directing and editing work well. The pace of the investigation is well managed, especially in the first part. Unfortunately, everything is a bit long and this reduces the tension for the viewer. In any case, the result is good and would have been even better with a drier route.

Great thriller with intense storytelling

[arifaldi · 8/10 · 2 February 2022]

A great mix of directing, editing, acting and script. This French thriller will stay as one of the best aviation suspense for long time. You'd keep on guessing until the end and this movie is an eye opener that plain-crash investigation is so complex as you have so many layers to hold responsible. All the French actors in the movie play the characters well especially the leading stars who play Matthieu and Neomie. Rush to the theater!

Enjoyable thriller set in the world of modern aviation

[hooftr · 8/10 · 10 January 2022]

A very good thriller that is set in the world of people who design, operate and regulate commercial aircraft, with a couple of nice twists. If a plane with over 300 people crashes it is unlikely a lone young fellow gets to identify the cause all by himself, and there are a few other technical 'stretches' but overall the movie is a very pleasant surprise. I believe some essential abbreviations were left unexplained: cvr stands for cockpit voice (and other sounds!) recorder, fdr stands for flight data recorder (things measured by the equipment such as airspeed, altitude, how the controls such as flaps are set and much more), and AP stands for autopilot. The movie accurately reports modern aviation issues, particularly the tension between automation and what is left to do for pilots. A 'feature' is decribed that corrects a plane's behavior as it goes into a 'decrochage' (I watched the original version), or a stall, essentially a situation where an airplane flies too slowly, loses lift and drops to Earth. This clearly referred to a recent, notorious piece of software from Boeing that sent two crowded 737 Max airplanes into the ground. We also get to see how new planes are approved, which includes a test with volunteers demonstrating everyone can get out on time when the aircraft sits on the tarmac (I guess the images shown were those of the mighty A380). What the movie also depicts well is the revolving door problem between airplane builders and the regulatory authorities (you have a similar problem in the drug industry and the FDA). In spite of the movie's title, you'll forever know that fdrs and cvrs are not, actually, black.

My best friend was killed on the plane crash 2022

[kepa_pro · 1 July 2022]

I got personal feeling on this film as my best friend passed away on plane crash 03/2022. We desired for the true and the movie showed you how. Somehow, the true is never explored even there are reasonable doubt. Watched the news and it matched very closely with the film. C'est la vie!!!

Black Box

[henry8-3 · 7/10 · 10 April 2024]

A highly regarded aviation black box investigator, Mathieu, is overlooked to take part in the investigation of a major commercial airline crash by his boss Pollock. When Pollock mysteriously disappears, Mathieu is asked to take over. More and more strange information comes to light and Mathieu become even more obsessed and paranoid than usual in his determining the cause of the crash.

Terrific, old fashioned, in a good way, thriller which Hitchcock would have been proud of. Whilst there are plenty of exciting more typical thriller elements on show, what really makes this a bit special is both the procedural, technical scenes relating to analysing the black box, which are quite riveting and more crucially the central character. His obsessive, autistic need to solve this come what may, even at a risk to his marriage makes for a quite different character than usual - this guy is no Cary Grant. In fact he's often irritating such that the scenes where he overstates his case and gets metaphorical doors slammed in his face because of his attitude ring a pleasantly different tone from usual. Really good thriller, amazed Hollywood hasn't yet pounced with Ryan Reynolds or Chris Pine in the lead.

Boring, trivial, simplistic, ugly

[pierrebarberis · 3/10 · 9 February 2022]

Simple recipy:

• Spend one full hour (I'm serious) watching monitors screening the recordings of the Black box after crash..
• Reach and enter to ruin the potential validity of all evdenceyou might find
• Blame the ugly business man who lied for greed..

Typical French leftist mind scenario. No twist, no surpries, a full week at the office behind your computer ,with no so handsome or charming actors/actresses.

Sty away !

Good plane accident thriller..!

[kamalbeeee · 7/10 · 27 April 2022]

At starting of the scene a plan had crashed and lot of people died.. Later a group of people starts to investigate about the accident and try to find the truth behind it.. Finally a protogonist and his wife finds the truth and reveal to outside world.. Nice screenplay and story..!

Must watch thriller movie..!

Good mystery drama and thriller

[851222 · 8/10 · 29 November 2022]

Greetings from Lithuania.

I really enjoyed "Black Box" (2021) for its being a good mystery thriller. The premise was solid as well as storytelling. It worked as a good mystery story, and i liked the ending and revelation.

Acting was solid especially by a lead man. Directing and especially editing was on spot because storytelling was pretty fast paced and intense considering that this movie at its run time 2 h 5 min. Is basically a drama - there isn't really any action in here. And at those 2 h and 5 min i was really involved and engaged in a story until the very end.

Overall, "Black Box" is a solid mystery, detective drama with a bit of a unique premise - set in a aviation world. Recommended.

Selfless employee is on the trail of disaster

[alekspredator87 · 9/10 · 19 November 2022]

"Black Box" is an excellent action-packed film that makes you immerse yourself in the world of conspiracies, high technology and one important investigation conducted by the main character Mathieu Vasseur. The picture opens up a whole new world of investigations that are being conducted in the world of aviation disasters. It is very interesting to see this world. The collection of materials, analysis, conclusions, the interaction of people and departments - all this is fascinating. However, gradually the viewer, like the main character, is absorbed by one central thing for this picture. It absorbs so much that neither Wasser nor the viewer cares about what is happening around.

Jan Gozlan acted as the director of this film and one of the screenwriters. I didn't get to see any other works of the man, but this film was definitely a success for him. The story revolves around the crash of the newest airliner, which crashed on its first flight. An investigation is underway. And the main protagonist Mathieu is connected to it. From here begins an incredible and mind-blowing race between Wasser and the ghost of this catastrophe. The events are literally saturated with what happened. Mathieu is an analyst who can perfectly hear recordings from disaster sites. His unique hearing allows a man to understand those aspects that are not available to other employees. But what impressed me more was Mathieu's all-absorption and obsession with which he takes on this case.

The work of actor Pierre Ninet is impressive. A steely look, a strong-willed face, the necessary facial expressions - all this makes it possible for him to convey the feelings of his hero, the discoveries he makes, the desire to get to the truth. This is a strong-willed character, ready to sacrifice almost everything in his sometimes selfish race for the truth, just to achieve victory. Evidently, Mathieu is an egoist in his own way. He often steps over other people, even if they are the closest or most respected colleagues. The guy's zeal sometimes even causes rejection because of the methods that this person uses. At the same time, Wasser manages to delight. This is the very example of a person who goes to all lengths because of his love to achieve his goal. Yes. Such people are found in real life. These are isolated individuals, often silent, living on their own minds, having extraordinary mental abilities. All this allows them to be famous discoverers, to put literally everything they have on the altar of their discoveries.

The picture in a couple of hours manages to immerse the viewer so much into the outline of the narrative that after the final credits you have to stay in a daze for some time with a long "Yeah". I was so impressed by this film. After all, dynamics and statics are perfectly combined here, an interesting investigation with several versions at once, where each subsequent one seems true, but the film is still ready to surprise.

Pierre Ninet's cool game is accompanied by a heavy atmosphere. At the same time, the variety of locations does not abound in colors, plunging closer to the finale as if into darkness and making it clear to the viewer how the worldview of the character who was absorbed by the current investigation is narrowing. The creators are pumping. The detective component maneuvers at the junction of Sherlockholme's deduction approaches with actions related to the use of modern smart devices. The resulting product undoubtedly pleases the audience and gives a really cool story.

9 out of 10.

Breath taking

[lylaleroyachard · 8/10 · 6 September 2021]

An impressive thriller with a remarkable performance by Pierre Niney, the pace is breathtaking, the production filled with good ideas.

This Film has nothing to envy to the English or American thriller, while having a very French and identifiable touch.