Athena is a Netflix film that gets an A+ for filmmaking effort even if it just gets a B for character drama. I wish it had nailed every aspect because, wow, this is an amazing movie on a technical level.

The film is about a French population that revolts over the murder of a child by the cops. Starting with a raid on a police station, the uprising moves to a housing complex that is quickly surrounded by the police.

Many scenes – including the eye-popping opening – are shot in single long takes. It’s not the first by any stretch to try to stitch together a long take film, but this is easily one of the most impressive. Use of digital effects to mask transitions between shots are not readily apparent, leaving a very convincing camera flow through impossible circumstances. Some of these sequences are just a marvel of coordination as the camera follows large crowds of people in and out of the buildings, in and around police barricades, up to balconies where Molotovs are thrown down to just where the camera was previously placed.

Unfortunately, the actual story backing this impressive technical escapade is a little lacking. To be sure, the film does spend a decent amount of time letting our actors emote… but we barely get to know any of them before the chaos erupts. And one of them takes a turn that makes him far less likable as the movie progresses.

Not a huge fan of the end scene either… both the resolution to the uprising and the actual final shot. I guess it adds to the futility of all the chaos, if that’s the message they are going for.

But that just makes this a good movie, not a great one. I certainly do love its mastery of long takes and crowd control at least. Nothing is taking that away.a

Score: 84