Movies - Les Orphelins: Olivier Schneider combines raw action and emotion in a visceral thriller shot in the heart of the Basque Country

By Mulder, 20 may 2025

With Les Orphelins, Olivier Schneider strikes hard once again, proving that he is much more than just a choreographer of spectacular action. After making a lasting impression with his high-flying work on blockbusters such as Taken, Spectre, and No Time to Die, the stuntman-turned-director continues his cinematic adventure behind the camera with a second personal feature film, which is edgy and rooted in a territory that is as visual as it is symbolic: the Basque Country. The film, scheduled for release on August 20, 2025, marks not only his reunion with actor Dali Benssalah—his collaborator from the Bond era—but also the continuation of an inimitable style that combines visual punch with narrative depth. And if the anecdotes from the set and the first impressions gleaned from the filming are anything to go by, Les Orphelins promises to be a generous action film, but also a human drama charged with emotional tension.

The story revolves around Gabriel and Idriss, two brothers separated by life and reunited by a shared past they have never really been able to escape. One is a trainer for the RAID, the other works as a fixer for thugs. A clash of values that could have been caricatural, were it not treated with such subtlety by screenwriters Nicolas Peufaillit (Un prophète), Alban Lenoir, Jean-André Yerles, and Olivier Schneider himself. The catalyst for their reunion is the suspicious death of Sofia, their childhood friend from the same orphanage. Her daughter, Leïla, is only 17, but already has a thirst for justice that is dangerously close to the brink. The film promises not just a simple action thriller, but a story of urgency, redemption, and family ties, where the characters' internal conflicts are as important as the physical confrontations. The pitch could almost be mistaken for a modern western, as the protagonists' quest for truth and reconciliation evokes the classic archetypes of brother-enemy duos.

What immediately strikes you about Les Orphelins is the visual ambition of the project. Shot entirely in and around Saint-Jean-de-Luz, the film appropriates the Basque landscape as a character in its own right. Olivier Schneider hinted at this during his initial location scouting—confirmed by an Instagram story that immediately piqued the curiosity of his fans—and he kept his promise: the local topography becomes the backdrop for stylized but credible confrontations, without ever falling into showmanship. With Maxime Cointe as director of photography (the fourth collaboration between the two men), the attention to light, textures, and contrasts gives each location in the story a strong identity. Whether it's the green hills, urban alleyways, or austere beaches, each sequence unfolds a unique atmosphere that serves the plot.

The shoot, which took place between spring and summer 2024, was also an opportunity for a real professional reunion. On set, we found not only Dali Benssalah, impeccable in his role as Idriss, but also a large part of the stunt team from the latest James Bond films: Patrick Vo, Yves Girard, Gregory Loffredo—the U-Men Stunt. These extreme technicians brought their expertise to bear in designing original action sequences, both rigorously choreographed and full of naturalism, reinforcing what Olivier Schneider has always sought to emphasize: raw, unadorned efficiency, where every blow has a consequence and every movement has a narrative meaning. During our visit with Eric Saussine and Ewen Palanque on set, a car chase scene in the middle of the port area particularly caught our attention. Not for its spectacular glitz, but for its quasi-documentary realism, enhanced by Théophile Rochon du Verdier's sharp editing. There is a kind of return to the fundamentals of action cinema: the kind that appeals as much to the gut as it does to the heart.

But Les Orphelins wouldn't be the film it is without its high-caliber cast. Alongside Alban Lenoir and Dali Benssalah, two pillars of contemporary French action cinema, the film can count on talented actresses such as Anouk Grinberg (who adds another string to her already impressive bow), Sonia Faidi, Suzanne Clément, and Naidra Ayadi. Their female presence is not incidental but essential, particularly in their portrayal of characters who gravitate around the mysterious Sofia and her daughter Leïla. The latter, although played by a young actress, quickly emerges as the driving force behind the plot—an impulsive teenager, consumed by pain, but also with the strength of character typical of Greek tragic figures.

Produced by Inoxy Films and Gaumont (which will also handle international sales), Les Orphelins follows in the French tradition of muscular thrillers such as Braqueurs and L'Assaut, while asserting its own uniqueness. The combination of Schneider's hands-on approach and Gaumont's industrial know-how promises a French action film that will rival its Anglo-Saxon counterparts. There is something deeply satisfying about seeing a man in the shadows like Olivier Schneider, who has long remained behind the scenes of major productions, now taking the reins of such ambitious and personal projects. What GTMAX sketched out in an urban, motorized version, Les Orphelins seems to want to sublimate on a human and emotional scale.

Ahead of its theatrical release on August 20, 2025, Les Orphelins is already fueling conversations among fans of intelligent action and powerful storytelling. It must be said that when a former 007 surrounds himself with such a solid team, in such an iconic setting, with such a poignant story, expectations can only be high. Olivier Schneider's film promises to be a real cinematic shockwave this fall.

Synopsis:
Gab and Driss, childhood friends who have been estranged since leaving the orphanage, lead opposite lives: one is a cop with the IGPN, the other a fixer for thugs. When their first love dies in a suspicious accident, his 17-year-old daughter Leïla grabs Gab's gun and sets out on the trail of a powerful company willing to do anything to cover up the case. Forced to team up, the orphans will have to stop her before she commits the irreparable...

Les orphelins
Directed by Olivier Schneider
Produced by Rémi Leautier, Rémi Cervoni
Written by Nicolas Peufaillit, Olivier Schneider, Alban Lenoir, Jean-André Yerles
Starring Alban Lenoir, Dali Benssalah, Sonia Faidi, Suzanne Clément, Anouk Grinberg, Naidra Ayadi, Romain Levi
Director of photography: Maxime Cointe
Editing: Théophile Rochon du Verdier
Production companies: Inoxyfilms; Gaumont Production
Distribution: Gaumont Distribution (France)
Release date: August 20, 2025 (France)
Running time: TBD