France is currently in the midst of a nationwide housing crisis, a topic that is attractive to the country’s up-and-coming genre filmmakers. Filmmakers like Sébastien Vaniček (Infested) and now Théo Jourdain and Mohamed Chabane, whose debut feature No Way Down (formerly Kraken – no, not that one) details one horrific night in an abandoned apartment building.
Fresh out of prison, Idriss (Alassane Diong) goes to his former boss, Mam’s (rapper Gazo), to collect the money he is owed for the job that put him in the slammer in the first place. Mam’s has one last job for him before he’ll pay him, though: forcefully evict a squatter in the abandoned Kraken apartment tower. Insistent on changing the direction of his life, Idriss declines the offer, leaving the money on the table.
In an effort to impress Mam’s rising star Ouss (rapper La Mano 1.9) picks up the slack and goes to take care of the job himself, with wannabe influencer Marvin (Bilel Chegrani, MadS) tagging along. Upon seeing Marvin livestreaming at the Kraken, Idriss’ estranged sister Mélia (Manon Bresch, the upcoming Under Paris 2) asks Idriss and their friend Layla (Lucie Charles-Alfred) to go with her to get him. Little do they know that the squatter is well-armed and very adept at annihilating intruders, leading the friend group on a desperate fight for survival with, you guessed it, no way down.
Reminiscent of films that put a twist on the home invasion formula like Don’t Breathe and Green Room, No Way Down rarely lets up once it gets going. It’s an assured debut from Jourdain and Chabane, who turn Romain Protat‘s (Calvaire) minimalist script into a white-knuckle thrill ride. There is a subtle social commentary bubbling under the surface, but it takes a back seat to propulsive action set pieces and never really formulates into an actual thesis. Character work is similarly scant, with each one given a single defining characteristic if they’re lucky.
Cinematographer Raphaël Vandenbussche accentuates the Kraken’s intimidating presence with wide exterior shots. When it comes to the interior, however, he keeps things disorienting with frenetic camerawork that thankfully doesn’t sacrifice visibility. A clear geography of the Kraken’s labyrinthine halls is never established, but that deliberate choice is remedied by keeping the camera on the actors’ faces in claustrophobic close-ups or over their shoulders in a video game-like third-person perspective. This is all complimented by an energetic score that employs breathy vocals in the film’s more nerve-racking moments, including one standout sequence where Mélia and Idriss inadvertently find themselves in the squatter’s apartment at the worst possible time.
The squatter himself is an imposing figure. Adorned with tactical riot gear and a translucent burn mask, this dude is not messing around. It’s kill first, ask questions never. His arsenal is a mixture of lethal and non-lethal weapons, with a nose-destroying bean bag gun standing out in particular. We even get a falling refrigerator pulverizing one unlucky intruder in what may be the biggest laugh in a fairly serious film.
The violence hits hard in No Way Down, but this is no dour French Extremity film. On the contrary, No Way Down is more of a crowd-pleaser than one would expect, despite all of the crushed skulls and bloody pulp on display. Intestines are spilled, legs are slashed, and heads are severed, with the camera often lingering on the carnage. The outstanding foley work ensures you feel every crunch and squelch.
A slight script can’t keep No Way Down…down. Jourdain and Chabane have crafted a lean, mean, and ultraviolent thriller that, despite the grim subject matter, never forgets how to have fun.
No Way Down made its world premiere at Fantastic Fest.
