Cash Truck

Vigilante is a small armored truck firm scraping by on the edge of crime and cash flow. After three brutal hold ups in a single year leave no survivors, the company teeters on bankruptcy and its workers live with fear and suspicion. Some worry there may be collusion between the robbers and the company, a theory that haunts break rooms and board meetings. Into this fraught atmosphere walks Alexandre Demarre, a cautious newcomer who pledges to clock in for his first day with Vigilante. He carries no grand schemes, only a calm, calculating resolve that unsettles veterans and attracts both wary allies and watching enemies as the day unfolds. The firm must weigh trust against profit, and each choice exposes those loyalties.

Directed by Nicolas Boukhrief and released in 2004, Cash Truck is built from a screenplay by Éric Besnard. The project blends gritty crime drama with tense, procedural pacing. Dupontel leads with quiet intensity while Dujardin plays a wary counterpoint throughout.

Box office numbers for Cash Truck aren't widely circulated, reflecting a restrained release outside France. The film found its audience mainly through festival circuits and home media rather than blockbuster theaters. Its restrained release and tone drew a niche crowd.

Cultural impact: Cash Truck helped solidify Nicolas Boukhrief's reputation as a director of lean crime dramas, appreciated for grounded performances and moral complexity. The film is remembered for its restrained, character driven approach and the pairing of Albert Dupontel and Jean Dujardin, who anchor the tense proceedings for noir fans.

Reception and themes: Critics noted a morally gray landscape where loyalty often clashes with profit, and suspense arises from ordinary decisions under pressure. The film foregrounds trust and deception in a tight, procedural framework, offering a spare, uncompromising look at crime in a corporate world that resonates with contemporary audiences.