Dead Weight

Dead Weight tells the story of a prisoner who suddenly comes into a fortune when his lottery ticket wins. The catch is that the warden of his old jail has swiped the winning slip, along with the loot, turning the prize into a power play. What unfolds is a fast paced hunt that drags together a mismatched cast as the man and his unlikely allies chase the ticket across city streets, cramped back alleys, and outlandish set pieces. The pursuit becomes less about money than about freeing himself from a system that seems to traffic in odds and schemes. With snappy dialogue and misfit schemers, the film keeps the pressure on without losing its sense of farce. The energy comes from a rotating cast and punchy gags that ride on misunderstandings and mistaken identities.

Directed by Frédéric Forestier and Alain Berbérian, Dead Weight is built from an original screenplay credited to Manuel Delilez, Dominique Mézerette and Thomas Langmann, weaving fast banter with physical gags in a 2002 French comedy that played well in France.

Box office numbers for Dead Weight are not provided in the available data, so a revenue figure cannot be cited here, and any assessment of its commercial performance would be speculative.

As a 2002 French caper, the film sits among mid-range comedies that rely on an energetic ensemble and quick pace. It did not become a widely cited cultural touchstone, though the cast and zany set pieces may spark nostalgic nods among fans of the era. Brisk fun.

Reception skews average with a vote average of 5.835 out of 10 from 395 votes, signaling a mixed response. The movie leans into broad comedy and chase farce, with social satire poking at greed and power, while keeping character chemistry at the center. Character dynamics keep the plot buoyant.