Point Blank

Samuel Pierret, a Paris nurse, saves a thief by accident and finds his life pulled into a criminal underworld. The thief and his goons exploit the hospital by kidnapping Samuel’s pregnant wife and threatening to kill her unless Samuel helps their boss escape custody. What starts as a rescue mission quickly becomes a city wide pursuit as Samuel ducks undercover cops and violent gangsters through the maze of hospital wards, subway tunnels, stairwells, and crowded streets. He grapples with improvised plans, near misses, and the constant fear that a single mistake could cost his wife her life. With time slipping away, Samuel must weigh the price of loyalty against the danger his actions invite for strangers and loved ones alike.

Directed by Fred Cavayé from Guillaume Lemans' original screenplay, Point Blank arrived in 2010 as a tight French thriller that emphasizes realism, spare dialogue, and practical action rather than CGI spectacle. The film showcases a modern urban chase at ground level. The narrative keeps its stakes rooted in character and practical settings, a hallmark of Cavayé's restrained approach.

Budgeted at about 16 million, the movie earned roughly 9.5 million worldwide, marking it as a solid European genre entry rather than a blockbuster. Its financial performance reflects a mid tier thriller that found its audience among genre fans.

The film has Paris as more than a backdrop, turning subways and streets into a propulsive stage for danger. It helped cement Cavayé style as lean and efficient and influenced a wave of similar low budget city chase movies. Its tight editing and practical effects drew praise from genre fans who prefer plausibility over spectacle.

Reviews emphasize the film's lean structure and the moral dilemma of a man fighting to save his family while surrounded by criminals and law enforcement. It probes loyalty, fear, and how violence reshapes ordinary life in a modern metropolis.