The Assault

December 1994, a Saturday afternoon. Four members of the GIA hijack an Air France A300 in Algiers, carrying 227 passengers and crew toward an uncertain future. The film charts the crisis from two angles: inside the crowded cabin where fear gnaws at every face, and in the command rooms where negotiators and special forces weigh every move. No one is spared the claustrophobic tension as time ticks away and choices pile up, from radio chatter to attempts at control. What follows is a portrait of courage and calculation under fire, where ordinary travelers and trained responders collide in a life or death moment. The clock ticks down as the crew struggles to keep panic contained and passengers cling to hope.

Released in 2011, The Assault is directed by Julien Leclercq with collaborators Simon Moutaïrou and Roland Môntins. The film draws on the real life December 1994 hijacking of Air France Flight 8969 and the ensuing counterterrorism operation, with an emphasis on procedural realism.

Critics note the film's crisp pacing and restrained approach to a high stakes incident, focusing on the moral weight carried by passengers, negotiators, and soldiers. Vincent Elbaz, as Thierry, threads a civilian viewpoint through the chaos, while Grégori Derangère plays Denis Favier as a steady, controlled commander. It probes themes of civilian vulnerability, procedural duty, and the ethics of decisive action under extreme pressure.

While The Assault did not spark a lasting wave of pop culture quotes, its near documentary tone contributed to public memory of the 1994 hijacking and the French counterterrorism response. Some viewers praise its focus on procedure over melodrama, and its insistence on showing noncombatants as real people on a perilous flight. That grounded approach keeps the film relevant to audiences curious about crisis management.

No major awards are listed for The Assault, and it did not win or receive nominations at prominent ceremonies. It is generally evaluated as a taut procedural that favors restrained storytelling over flashy spectacle, emphasizing the gravity of the real life event it depicts and the people caught in it.