La Haine

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La Haine

Released Sep 1, 1995

1h 38m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

73 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When a young Arab is arrested and beaten unconscious by police, a riot erupts in the notoriously violent suburbs outside of Paris. Three of the victim's peers, Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Said (Said Taghmaoui) and Hubert (Hubert Koundé), wander aimlessly about their home turf in the aftermath of the violence as they try to come to grips with their outrage over the brutal incident. After one of the men finds a police officer's discarded weapon, their night seems poised to take a bleak turn.

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Critics Consensus

Hard-hitting and breathtakingly effective, La Haine takes an uncompromising look at long-festering social and economic divisions affecting 1990s Paris.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Though some of this might seem a bit old to Americans, Kassovitz has some things of his own to say -- and he says them with nuance, feeling, and authority.

Jul 20, 2023

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Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

As for Kassovitz, his own go-for-broke visual bravura and highly charged storytelling are so American in feel that the news that he plans his Hollywood seems inevitable.

Jul 20, 2023

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Alan Morrison

Empire Magazine

Stark, exquisite black-and-white photography drains what little cheer there is out of the concrete jungle, creating an alien cityscape devoid of sunshine. But Mathieu Kassovitz's triumph is in finding humanity in every single one of his characters.

Rated: 5/5

Jul 20, 2023

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Michael Wood

London Review of Books

Great movies can be too steady, too serene, and this film is headed in a different direction.

May 6, 2025

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Aaron Neuwirth

Why So Blu

Watching it now, there’s still a great sense of the sort of power this film can have on display, even if it’s somewhat depressing to know Kassovitz could easily make this movie now and not have to really change anything.

Rated: 4.5/5

May 1, 2024

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Rudie Obias

Battleship Pretension

It’s a portrayal of what happens when low income living, boredom, alienation, and hopelessness intersect in one powerful and explosive cinematic experience.

Apr 22, 2024

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Alex R

A masterpiece that will always resonate with its social conflicts.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/02/25

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Leprechaun K

With all the praise, I had high expectation. I didn't really connect with it. The characters weren't particularly likable and the entire plot surrounds a day in the life of three troubled youth. Perhaps it would have been more impactful if I saw this in my 20s.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

06/19/25

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Stephen C

1 hour and 38 minutes of ghetto drama!!!!!!!!!!!! In French (France) and English audio versions with English subtitles!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! The USA grossed over $130,300.00!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

07/01/25

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Benjamin D

No words, simply breathtaking.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/23/25

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Petros T

The stylized direction is a bit much at times and the film is not without parts that drag, especially in the beginning as the characters wander about, yet the acting is realistic across the board, the themes thought-provoking and layered and the unexpected occasional doses of humour a great touch. By the end the movie has emerged as viscerally unsettling yet predictably grim and crushingly nihilistic - it may not lead to a breakthrough regarding the issues at hand but is a nice punch to the gut.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/11/25

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Robert R

No, I don't have any idea why this didn't land with me as well as it has with others. A politically charged, urban neo-noir sounds like something that'd be right up my alley (especially now), but for whatever reason I responded the way I did to this. What Mathieu Kassovitz does here is undoubtedly well-made for the era and in a vacuum (seriously, how did he do that one crazy proto-drone shot in 1995?), and its conclusion is legendary for obvious reasons, but I think its the lead-up that I still need to sit with. There's meaning to be gleaned, but I think I'm still kind of struggling with what it all means to *me* — not just some guy that went to film school, but some guy who watches movies. For now, there's plenty to like and I'm glad I watched. Perhaps future viewings will bear different fruit.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

04/03/25

Full Review

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Mathieu Kassovitz

Director

Vincent Cassel

Vinz

Hubert Koundé

Hubert

Said Taghmaoui

Saïd

Abdel Ahmed Ghili

Abdel

Joseph Momo

Ordinary Guy

Jude

80%

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Synopsis

When a young Arab is arrested and beaten unconscious by police, a riot erupts in the notoriously violent suburbs outside of Paris. Three of the victim's peers, Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Said (Said Taghmaoui) and Hubert (Hubert Koundé), wander aimlessly about their home turf in the aftermath of the violence as they try to come to grips with their outrage over the brutal incident. After one of the men finds a police officer's discarded weapon, their night seems poised to take a bleak turn.

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Producer: Christophe Rossignon
Screenwriter: Mathieu Kassovitz
Distributor: Gramercy Pictures
Production Co: Les Productions Lazennec, Canal+, Kasso Inc. Productions, Egg Pictures, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 1, 1995, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $130.3K
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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