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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Benjamin H

A hard-hitting, powerful and thought-provoking account on social distinction in 1990s Paris, La Haine could have fleshed out some of its character lives' a bit more, but this is such an engrossing and well crafted film with great performances, fluent storytelling and an appropriate visual palette. The movie also ended on a high note.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

08/29/25

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John M

Like so much of the "sophisticated" French film and literature of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, this piece asks to be taken as profound when it is merely incoherent. Implausible and dislikable characters, obscure and contradictory motivations, tedious, almost unwatchable camerawork. Plausible police brutality is its only redeeming feature.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/25/25

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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

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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