“Clean, solid direction and a strong cast anchor the film.”

The fears that artificial intelligence is going to take over society and wreak havoc to the point of entire civilisations collapsing become more resonant by the day. Technology is growing at an exponential rate, and it’s becoming frankly terrifying to see the extent to which it is developing a mind of its own, a fact that many would prefer to ignore. This is a question that proves to be central in Chien 51, in which Cédric Jimenez directs an adaptation of the novel by Laurent Gaudé. It is set in Paris in the near future, where society has been divided by class, and the entire city is governed by politicians and law enforcement that utilise a powerful artificial intelligence system, designed to keep everyone in order and prevent any social unease. However, it doesn’t take too long for this system to become malicious, and it’s up to two cops – one a rambunctious young upstart trying to prove herself, the other an insomniac veteran with a dark past – to prevent society from falling apart in the aftermath of its creator being murdered in cold blood. A fascinating blend of science fiction, action and social drama, Chien 51 is a compelling work, albeit one that is willing to challenge the viewer to look beneath the surface of modern technological developments, finding value in places we would not normally expect to find interesting conversations about the terrifying prospects of the future. A strong effort from a director who has proven himself willing to push boundaries, Chien 51 is a solid work in both subject and style.

When Gaudé published the novel on which this film was based in 2022, artificial intelligence was already a notable part of our lives and a source of a lot of fascination. Yet in the ensuing three years, we’ve found that it’s developed into something that is bordering on unwieldy, which makes this adaptation all the more timely. Jimenez is drawn to telling a story about the human impact of a technological takeover, where we lose control of society through placing too much trust in innovative systems that we initially believe to be tools, but in reality turn out to be something far more disconcerting. There is nothing conveyed in this film that we haven’t heard many times before, primarily in the act of regulating artificial intelligence to be more than just a tool used to help society, but rather something that will take over civilisation, controlling the very people who put their blind faith in a system they foolishly believed that they could always command. It’s an interesting set of ideas, and the focus being on the aftermath of this annexation of social order (which occurs gradually, as shown through the characters’ growing realisation that they’ve always been at the mercy of this system) allows Jimenez to make some astute observations. He blends in aspects of traditional crime thrillers, filtering most of the film through the eyes of two very different protagonists, both of whom work in law enforcement but have wildly varying approaches to their jobs, which gives the film some more familiar ideas that anchor it, preventing the abstract elements from becoming too overwhelming.

As far as visual scope goes, Chien 51 is quite effective. It’s certainly not revolutionary in the design, and unlike a lot of futuristic, vaguely apocalyptic works, it’s not too concerned with producing a version of the coming era that is unrecognisable from what we have today. In fact, some may argue that the film’s core strengths come from how it is eerily recognisable – we can see this version of Paris existing in the not-too-distant future, and that should certainly be enough to unsettle us to pay attention to this film and its underlying message. The muted colours reflect a very cold, clinical version of the future, and Jimenez makes sure not to lose the spirit of Paris, assimilating some of its most iconic landmarks into this futuristic interpretation without losing too much of its unique architecture. The filmmaking itself is quite strong, with a rapid pace and clear, direct style inspired by the many science fiction action films that were likely influences on the director as he adapted this novel. It is also helped along by a talented cast, led by Gilles Lellouche and Adèle Exarchopoulos, placed in an unconventional odd-couple scenario at the heart of the film, along with supporting parts by Louis Garrel as a Julian Assange-inspired troublemaker, Romain Duris as the film’s primary villain and Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as the local jack-of-all-trades (being everything from a psychologist to a parole officer to a surgeon), adding layers onto a film that needed precise execution from everyone on both sides of the camera to be successful.

Chien 51 is a solid film, clearly designed to be more of a crowd-pleaser than to appeal to a highbrow audience – but they’ll nonetheless find a lot of value in how Jimenez takes a relatively simple, pulpy science fiction novel and turns it into something quite effective. It may be predictable at times (except for some of the choices it makes towards the end, regarding character motivations and fates), but this doesn’t distract from its more distinct merits, particularly those relating to the conversation between the speculative and the eerily realistic. This is not the kind of science fiction film that can be considered purely entertaining, since it paints a portrait of a very real future that is definitely not too far away if we keep allowing technology to grow unabated and without clear regulations. It’s far from a revolutionary work, but it’s nonetheless reliable and captures a particular set of ideas that provoke a lot of thought. Clean, solid direction and a strong cast anchor the film, allowing it to be far more engaging than we may initially expect. While it’s far from perfect (and certainly has a few frustrating moments), it earns our respect by being willing to challenge our understanding of artificial intelligence and the role it plays both today and in the likely future, a terrifying prospect that is both a fascinating bit of prognostication, and a clear cautionary tale.