AKA parents guide

AKA Parent Guide

Same old, same old. With subtitles.

Overall D

Netflix: French special ops agent Adam Franco has a new mission - go undercover in a crime syndicate, find a wanted terrorist, and kill him.

Release date April 28, 2023

Violence D
Sexual Content C
Profanity D
Substance Use D

Why is AKA rated TV-MA? The MPAA rated AKA TV-MA for language, nudity, sex, smoking, violence

Run Time: 122 minutes

Parent Movie Review

Adam Franco (Alban Lenoir) has spent his adult life performing dangerous off-the-books special operations for the French government, killing his way though the Middle East and Africa at the behest of shadowy ministers and functionaries. But his latest job brings him right back to Paris.

Moktar al Tayeb (Kevin Layne) is a wanted terrorist after a shootout at a Paris hotel, and the government needs him apprehended immediately. Unfortunately, he’s gone to ground with a local crime lord, Victor Pastore (Eric Cantona). Adam will need to infiltrate Pastore’s organization, find al Tayeb, and kill him – before he can strike again. As Adam rises in the esteem of Victor and his thugs, he starts to wonder if he’s really been given all the information about this assignment…or if his government has a hidden agenda…

This is a thoroughly familiar and endlessly mediocre film, and somehow still exceeded my expectations. I was prepared for two hours of senseless violence, wooden acting, and lazy writing, and while the film certainly has all of those things, it manages to be kind of interesting in spite of itself. Mostly, the film succeeds by keeping the audience on an information diet. You don’t just get 20 minutes of exposition at the beginning of the film, telling you everything about every character before you even see them. AKA has the good sense to let you learn these things as you go, which manages to keep even a jaded and disinterested viewer like myself paying at least partial attention.

Now that I’ve lauded this film with the faintest praise imaginable, I should warn you against turning it into a family viewing experience. There’s plenty of violence, and a lot of innocent people get shot and killed. The story fatures kidnapping, drug use, prostitution, and if you can imagine such a thing, some casual social drinking. The horror, the horror.

Adult genre fans might be willing to give this a shot, but don’t expect too much. The lead actor has slightly less charisma than your average 2x4. I genuinely don’t think his facial expression changed once in the two hours I spent watching him. Every aspect of the plot is familiar, and there’s no significant character development or growth to speak of. But that’s not really the point of the film, I don’t think. This is an excuse to watch people get shot for two hours, and if that’s all you’re looking for, then you’ll find it in abundance.

Directed by Morgan S. Dalibert. Starring Alban Lenoir, Eric Cantona, Kevin Layne. Running time: 122 minutes. Theatrical release April 28, 2023. Updated

Watch the trailer for AKA

AKA
Rating & Content Info

Why is AKA rated TV-MA? AKA is rated TV-MA by the MPAA for language, nudity, sex, smoking, violence

Violence: People are frequently shot, stabbed, slashed, blown up, and beaten with fists and a variety of blunt objects. There are references to torture.
Sexual Content: Several scenes occur in a strip club, and although there is no graphic nudity, several women are seen wearing pasties and underwear. There are references to and depictions of prostitution, again without nudity.
Profanity: The script contains 20 sexual expletives, 17 scatological curses, and occasional mild curses and terms of deity.
Alcohol / Drug Use: Adult characters drink alcohol and smoke tobacco. People are seen buying heroin, and others are seen under the effects of heroin.

Page last updated

Home Video

Related home video titles:

Some other European crime thrillers include The Last Mercenary, Rogue City, The Takedown, Les Miserables, and Infiesto.