- Starring
- Yann Gael, Roger Sallah, Mentor Ba
- Writer
- Jean Luc Herbulot
- Director
- Jean Luc Herbulot
- Rating
- n/a
- Running Time
- 84 minutes
- Release Date
- n/a
Overall Score
Rating Summary
This will be one of many reviews during this year’s Toronto International Film Festival, to keep up with our latest coverage, click here.
Saloum could be considered ground-breaking for how it crosses genres spectacularly. It is a film set in 2003 about three men known for their reputations as mercenaries nicknamed Bangui’s Hyenas. The film begins with the three men Chaka (Gael), Rafa (Sallah), and Minuit (Ba), who take a drug lord out of Guinea-Bissau. Their plans are ruined somewhat when they are forced to land in Saloum in Senegal when their plane runs out of fuel. As mercenaries, these three men are fierce-looking and hard. They are the kind of men one would try to avoid and if they were to somehow cross paths with them, they would surely die.
With Saloum, the soundtrack is the first thing many audiences are sure to notice, especially early on. It feels fast-paced and action-heavy, which is perfectly fine for those who enjoy action flicks. But the film is much more than that as the three men found themselves in an unusual situation where they were forced to survive an onslaught from what can only be described as a supernatural entity. It’s not something that the Hyenas have had to deal with before.
The acting and the action sequences within Saloum are incredibly dynamic. The mix of action with supernatural elements isn’t something that comes along often. Though three mercenaries trying to survive a bizarre attack by an unknown entity doesn’t sound like it could have potential, the unique blend of mysticism with brutal, fast action sequences is refreshing and entertaining. The faint western influence did not go unnoticed. Maybe it’s a little cheesy but the good kind of cheesy. There isn’t much backstory to be had for the three men but one can only imagine the horrors that Chaka, the team leader, must have been exposed to which was brilliantly written into the plot of the film to give him more depth as a character.
In the end, Saloum is worth seeing for those looking for something different as there is not much out there like this. It delivers a great blend of action and the supernatural that isn’t too far-fetched and it’s paced just right. Surprising but fun.
still courtesy of Lacme Studios
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