Dhruv Sharma
More often than not, if you take away the over-the-top fight scenes from most action films, you’re left with nothing but a premise that is unintelligibly stupid, both visually and narratively. Walking into Netflix’s ‘Lost Bullet’ or ‘Balle Perdue’, I had no high expectations and I had assumed it would be yet another airbrushed-picture of a typical Michael Bay movie. However, although not exceptionally great in any way, ‘Lost Bullet’ dabbles in a middlebrow fare with its effortlessly stylish action scenes and lightweight storyline.
Lost Bullet Plot Summary
‘Lost Bullet’ centers around Lino, a small-time criminal, who gets caught at one of his crime scenes. In an effort to save his brother, Lino accepts imprisonment. A few years down the lane, Lino gets hired as a mechanic by the cops, who struggle to keep up with criminals possessing fancy cars. After years of working with the cops, a senior inspector named Charas sees potential in him and decides to give him a second chance. Charas offers him a full-time job as a mechanic in the police department but before that, he also expects him to help him out with a case that involves his brother.
When Charas and Lino reach out to Lino’s brother to interrogate him about his involvement with some thugs, two other cops show up on the scene. But instead of helping Lino and Charas, one of the cops mercilessly shoots Charas in point black range. Although Lino manages to escape the scene before he meets the same fate, he later gets framed for Charas’ murder. With this, he is forced to race against time to find evidence that proves his innocence.
Lost Bullet Review
‘Lost Bullet’ follows a very simplistic and linear storyline which barely evokes any intrigue for a viewer. And considering its flaccid runtime of an hour and a half, one cannot expect any character development either. Even so, its premise is focused and is not entirely ludicrous. Another aspect that makes its storyline a bit more tolerable is that it isn’t bombarded with a series of action scenes. Instead, its limited action scenes are all consequential and have been purposefully placed throughout the film’s runtime.
Speaking of the action scenes, the film’s fight choreography is realistic and deft. But at the same time, it seems to lack enough tension and excitement that would hype up viewers. This is majorly a consequence of its lack of investment in any relevant background scores. But apart from the fight scenes, ‘Lost Bullet’ also offers some car chase scenes, out of which, one particularly stands out. Case in point: In the final moments, the main character attaches a massive front guard to his vintage shiny-red Renault and uses it to evade the roadblock set by cops. Now compared to most high budget action movies that brim with technical gobbledygook, this might seem nothing. But it’s the simplicity of this that makes it a lot more believable and fun to watch.
As one would expect, ‘Lost Bullet’ barely scratches the surface in context with characterization. But it successfully manages to raise its stakes by providing enough heft to what’s on the line for the main character. Lino’s innocence not only serves as a second chance for him to start a new life but also becomes a tale of revenge where he sets out to serve justice to those who killed the only cop he looked up to. And with this, the film also establishes a philosophical intent for his character. There’s also some genuine talent in the film’s cast. Because of its limited runtime, too many characters don’t really get the opportunity to shine. However, the lead actor, Alban Lenoir still does justice to his one-dimensional role and goes from being an unlikeable character to someone you start rooting for.
Overall, ‘Lost Bullet’ is clearly not a well-rounded action drama. It still manages to thrive on the brevity of its action. Its immediacy and pace remain consistent throughout and despite the simplicity of its premise, it still manages to be consequential in some ways. Moreover, I also appreciate how it never tries to instill problematic views surrounding the objectification of its female characters. But then again, because of its lack of an overarching theme, ‘Lost Bullet’ will be forgotten a bit too soon. Still, for me, personally, its pure and unfiltered approach towards an exhaustive genre was quite refreshing.
Rating: 2.5/5
Read More: Lost Bullet Filming Locations
