There's a moment in the new trailer for The Orphans—right after the line, “See? We are a family.”—where you can practically smell the gunpowder and unresolved childhood trauma. That's not a complaint. That's a promise. Gaumont just dropped the first official look at this French action thriller/buddy comedy, and if you're not at least a little curious, check your pulse.
Two Sides, One Messy Past
So here's the setup: Gab and Driss. Once inseparable orphans, now grown men on opposite sides of the law—one a cop with the IGPN (think Internal Affairs, but with better tailoring), the other a fixer for thugs who probably sweat cologne. They've got baggage. They've got beef. And now, thanks to a suspicious death and a vengeful teenager with a gun, they've got each other. Again.
Their first love is dead. Her 17-year-old daughter, Leïla, isn't waiting for the adults to fix things—she grabs Gab's gun and barrels straight toward a conspiracy that smells like old money and new blood. The two men, forced into a reluctant partnership, have to stop her before she crosses a line that doesn't erase.
Olivier Schneider Steps Up
Olivier Schneider—maybe you don't know the name, but you've seen his work. He's the stunt maestro behind No Time To Die, Spectre, Taken, Fast & Furious X, and even Marvel's Moon Knight. This is his first time in the director's chair, and you can feel it: the action in the trailer is tight, kinetic, and just a little bit show-offy. Like a chef who finally gets to eat his own food.
The script's a group effort: Alban Lenoir, Nicolas Peufaillit, Jean-André Yerlès, and Schneider himself. That's a lot of cooks, but the trailer's tone—equal parts bruised knuckles and bruised egos—lands somewhere between Lethal Weapon and La Haine. There are laughs. There are punches. Sometimes at the same time.
Release Date, Cast, and All That Jazz
- French Theatrical Release: August 20, 2025. Mark your calendars, set your reminders, or just scrawl it on the fridge in fake blood.
- US Release: Nothing confirmed yet. Sorry, America. You'll have to wait—or brush up on your French.
The cast? Dali Benssalah and Alban Lenoir headline, with Anouk Grinberg and Sonia Faidi rounding out a crew that looks ready to bleed for their paycheck. If you binged the Lost Bullet series on Netflix (same producers), you'll know the vibe: pedal-to-the-metal action with just enough heart to keep you invested.
Why This One Feels Different
Buddy comedies are a dime a dozen, but The Orphans feels like it's swinging for more. There's a rawness to the trailer—a sense that these characters are running from something bigger than just bad guys. Maybe from themselves. Or maybe from the French foster care system, which, let's be honest, rarely gets the action-movie treatment.
The action? Crisp. The jokes? Land. The stakes? Personal. And that's what sticks. You get the sense that, for once, the explosions aren't just for show—they're a metaphor for lives blown apart and (maybe) stitched back together.
Final Thought
Is it a masterpiece? Too soon. Is it fun? Absolutely. Will it leave you thinking about your own childhood friends, the ones you'd punch or die for? Maybe. Or maybe you'll just want to see more French people punch each other in the rain. Both are valid.
