French director Luc Besson is a master of the absurd. He seemingly takes on any idea: his movies lean toward sci-fi, fantasy, and action, but he's also dabbled in biopics, noir, and psychological thrillers, and his next movie is set to be the Gothic horror Dracula: A Love Tale. Speaking about his eclectic filmography, Besson has said, "I don't function in relation to genre. I'm more about emotional impulses of situations and characters."
While Besson's movies may vary in subject matter, they are almost always wild. At their best, they combine the frenetic energy of '80s Hong Kong action cinema with gorgeous visuals and rich characterization. The Fifth Element and La Femme Nikita are the best examples of this. That said, perhaps because he's so creative, Besson is also very hit-or-miss: for every Léon: The Professional, there's an Arthur and the Invisibles. At the very least, he can usually be counted on to come up with a concept that gets people talking. Here are the French auteur's movies ranked by their absurdity.
18 'The Big Blue' (1988)
Starring: Rosanna Arquette, Jean Reno, Jean-Marc Barr, Paul Shenar
Close"The hardest thing is when you're at the bottom." The Big Blue is Besson's heavily fictionalized account of the lifelong rivalry between pioneering free drivers Jacques Mayol (Jean-Marc Barr) and Enzo Molinari (Jean Reno). The film was a massive hit in France, becoming a cult movie and significantly boosting Besson's profile. It certainly deserves praise for the beautiful cinematography and the committed lead performances, but the story drags in the second half, meaning that it might only appeal to those who already have an interest in the subject matter.
It's also notable for being the director's most restrained project, striving to hold the viewer's attention through breathtaking underwater sequences and poignant character moments rather than wild plot developments or over-the-top effects. There are some wacky scenes, usually featuring dolphins, but they are hallucinations rather than reality. The most absurd part is the liberties it takes with the facts, especially concerning the death of one of the major characters.
17 'Subway' (1985)
Starring: Isabelle Adjani, Christopher Lambert, Richard Bohringer, Michel Galabru
Close"Your Cinderella's got a pistol this big in her bag." This stylish thriller centers on Fred (Christopher Lambert), a thief who becomes embroiled in a web of chaos after stealing some crucial documents from a crime boss. Forced to seek refuge in the labyrinthine Paris Metro, Fred starts blackmailing the gang lord's wife Héléna (Isabelle Adjani) - and develops inconvenient feelings for her.
Subway is generally considered to be part of the Cinéma du look. This was a French film movement that kicked off in the '80s and openly placed style over substance. The focus was on slick visuals and attractive young characters, alongside an irreverent melding of 'high' culture and pop culture, evident here with Subway's many references to Batman. While this means that Subway boasts some stunning images and moody scenes, it's also inconsistent, and the characters are not developed enough to carry the story the whole way through.
16 'The Lady' (2011)
Starring: Michelle Yeoh, David Thewlis, Jonathan Raggett, Jonathan Woodhouse
"You'd better be prepared for complete chaos." The Lady is a biopic of Aung San Suu Kyi (Michelle Yeoh), the Nobel Peace Prize laureate and former political leader of Myanmar. It charts her entire life up til the 1990s, from her childhood to her years in England with her husband Michael Aris (David Thewlis), her decade under house arrest, and the early fruits of her activism. In other words, this is a real-life drama lacking Besson's characteristic craziness and instead dealing with sentimentality.
However, in the years since, the film has taken on a different tone. This is because, while the movie portrays Suu Kyi as a one-dimensional hero, the last decade has revealed her to be a much more complex and controversial figure. Chiefly, Suu Kyi has been criticized for defending the Myanmar government's brutal crackdown on its Rohingya minority. So it could be argued that Besson's film is a little absurd in the sense that it actually understands little about its central figure.
The Lady
RBiographyDocumentaryDramaHistoryRomance Release Date November 30, 2011 Director Luc Besson Cast Michelle Yeoh , David Thewlis , Jonathan Raggett , Jonathan Woodhouse , Susan Wooldridge , Benedict Wong Runtime 13515 'Léon: The Professional' (1994)
Starring: Jean Reno, Natalie Portman, Gary Oldman, Danny Aiello
"Is life always this hard, or is it just when you're a kid?" Jean Reno leads this cult classic as the titular solitary assassin living a meticulously ordered life in New York City. His world is thrown into upheaval when 12-year-old Mathilda (Natalie Portman) shows up at his door seeking shelter after her family is murdered. Leon reluctantly becomes her mentor in the art of killing as she seeks revenge.
The premise itself is a little far-fetched, but the characters are well-developed and believable. They seem like real people rather than cartoons. Even the menacing, drug-addicted antagonist Stansfield (Gary Oldman) is layered and understandable. All three performers turn in winning work; Reno is cool and understated, Portman demonstrates talents beyond her years, and Oldman delivers one of the best villain performances of the 1990s. The end result is a charmingly dichotomous movie that contrasts moving, character-driven scenes between the leads with intense action sequences.
Leon: The Professional
RActionCrimeDramaRelease Date November 18, 1994 Director Luc Besson Cast Jean Reno , Gary Oldman , Natalie Portman , Danny Aiello Runtime 110 minutes14 'The Family' (2013)
Starring: Robert De Niro, Michelle Pfeiffer, Dianna Agron, John D'Leo
"Al Capone always said, asking polite with a gun in your hand is always better than just asking polite." The Family follows the Manzonis, a notorious Mafia clan relocated to a quiet town in Normandy under the Witness Protection Program. There, the mobsters struggle to adapt to their new suburban surroundings while trying to keep their violent past a secret. Old habits die hard, and soon enough, there's chaos.
Besson plays the whole as a black comedy, yielding great moments like the awkwardness caused by an accidental screening of Goodfellas. Indeed, The Family had a lot of potential, given the killer premise and the star power of leads Robert De Niro and Michelle Pfeiffer. Unfortunately, the movie underutilizes them, and it fails to build on its solid beginning. The script glosses over these intriguing characters rather than delving into them. A sense of fun compensates for many shortcomings, but still, The Family can't help but be disappointing.
The Family (2013)
RCrimeComedyThrillerRelease Date September 13, 2013 Director Luc Besson Cast Robert De Niro , Michelle Pfeiffer , Dianna Agron , John D'Leo , Tommy Lee Jones , Jimmy Palumbo , Domenick Lombardozzi , Stan Carp Runtime 111 Minutes13 'Anna' (2019)
Starring: Sasha Luss, Helen Mirren, Luke Evans, Cillian Murphy
"There is only one way to leave the KGB. Do you want to know what it is?" The mysterious Anna (Sasha Luss) is recruited by a ruthless KGB officer (Luke Evans), and trained to become a weapon in the service of the Russian government. However, as Anna rises through the ranks and gains notoriety for her skills, she becomes entangled in a web of intrigue and betrayal involving rival intelligence agencies and powerful players in the criminal underworld.
Anna boasts tautly choreographed fight sequences and a typically great supporting performance from Helen Mirren, but the plot is littered with action cliches. This kind of story has been told a thousand times before, including by Besson in superior films. While the plot isn't utterly nonsensical, it's certainly over-the-top and unrealistic. It would have been more compelling had it looked at the geopolitical realities of early '90s Russia but, instead, it conjures up a fantasy. In short, Anna is like a dime store La Femme Nikita.
Anna (2019)
RActionThrillerRelease Date June 21, 2019 Director Luc Besson Cast Sasha Luss , Helen Mirren , Luke Evans , Cillian Murphy , Lera Abova , Alexander Petrov , Nikita Pavlenko , Anna Krippa Runtime 118 Minutes12 'La Femme Nikita' (1990)
Starring: Anne Parillaud, Jean-Hugues Anglade, Tchéky Karyo, Jeanne Moreau
"I work, let's say, for the government. We've decided to give you another chance." After a botched robbery ends in violence, drug-addicted delinquent Nikita (Anne Parillaud) is given a choice: train to become a covert operative for a secret government agency or face execution. So begins her grueling transformation under the tutelage of the enigmatic Bob (Tchéky Karyo) and her new life as a femme fatale.
This film might hit the sweet spot when it comes to Besson's absurdity. Where Anna is stale, La Femme Nikita pulses with energy yet isn't completely ridiculous. Parillaud is down for anything and the movie hands her one exquisite set piece after another, including the famous kitchen shootout. She feels like a proto-Uma Thurman from Kill Bill. Indeed, Quentin Tarantino is a fan of the movie, saying, "From the first frame, I f---ing loved it." Some have wondered whether the Wolf (Harvey Keitel) in Pulp Fiction was also inspired by Jean Reno's "Cleaner" character in Besson's film.
La Femme Nikita (1990)
RActionThriller Release Date February 21, 1990 Director Luc Besson Cast Anne Parillaud , Jean-Hugues Anglade , Tchéky Karyo , Jeanne Moreau , Jean Bouise , Jean Reno , Philippe Leroy Runtime 11711 'The Last Battle' (1983)
Starring: Pierre Jolivet, Maurice Lamy, Jean Reno, Fritz Wepper
Close"Bon...jour." Besson's feature debut was this black-and-white post-apocalyptic film, which he has described as an "imaginary excursion". A protagonist known only as The Man (Pierre Jolivet) ekes out an existence in a blasted wasteland, scavenging for parts. Food is scarce and danger stalks the landscape, including the homicidal Brute (Reno, in his first major role).
From here, the movie continues to get weirder, including sex dolls, a homemade aircraft, fish falling from the sky, and only two words of dialogue. It's essentially Besson's critique of environmental degradation, an idea he would explore on a much larger canvas with The Fifth Element. The film also paints a bleak picture of capitalism, with exploitative characters standing in for predatory corporations. On the visual side, The Last Battle crafts an impressive and intriguing dystopian world despite its meager budget. The shots are often beautiful in a melancholy way, especially images of rusting cars and household appliances; relics from our forgotten age.
10 'The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc (1999)'
Starring: Milla Jovovich, John Malkovich, Faye Dunaway, Dustin Hoffman
Close"I am the drum on which God is beating out His messages. And right now He is beating so hard, it's splinting my ears!" After the success of The Fifth Element, Besson pivoted from sci-fi to historical revisionism. The Messenger: The Story of Joan of Arc stars Milla Jovovich as the French peasant who became a symbol of resistance during the Hundred Years' War before being burned at the stake.
However, rather than sticking to the facts of her life, Besson takes liberties in order to emphasize what he considers to be the central emotions of her story. The result is a decidedly mixed bag. Some of the invented scenes work, like the murder of Joan's sister, as does Besson's ambiguous depiction of Joan's sanity. However, Jovovich's performance simply falls short of the iconic character. Plus, having such an American Joan of Arc is inherently a little absurd. While the battle scenes were pretty good for 1999, The Messenger offers little reason to revisit it now.
9 'Arthur and the Invisibles' (2006)
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Ron Crawford, Adam LeFevre
"If I should fail then I shall breathe all my powers to you." Arthur and the Invisibles is the first entry in the film series Besson directed from his own children's novels. The young Arthur (Freddie Highmore) discovers a hidden world of tiny creatures called Minimoys, who live in harmony with nature and possess magical powers. With the help of Princess Selenia (Madonna) and her brother Betameche (Jimmy Fallon), he sets out to find the treasure of the Minimoys and thwart the nefarious Maltazard (David Bowie).
Despite the star-studded cast (Mia Farrow, Snoop Dogg, and Robert De Niro also appear), the movie feels like a half-baked direct-to-DVD production. The animation is derivative and uninspired, the dialogue awkward and wooden. It certainly scores high on the absurdity level, coming across like a crazed mishmash of The Sword in the Stone, The Ant Bully, and The Dark Crystal, but the quality control is sorely lacking.
Arthur and the Invisibles
PGAnimationAdventureFamilyFantasy Cast Freddie Highmore , Mia Farrow , Ron Crawford , Penny Balfour , Doug Rand , Adam Lefevre Runtime 948 'Arthur and the Revenge of Maltazard' (2009)
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Ron Crawford, Robert Stanton
Close"Gentlemen, it's time for a little reflection." The Arthur series starts weak and gets worse with every installment. Naturally, this one sees the heroes reuniting to face down the threat of Maltazard. Essentially, Revenge of Maltazard is a rehash of the first story that adds little of interest. It's a generic hero's journey that's been done to death. Even the star power isn't quite as bright in this one: Lou Reed replaces Bowie, while Selena Gomez takes over Madonna's role. De Niro is also absent.
The live-action scenes are fine, but the film runs out of steam soon after entering the Minimoy world. Subpar animation and trivial subplots kill the tension. The tone is uneven, oscillating between goofy and self-serious. Plus, the dialogue is sometimes incredibly on-the-nose and ham-fisted, even for a project aimed at little kids. As a result, the movie was eviscerated by critics and bombed internationally, though it raked in big returns in France.
7 'Arthur 3: The War of the Two Worlds' (2010)
Starring: Freddie Highmore, Mia Farrow, Ron Crawford, Robert Stanton
Close"You fought like a prince!" In the third and final film, the magical realm of the Minimoys is once again threatened by - you guessed it - Maltazard. This time he ups the ante by preparing a full-on invasion of the human world as well. This is a step in the right direction, adding some increased tension to the story.
In fact, the main reason The War of the Two Worlds is better than the first two is because it has more live-action scenes. For example, one of the most enjoyable moments features a hapless Maltazard trying to masquerade as a human. The duel on top of a moving train is also decent. Nevertheless, it's still a thoroughly mediocre movie overall. With a budget of $85m, Arthur 3 was one of the most expensive French films ever made up til that point, but it grossed only $33m worldwide. Absurd, yes; entertaining, not really.
6 'Angel-A' (2005)
Starring: Jamel Debbouze, Rie Rasmussen, Gilbert Melki, Serge Riaboukine
Close"If I give you my life, would you know what to do with it?" Angel-A begins with down-on-his-luck scam artist André (Jamel Debbouze) contemplating suicide on a bridge over the Seine. Just as he is about to end his life, he encounters Angela (Rie Rasmussen), a woman who seems to possess otherworldly powers. She becomes André's guardian angel as he confronts his mistakes and reevaluates his priorities. A romance blossoms but obstacles stand in their way.
Aesthetically, Angel-A harks back to Besson's Cinéma du look days but shot through with fantasy. Visually, it's gorgeous; overflowing with moody and stylized shots. Narratively, it's a little muddled but undeniably electric. Here, the director channels Wim Wenders's Wings of Desire as well as gangster noir, but the finished product is distinctly Besson. It doesn't entirely succeed, however. Underdeveloped characters, a lethargic third act, and a script in need of a little more polishing drag it back down to earth.
5 'The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec' (2010)
Starring: Louise Bourgoin, Mathieu Amalric, Philippe Nahon, Gilles Lellouche
Close"Death is the only path that leads to birth." The Extraordinary Adventures of Adèle Blanc-Sec is a steampunk adventure film based on a beloved French comic series from the 1970s. Set in 1912 Paris, it revolves around resourceful journalist Adèle (Louise Bourgoin) as she embarks on a quest to uncover ancient mysteries and supernatural phenomena. When a mummy is brought to life in the Museum of Natural History and wreaks havoc on the city, it's up to her to save the day.
This movie could have crashed and burned, especially since Besson made it between the first and second Arthur movies, so he was not exactly at his creative peak. However, Adèle Blanc-Sec is actually a ton of fun, held together by a charming lead performance from Bourgoin. It definitely scores high on the absurd-o-meter, featuring big game hunters, pterosaurs over Paris, ancient Egyptian physicists, and a near-fatal run-in with a hatpin.
4 'Lucy' (2014)
Starring: Scarlett Johansson, Morgan Freeman, Choi Min-sik, Amr Waked
"Ignorance brings chaos, not knowledge." Scarlett Johansson leads this action sci-fi as a young woman who unwittingly becomes a drug mule for a powerful crime syndicate. The synthetic drug implanted in Lucy's body leaks and unlocks her brain's full potential, granting her superhuman abilities. Her enhanced intelligence and telekinesis turn her into a force to be reckoned with.
The recipe of ScarJo plus high-octane action plus a tidal wave of visual effects resonated with audiences. Lucy was a mammoth box office success, grossing $469 internationally against a $40m budget. That said, many people also criticized the weak characterization and logic gaps in the plot. Not to mention, the whole premise about humans only using ten percent of their brain was roundly mocked. It's a pure myth thought to have arisen out of a misunderstanding of neuroscience. Neurologist Barry Gordon says that, in fact, people use virtually all of their brains, making Lucy one of Besson's most absurd movies.
Lucy
RActionSci-FiThrillerDirector Luc Besson Release Date July 25, 2014 Cast Scarlett Johansson , Morgan Freeman , Amr Waked , Julian Rhind-Tutt , Pilou Asbæk , Lio Tipton , Nicolas Phongpheth Runtime 89 Minutes3 'Dogman' (2023)
Starring: Caleb Landry Jones, Jojo T. Gibbs, Christopher Denham, Clemens Schick
"As far as I can tell, they only have one flaw: they trust humans." Caleb Landry Jones leads this thriller as Doug, an oddball who is arrested in New Jersey while driving a truck loaded with dogs. Evelyn (Jojo T. Gibbs), a psychiatrist, is summoned to the police station to question him. As Doug recounts his life story through flashbacks, he reveals a tumultuous journey from an abusive childhood to a life as a canine-assisted thief.
Jones is great at playing these kinds of damaged characters at the fringes, as he proved most of all in the chilling Nitram. The script lets him down a little, but he's still a treat to watch. The film itself is thoroughly ludicrous, stacking one outrageous revelation upon another. Whether or not they are effective will depend on the viewer. Although it falls short of its ambitions, Dogman proves that Besson is still a zany creative force willing to take on the wildest of ideas.
DogMan
RCrimeDramaThrillerRelease Date March 29, 2024 Cast Caleb Landry Jones , Jojo T. Gibbs , Christopher Denham , Grace Palma Director Luc Besson Runtime 114 Minutes2 'Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets' (2017)
Starring: Dane DeHaan, Cara Delevingne, Clive Owen, Rihanna
"A soldier will always choose death over humiliation." Besson attempted to recapture the space opera glory of The Fifth Element with this sci-fi epic but instead produced a sprawling, CGI-laden mess. Based on a French comic book series, Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets follows the adventures of cocky intergalactic special agent Valerian (Dane DeHaan) and his resourceful partner Laureline (Cara Delevingne). The quirkiness is high. There's telepathy, fusion missiles, space planes, and a shape-shifting stripper played by Rihanna.
An assortment of weird moments does not add up to an interesting movie, however. Valerian's third act is predictable and its characters are mostly two-dimensional. Perhaps as a result, it was a massive box office bomb in the States. Despite being the most expensive European film ever made as well as the most expensive independent film ever made, with a budget of at least $177m, it made only $225m worldwide. Asked to explain Valerian's poor showing in the US, Besson said, "It was too weird. It was too European. It was too much."
Valerian and the City of a Thousand Planets
PG-13 Sci-FiActionAdventureDirector Luc Besson Cast Cara Delevingne , Ethan Hawke , Clive Owen , Dane DeHaan , Rihanna , John Goodman Release Date July 21, 2017 Runtime 136 minutes1 'The Fifth Element' (1997)
Starring: Bruce Willis, Gary Oldman, Ian Holm, Milla Jovovich
"I don't like warriors. Too narrow-minded, no subtlety. And worse, they fight for hopeless causes." Where Valerian is absurd but mediocre, The Fifth Element is absurd but amazing. It features Bruce Willis as Korben Dallas, a soldier turned cab who is thrust into a perilous mission to save humanity from the Great Evil. Along the way, he encounters Leeloo (Milla Jovovich), a genetically engineered being who holds the key to restoring balance to the universe.
The Fifth Element is perhaps the most delightfully chaotic sci-fi movie of the 1990s. It's a whirlwind of action, romance, comedy, and quirky, extraterrestrial encounters, all wrapped up in a vibrant and playful aesthetic. Besson skillfully blends practical effects with then cutting-edge computer graphics, resulting in a lush and original visual world. He also lets his freak flag fly to the max, evident in the shape-shifting alien thugs, a giant living fireball, and, of course, the flamboyant TV personality Ruby Rhod (Chris Tucker). It's the height of the director's preposterousness, in the best way.
The Fifth Element
PG-13ActionAdventureFantasy Sci-FiThrillerDirector Luc Besson Release Date May 2, 1997 Cast Bruce Willis , Gary Oldman , Ian Holm , Milla Jovovich , Chris Tucker , Luke Perry Runtime 117ncG1vNJzZmibn6G5qrDEq2Wcp51kubavjJucrKufo3quu9WinGaZkqjCs7DIrbBmqpGjuKawjg%3D%3D