La Haine

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La Haine

1995,

1h 38m,

Drama

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Watchlist

Watchlist

96%

74 Reviews

Tomatometer

95%

25,000+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

96%

Tomatometer

74 Reviews

95%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

When a young Arab is arrested and beaten unconscious by police, a riot erupts in the notoriously violent suburbs outside of Paris. Three of the victim's peers, Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Said (Said Taghmaoui) and Hubert (Hubert Koundé), wander aimlessly about their home turf in the aftermath of the violence as they try to come to grips with their outrage over the brutal incident. After one of the men finds a police officer's discarded weapon, their night seems poised to take a bleak turn.

Critics Consensus

Hard-hitting and breathtakingly effective, La Haine takes an uncompromising look at long-festering social and economic divisions affecting 1990s Paris.

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Jonathan Rosenbaum

Chicago Reader

Jul 20, 2023

Though some of this might seem a bit old to Americans, Kassovitz has some things of his own to say -- and he says them with nuance, feeling, and authority.

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Kevin Thomas

Los Angeles Times

Jul 20, 2023

As for Kassovitz, his own go-for-broke visual bravura and highly charged storytelling are so American in feel that the news that he plans his Hollywood seems inevitable.

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Alan Morrison

Empire Magazine

Jul 20, 2023

5/5

Stark, exquisite black-and-white photography drains what little cheer there is out of the concrete jungle, creating an alien cityscape devoid of sunshine. But Mathieu Kassovitz's triumph is in finding humanity in every single one of his characters.

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Éabha Leech

Film Ireland Magazine

Apr 17, 2026

La Haine’s powerful warning of how “hatred breeds hatred” establishes a hopeless cycle of violence and devastation, which is shockingly confirmed in the final scene of the film.

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Michael Wood

London Review of Books

May 6, 2025

Great movies can be too steady, too serene, and this film is headed in a different direction.

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Aaron Neuwirth

Why So Blu

May 1, 2024

4.5/5

Watching it now, there’s still a great sense of the sort of power this film can have on display, even if it’s somewhat depressing to know Kassovitz could easily make this movie now and not have to really change anything.

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Rey W

Mar 17, 2019

Photography is stunning, promising performances (Cassel has proved his talent multiple times since) and a good narration and depiction of the crude reality surrounding the projects. I applaud the creation of the characters because they are coherent to its context, enabling the movie to cut deeper.

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Hermione M

Feb 18, 2019

Gritty and powerful tale about the underbelly of Paris. Strong street settings, good scripting and well developed central characters add up to a powerful experience but perhaps a tale that has been told too many times before.

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Sep 5, 2018

canser to your mothers

Theodore P

Apr 3, 2018

Despite the slick, practically perfect filmmaking, the film's themes and characters burn with a simmering, raw intensity.

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Anakin R

Mar 31, 2018

I watched this in 1998 for the first time. I was eighteen years old. I think it may have been the very first French film I had ever seen. I fell in love with it. It felt familiar, yet representative of a world so far from mine. I recall it being a fantastic movie; and I don't throw that word around when it comes to cinema. It has been years since I last watched it. However this film and the "Pusher" trilogy set me on path of seeking out not just European films, but films from all over the world. I need to rewatch it soon.

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Albus S

Aug 22, 2017

Captures a youth so genuinely and detailed, from the slang dialogue to the music of their era but it is also made like a veteran of the craft, with steady and innovative storytelling. The ending will leave you in shock.

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Mathieu Kassovitz

Director

Vincent Cassel

Vinz

Hubert Koundé

Hubert

Said Taghmaoui

Saïd

Abdel Ahmed Ghili

Abdel

Joseph Momo

Ordinary Guy

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Synopsis

When a young Arab is arrested and beaten unconscious by police, a riot erupts in the notoriously violent suburbs outside of Paris. Three of the victim's peers, Vinz (Vincent Cassel), Said (Said Taghmaoui) and Hubert (Hubert Koundé), wander aimlessly about their home turf in the aftermath of the violence as they try to come to grips with their outrage over the brutal incident. After one of the men finds a police officer's discarded weapon, their night seems poised to take a bleak turn.

Director: Mathieu Kassovitz
Producer: Christophe Rossignon
Screenwriter: Mathieu Kassovitz
Distributor: Gramercy Pictures
Production Co: Les Productions Lazennec, Canal+, Kasso Inc. Productions, Egg Pictures, PolyGram Filmed Entertainment
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Sep 1, 1995, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 23, 2017
Box Office (Gross USA): $130.3K
Runtime: 1h 38m
Sound Mix: Surround, Stereo

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