Dog 51 (2025)
Movie · 2025 · Thriller, Science Fiction, Crime, Action · 1h 40m · NR · French
Curator score: 1.3/10 (58.5K ratings)
In a city divided, they fight for the truth.
Overview
In the near future, Paris is divided into three zones that separate social classes, and no one can escape ALMA, a predictive AI that has revolutionized law enforcement. When ALMA’s creator is assassinated, Salia, a top agent, and Zem, a jaded cop, are forced to work together to solve a murder that may expose the dark secrets of the system they serve.
Ratings
- Curator score: 1.3/10
- IMDb: 5.8/10
- Letterboxd: 2.72/5
- TMDB: 6.1/10
Director
Cédric Jimenez
Production
Chi-Fou-Mi Productions, Artémis Productions, StudioCanal, France 2 Cinéma, Shelter Prod, Jim Films
Cast
Gilles Lellouche, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Louis Garrel, Romain Duris, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Stéphane Bak, Hugo Dillon, Artus, Mélanie Berthinier, Daphné Patakia, Agathe Mougin, Kamel Laadaili, Mi Kwan Lock, Thomas Bangalter, Cyril Lecomte, Jeanne Herry, Hugo 'Paloma' Bardin, Anne-Lise Heimburger, Tom Rey, Salem Kali
Curator Review
Verdict
A slick near-future French crime thriller with strong star power and a timely AI-surveillance premise, but the response suggests it leans heavily on familiar genre beats and blunt political messaging. If you want a glossy, fast-moving procedural with dystopian texture, it may work; if you’re hoping for sharper worldbuilding or more original ideas, it likely disappoints.
Best for
- Viewers who like French action-thrillers with a dystopian edge
- Fans of surveillance-state and AI-gone-wrong stories
- Audiences who enjoy star-driven police procedurals
- People in the mood for a polished, mainstream genre film
Skip if
- You want subtle writing or deeply original sci-fi concepts
- You’re tired of cop-partner dynamics and conspiracy plots
- You prefer lean realism over glossy, high-concept spectacle
- You’re looking for a more politically nuanced critique of technology
Overview
Dog 51 aims for a sleek fusion of crime procedural, near-future dystopia, and political thriller, setting its story in a stratified Paris where predictive AI has become the backbone of policing. That premise is immediately legible and commercially strong, and the cast gives it enough presence to sell the tension between institutional loyalty and moral unease.
Worth noting
The catch is that the film seems to play very close to the rails of the genre. The most common reaction points to familiar plotting, obvious thematic beats, and a style that prioritizes momentum and surface polish over surprise. It sounds less like a radical sci-fi warning than a well-funded variation on ideas the audience already knows.
Bottom line
Still, for viewers who enjoy a muscular French thriller with social commentary, it likely delivers enough propulsion to stay watchable. The appeal is in the packaging: a divided future Paris, a murder investigation, and a cop partnership built for friction. The downside is that the film’s ideas may feel more borrowed than sharpened.
Top Letterboxd reviews
Charles Santucci (1.5★) · 1952 likes
Bon très honnêtement je n’ai absolument pas aimé le film et je n’ai pas vraiment envie de perdre mon temps à le défoncer. À la place je vous propose une liste de 51 races de chiens afin d’améliorer votre culture canine: Akita InuBasenjiBasset HoundBeagleBerger AllemandBerger Belge MalinoisBerger Blanc SuisseBichon FriséBorder CollieBouledogue AnglaisBouledogue FrançaisBouvier BernoisBullmastiffCane CorsoCanicheCarlinCavalier King CharlesChihuahuaChow-ChowCorgiDalmatienDobermannDogue Allemand… more
sarah sc (2.5★) · 1097 likes
J’ai juré Cédric il fait des films juste pour pouvoir filmer des voitures de flics qui roulent vite + pardon mais me remettez plus jamais Adèle et Gilles dans des rôles où ils sont en couple???? Vous êtes zinzin???? J’ai l’impression d’être témoin d’inceste
anaïs🧚🏼♀️ (1.5★) · 1081 likes
Le love day c'est la doro party de châtelet
Jack Salvadori (1.5★) · 812 likes
Definitely not as good as Chien 1, Chien 2, Chien 3, Chien 4, Chien 5, Chien 6, Chien 7, Chien 8, Chien 9, Chien 10, Chien 11, Chien 12, Chien 13, Chien 14, Chien 15, Chien 16, Chien 17, Chien 18, Chien 19, Chien 20, Chien 21, Chien 22, Chien 23, Chien 24, Chien 25, Chien 26, Chien 27, Chien 27, Chien 28, Chien 29, Chien 30, Chien 31, Chien 32, Chien 33, Chien 34, Chien 35, Chien 36, Chien… more Definitely not as good as Chien 1, Chien 2, Chien 3, Chien 4, Chien 5, Chien 6, Chien 7, Chien 8, Chien 9, Chien 10, Chien 11, Chien 12, Chien 13, Chien 14, Chien 15, Chien 16, Chien 17, Chien 18, Chien 19, Chien 20, Chien 21, Chien 22, Chien 23, Chien 24, Chien 25, Chien 26, Chien 27, Chien 27, Chien 28, Chien 29, Chien 30, Chien 31, Chien 32, Chien 33, Chien 34, Chien 35, Chien 36, Chien… more
Victor Bonnefoy (2.5★) · 704 likes
Même quand Jimenez essaie de faire un film de gauche, il fait un film de droite hahahaha Critique dispo sur Youtube
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Topics
near-future, dystopian thriller, French cinema, crime procedural, AI surveillance, social stratification, political thriller, police partnership, techno-paranoia, mainstream genre