Bandi Review
Director: Jimmy Laporal-Trésor and Mathilde Vallet
Date Created: 2026-04-10 01:42
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Bandi Review: Directed by Jimmy Laporal-Trésor and Mathilde Vallet, Netflix’s French crime drama stars Djody Grimeau as Kylian Lafleur, Rodney Dijon as Kingsley Lafleur, Jonathan Zaccaï as Alex Croquet, and Patrick Trieste as Sherkhan, alongside Ambre Bozza, Souane Rosamont, Evan Lienafa and others. The series runs for 8 episodes, each clocking in at around 55–60 minutes, and is created by Éric Rochant and Capucine Rochant.
Bandi Review
Netflix French series Bandi focuses on the Lafleur family, consisting of 11 siblings whose world is thrown topsy-turvy with the untimely demise of their mother, who was the only constant element in their lives. With the effort of maintaining their unity at stake because of this incident, the lines of morality start blurring among them. They try to seek refuge by delving into the risky business of drug smuggling, although some refuse to succumb. This is reflected by the incorporation of elements of family drama along with those of a crime thriller genre against the colourful but tough background of the French Caribbean.
Netflix’s Bandi feels very raw and unpolished, in an appealing manner. It’s not an elaborate, stylised crime drama which features gangsters wearing fancy suits. Rather, there’s this sort of down-to-earth, realistic approach to things that feels very immediate and rather uncomfortable at times. For example, there were scenes that I found myself feeling extremely uncomfortable about, due to the depiction of poverty and the lack of choices that come with it.
The role of Kylian, played by Djody Grimeau, is one of the major characters whose portrayal is charged with lots of emotions, and who seems quite complex and contradictory. The duality of his personality, which means that he manages to be both responsible to his family and a member of the criminal world, makes him a very interesting person and adds another exciting dimension to the plot. Another brother, Kingsley, played by Rodney Dijon, is also a fascinating character with a certain degree of spontaneity.
However, not all of them were good. Clearly, there are several performers who have recently joined the industry; although they make for a realistic portrayal at times, they occasionally have trouble delivering the dialogue with confidence. The first episode definitely took me quite a while before I got hooked on the French series Bandi, mainly for this reason. As the series progresses further, however, the actors seem to become comfortable in their roles.
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Now, coming to its downsides, one of the biggest issues, at least for me, is the pace. Given that most of the episodes are around an hour long, sometimes it seems like the pacing is a little slow. There are times when certain parts just drag on a little too much, and you feel like the pacing of the entire episode starts to drop off.
However, there seems to be a slight imbalance between the two aspects of drama. Despite the strong foundation of family-based issues that provides the core theme of the series, the plot seems to favour the crime element to some extent. In other words, the emotional aspect within the family appears to lack sufficient emphasis and depth. More attention should be paid to how the siblings interact and behave when there are no criminal elements involved.
The part which I truly remember from the show is how young people are forced to commit violent acts against their will. Such scenes can be rather disturbing to watch, but I feel that it is purposeful. It helps to convey the tough truth that people must face when having to make tough decisions at such an early age.
Netflix Bandi Review: Summing Up
In the end, the Bandi series is an interesting show which does not often meet its true potential but nonetheless succeeds in making an impression. It is gritty, emotionally moving, and sometimes infuriating, yet in a manner that appears sincere. Although problems with the pacing and inconsistency among actors prevent the movie from becoming excellent, it still proves to be captivating due to its well-developed characters, realistic setting, and morally ambiguous plotline.
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