Rodolphe Lauga returns with his latest film, following a diverse range of projects such as Relationship Status: It’s Complicated, La Source, and I Don’t Love You Either. Lauga’s diverse filmography, which spans multiple genres, has generated significant buzz around Ad Vitam among Netflix subscribers.
With Ad Vitam now streaming, fans can immerse themselves in Lauga’s distinct vision and masterful storytelling. Led by Guillaume Canet (Little White Lies, Asterix & Obelix: The Middle Kingdom), this gripping thriller is sure to captivate.
This review will help you decide if the movie deserves a spot on your watchlist.
Ad Vitam Misses the Mark
The opening scene of Ad Vitam gives us a glimpse of Franck Lazarev, the lead character played by Guillaume Canet before we see him at the clinic with his wife Leo, who is pregnant.
Once they reach home, they realize their apartment has been broken into, and turns out it has happened before, recently too. Leo is quick to blame Franck, but he claims he has no idea about it.
There are secrets Franck is keeping from his wife, and that’s established at the beginning of the movie, and clearly, he will have to pay the price. At the beginning of Ad Vitam, it feels like every other thriller we have streamed in the past, and throughout the duration, we found ourselves looking for the oomph factor, but something felt missing time and again.
One of the highlights of Ad Vitam comes relatively early on in the movie when we witness Leo and Franck fight the bad guys. While it isn’t out of the ordinary for a man to do so, watching a pregnant woman defend herself was a standout moment.
However, things go south when Leo is kidnapped, and the stakes are higher than ever as Franck must do whatever it takes to find his wife, who is less than two weeks away from giving birth.
There are moments when Ad Vitam feels a little oddly paced and loses the audience with intricate subplots that don’t blend with the ongoing narrative, but despite that, the action stays intact, along with some scenes that add depth not only to the plot but also to the characters.
While it is visible that Ad Vitam tried incredibly hard to be a successful thriller, it simply didn’t land the way we had hoped. The oomph factor remained missing and it felt far too derivative. Netflix has had some brilliant releases in the first 10 days of 2025, but alas, Ad Vitam isn’t one of those.
Conclusion
Ad Vitam by Rodolphe Lauga doesn’t quite hit the spot and we couldn’t recommend adding it to your watchlist unless you need something to play in the background, or you’re a big fan of Guillaume Canet.