The Connection

Set in Marseille in 1975, the story follows Pierre Michel, a young magistrate who moves from Metz with his family to fight organized crime. He targets the French Connection, a powerful mafia network responsible for exporting heroin globally. Michel enters a dangerous conflict with Gaëtan Zampa, a ruthless crime boss widely considered untouchable. As the struggle intensifies, the judge realizes he must adapt his methods to dismantle the criminal organization.

The film was directed by Cédric Jimenez, who also co-wrote the screenplay with Audrey Diwan. This production marks the first in a series of five films directed by Jimenez. The cast is led by Jean Dujardin as Judge Pierre Michel and Gilles Lellouche as Gaëtan Zampa, with appearances by Céline Sallette, Mélanie Doutey, Benoît Magimel, and Guillaume Gouix.

Produced by Gaumont, SCOPE Pictures, France 2 Cinéma, and Légende Films, the movie had a budget of 26 million USD but earned 12 million USD at the worldwide box office. Audience reception was positive, with a rating of 7.1/10 on IMDb from 13,000 votes and a matching 7.1/10 on TMDB from 961 votes. This viewer satisfaction is higher than the score given by film critics, who rated the movie 6.6/10 based on 75 reviews.