French cinema has this weird, specific knack for taking incredibly depressing premises and turning them into something that feels like a warm hug. Honestly, when you first hear the pitch for The Big Hit (Un triomphe), it sounds like a downer. A struggling actor, way past his prime, decides to teach a theater workshop in a high-security prison to help a group of inmates stage Samuel Beckett’s Waiting for Godot. It sounds like every "inspirational teacher" trope we’ve seen since the nineties. But it isn't. Not even close.
If you’re looking to watch The Big Hit, you aren't just signing up for a subtitled drama; you’re looking at a film that swept the European Film Awards for a reason. Directed by Emmanuel Courcol, it’s actually based on a true story from Sweden in the eighties, though Courcol moves the action to modern-day France. The result is something gritty, surprisingly funny, and deeply human without being manipulative.
The Weird True Story Behind the Movie
Most people think this is just a clever script. It isn't. The film draws heavily from the real-life experiences of Jan Jönson, a Swedish actor who in 1985 took Waiting for Godot into Kumla State Prison. The irony is almost too perfect—Beckett’s play is about men waiting for someone who never arrives, essentially trapped in a loop of existential boredom. For prisoners serving life sentences, that isn't art. It's Tuesday.
Jönson’s real-life experiment was so successful that the inmates were eventually allowed to perform at a public theater in Gothenburg. Then, in a twist that Hollywood would reject for being too unrealistic, five of the six "actors" escaped on opening night. Beckett himself reportedly loved the news, famously saying, "That’s the best thing that’s happened to my play since I wrote it." When you watch The Big Hit, you see Courcol lean into that absurdity. He doesn't treat the inmates as "lost souls" needing salvation; he treats them as guys who are bored out of their minds and find a strange, frantic purpose in the words of a dead Irish playwright.
Kad Merad, who plays the lead character Etienne, is the glue here. If you know French comedy, you know Merad from Welcome to the Sticks. He has this tired, expressive face that perfectly captures the desperation of a guy who realizes his career is over and this prison gig is his last shot at relevance.
Why Finding a Place to Watch The Big Hit Can Be Tricky
Streaming rights for international films are a nightmare. Period. Depending on where you are sitting right now, finding out where to watch The Big Hit feels like its own Beckett play. In the US and UK, the film often cycles through specialized platforms rather than the big "everything" streamers like Netflix.
- Curzon Home Cinema and MUBI are the most consistent homes for the film in European territories.
- In North America, it frequently pops up on Amazon Prime Video as a rental or through the Cohen Media Channel add-on.
- Physical media collectors (yes, we still exist) can usually find the Blu-ray through Kino Lorber, which often handles the high-quality North American distributions for these types of French imports.
It is worth the hunt. The film doesn't rely on flashy cinematography. It relies on the chemistry between Merad and the ensemble of inmates, played by actors like David Ayala and Lamine Cissokho. They don't look like movie stars playing tough; they look like guys who have spent a decade in a concrete box.
The "Godot" Connection: Why It Actually Matters
You don't need a PhD in literature to enjoy this. In fact, the movie makes a point of showing that the inmates understand the play better than the "intellectuals" in the audience. There is a scene where Etienne tries to explain the subtext, and one of the prisoners basically shuts him down because he lives the subtext every day.
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Waiting for Godot is notoriously difficult. It’s a play where nothing happens—twice. But for a prisoner, "nothing happening" is the entire definition of their existence. The film explores the idea that art isn't something fancy for the elite; it's a survival mechanism. When the characters are on stage, they aren't prisoners. They are Vladimir and Estragon. They have a voice. They have a schedule. They have a reason to stay awake.
The pacing of the film mirrors this. It starts slow, almost stagnant, inside the gray walls of the prison. But as the production gains momentum and the troupe starts traveling to real theaters, the film picks up a frantic, nervous energy. You start to feel the same anxiety Etienne feels: will they run? Will they freeze up? Will the guards shut it down?
Decoding the Ending (No Spoilers, But...)
Without giving away the final twenty minutes, it’s important to know that Courcol doesn't take the easy way out. A lot of movies like this end with a standing ovation and everyone’s life being magically fixed. Life doesn't work that way, especially not for people in the French penal system.
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The film stays true to the spirit of the original Swedish events. It asks a hard question: Is the "triumph" the performance itself, or is it the fact that these men dared to hope for a second? It’s bittersweet. It’s messy. It’s very French.
People often ask if they should watch the original 1980s documentaries or the Swedish film The Guard before they watch The Big Hit. Honestly? No. Courcol’s version stands entirely on its own. It’s updated for a modern audience that understands the tensions of immigration, class, and the bureaucracy of the modern state.
Actionable Steps for Your Watchlist
If you’re ready to dive into this, don't just put it on in the background while you fold laundry. It’s a dialogue-heavy film that requires your attention to catch the subtle shifts in the inmates' personalities.
- Check Letterboxd or JustWatch first. Streaming licenses for The Big Hit change monthly. Use these trackers to see if it has moved to a platform you already pay for.
- Turn off the dubbing. If you find a version dubbed in English, ignore it. The cadence of the French language—and specifically the slang used by the inmates—is vital to the movie’s grit. Subtitles are the only way to go here.
- Research the prison theater movement. If the movie moves you, look up the work of organizations like the Prison Arts Coalition. Real programs like the one depicted exist worldwide, and they have fascinating, often controversial histories regarding recidivism rates and prisoner rehabilitation.
- Pair it with the play. If you’ve never read or seen Waiting for Godot, grab a summary or a filmed version of the play (the Patrick Stewart/Ian McKellen version is a masterpiece). It makes the "meta" jokes in The Big Hit land ten times harder.
This isn't just a movie about "doing a play." It’s a movie about the terror of being seen and the even greater terror of being forgotten. Whether you're a cinephile or just someone who likes a good underdog story, it’s one of those rare films that actually earns its emotional payoff. Find a stream, sit down, and let the absurdity wash over you. It's a hell of a ride.