Few films at TIFF 2021 were as genre-bending and defiantly original as the Senegalese thriller “Saloum.” Congolese director Jean Luc Herbulot mixes styles as diverse as spaghetti westerns, monster movies, and samurai dramas in the movie without overshadowing the story’s West African backdrop. Sound exciting to anyone else? Well, IFC Midnight thinks so. They’re so high on the film that they’re giving it a theatrical run in NYC and Los Angeles.
READ MORE: ‘Saloum’ Is A Kinetic, Genre-Bending Revenge Story [TIFF Review]
But what’s the premise of “Saloum”? It’s 2003, and amidst the Guinea-Bissau coup d’etat, a trio of mercenaries extract a drug dealer and his product, holing up in a holiday camp in the coastal region of Sine-Saloum for safety. But they’re not the only people at the refuge with secrets, and the camp itself may hold the most sinister secret of all.
“Saloum” stars Yann Gael, Evelyne Ily Juhen, Roger Sallah, Bruno Henry, Marielle Salmier, and Mentor Ba. It’s the first film from Herbulot’s pan-African Lacme Studio, which he co-founded with Pamela Diop. He and Diop also co-write the film’s script.
While “Saloum” isn’t Herbulot’s first movie, it made such a splash with critics at TIFF that it may become his first stateside breakout. Following its limited theatrical release in NYC and LA, Shudder streams the movie exclusively on September 8. “”Saloum” is a bold combination of horror, revenge thriller and African folklore that’s worthy of every bit of praise it’s been receiving at festivals,” said Shudder GM Craig Engler in a press release. “We’re proud to share this incredibly original and thrilling film from the distinctive voice of Jean Luc Herbulot with our members and theatergoers.” The movie currently holds a 100% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.
So, will “Saloum” live up to its hype? Audiences in NYC/LA find out on September 2, and Shudder subscribers may catch it the week after on September 8. Watch the trailer below, and read our review of the film here.