Eva Husson's controversy-courting debut is neither as lewdly subversive or as raucously debauched as its provocative title.
What are people saying?
What are critics saying?
Husson sketches teenage ennui well, and crafts complicated and watchable characters around which to base the core of her drama. The slip-up comes in a final act that bows out of the previously constructed conflict in disappointingly obvious fashion.
The Hollywood Reporter by Boyd van Hoeij
Originality or insight aren’t very high on the priority list of this drama.
Time Out London by Cath Clarke
It’s refreshing to see a movie like this directed by a woman, Eva Husson, so boys and girls are objectified equally. Which is not to say this passes the feminism test.
Here is a rare new entry in that smallest of sub-genres: Movies that don’t punish teens for f--king their brains out (surprise surprise: it’s French).
Screen International by Jonathan Romney
While some may find Bang Gang a calculatedly chic opening salvo for a feature career, it carries a genuine emotional charge, and overall Husson shows she means business.
The Playlist by Oliver Lyttelton
Unfortunately, while Husson clearly has talent to burn, her film is something of a case of all talk and no trousers.
The lack of a single clear character with whom to identify ultimately proves problematic.
The New York Times by Stephen Holden
Bang Gang goes out of its way to avoid stereotyping. Where a Hollywood equivalent would almost certainly punish George, “Bang Gang” refuses to designate clear-cut heroes and villains.