No, the 2019 film Les Misérables isn’t a musical. It’s a French drama detailing unrest in the Parisian suburbs as police brutality fuels rioting. Inspired by a short film from the same director, Ladj Ly, this gritty drama is sure to provoke thought and make us reconsider the power structures in place at home and abroad.
Descriptions of the film have added the word “Thriller” to its genre description. Though political unrest is tense and in some ways scary, I’m really interested to see the angle this film took that caused it to pick up that label. A drama with thriller elements that also has real-life source material could go many different directions; I look forward to seeing it.
Les Misérables is playing at the State Theater, student tickets are $8.50.
