Close Menu
  • Login
  • Support Us
  • Newsletter
  • News
  • Features
  • Interviews
  • Reviews
    • Video Games
      • Previews
      • PC
      • PS5
      • Xbox Series X/S
      • Nintendo Switch
      • Xbox One
      • PS4
      • Tabletop
    • Film
    • TV
    • Anime
    • Comics
      • BOOM! Studios
      • Dark Horse Comics
      • DC Comics
      • IDW Publishing
      • Image Comics
      • Indie Comics
      • Marvel Comics
      • Oni-Lion Forge
      • Valiant Comics
      • Vault Comics
  • Podcast
  • More
    • Event Coverage
    • BWT Recommends
    • RSS Feeds
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram
Support Us
But Why Tho?
RSS Facebook X (Twitter) YouTube
Trending:
  • Features
    Cosmic Spider-Man card details

    [EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

    09/02/2025
    Lee Corso from College Football GameDay in EA Sports games

    EA Sports Always Understood Lee Corso’s Legacy

    09/01/2025
    Peacemaker Season 2 Episode 2 But Why Tho 10

    Spider-Man Is Coming To Magic And It’s Just Like The Comics

    08/29/2025
    Star Wars Visions Volume 3 Black

    ‘Black’ Sets The Tone For A Bold New Mixtape In ‘Star Wars Visions: Volume 3’

    08/28/2025
    Olivia Colman in The Roses

    ‘The Roses’ Is A Reimagining, Not A Remake, And That’s Why It Works So Well

    08/27/2025
  • Indie Games
  • K-Dramas
  • Netflix
  • Apple TV+
But Why Tho?
Home » Film » REVIEW: ‘Saloum’ Is A Genre-Busting, Action-Packed Gem Of A Film

REVIEW: ‘Saloum’ Is A Genre-Busting, Action-Packed Gem Of A Film

Collier "CJ" JenningsBy Collier "CJ" Jennings09/13/20225 Mins Read
Saloum - But Why Tho
Share
Facebook Twitter Pinterest Reddit WhatsApp Email

Saloum - But Why Tho

Saloum, co-written and directed by Jean Luc Herbulot, is a Senegalese-language film that traverses multiple genres and delivers a cinematic experience unlike any other. In 2003 during the coup d’état of Guinea-Bissau, the trio of mercenaries known as Bangui’s Hyenas perform an extraction to spirit drug lord Felix (Renaud Farah) from the war scene. But their plane soon suffers a fuel leak, forcing them to land in the region of Saloum. They eventually make it to Camp Baobab, which is run by the kindly Omar (Bruno Henry). Soon more about the Hyenas’ past – specifically that of their de factor leader Chaka (Yann Gael) – is revealed, as well as a sinister secret about Baobab itself.

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here

I’m a huge fan of films that blend genres together. It’s a fun test of a filmmaker’s skill. Can they make a romantic film that also happens to be a time travel odyssey or an alien invasion tale that slowly dissolves into a psychological thriller? But there’s also a risk in approaching that type of storytelling. The genre elements may not click together, or worse the filmmakers may be too in love with the idea to realize they haven’t written any compelling characters.

Saloum avoids this trap by slowly unfurling its genre elements as the film goes on. The first act feels more or less like a war film, with bullets and blood flying. Then it shifts to a thriller, as the Hyenas and Felix have to hide their identities from the other residents at Camp Baobab. Finally, the supernatural elements kick in, with the Hyenas facing off against a group of utterly horrifying monsters that infect and kill their victims from the inside out. Herbulot and co-writer/producer Pamela Diop keep the story moving at a steady pace, as well. Though the film is a mere 85 minutes, the story unfolds at a pace that’s never too fast or too slow – allowing the viewer to really get invested in the story, as well as the genre elements to have a constant presence.

I’m also impressed at how the film deals with the concept of revenge. At the beginning and end of the film, a phrase is repeated: “Revenge is like a river.” Not only does it back that up visually – a recurring image features a boy in chains holding a revolver and walking out to the middle of the ocean – but it had a deeper meaning as well. One of the Jackals has been seeking revenge for a long time and finally has the chance to exact it, but ends up setting off a chain reaction that leads to deadly consequences. He’s drowning in the desire for revenge, both metaphorically and literally, and dragging down his friends with him.

None of this would have clicked without a talented cast, and Herbulot cast Saloum well. Gael is an acting force as Chaka; he commands attention with a single word or look, and gets to bear the brunt of the emotional weight as the de facto lead. His key moment comes when he’s delivering a speech at the dinner table, with the tension rising and rising until it pops. That’s not discounting his chemistry with Roger Sallah and Mentor Ba, who play the other Jackals Rafa and Minuit.

Each one of these characters has a distinct personality and affectations – Rafa is more abrasive and concerned with their payday, while Minuit is a more spiritual mercenary who meditates and walks barefoot. The real standout, however, is Evelyne Ily Juhen as Awa. An inhabitant of Camp Baobab, Awa is deaf and mute – communicating entirely through sign language – and she knows who the Jackals are. This results in some of the tensest moments in the film, as Juhen and Gael sign angrily at each other and the rest of the group looks on in confusion.

And finally, there’s Herbulot’s direction – especially the action scenes. Most of the action is shot with a handheld camera, capturing the chaos of war as the Jackals ruthlessly dispatch their enemies. It also makes the supernatural parts of the film scarier, especially where the monsters are concerned; they look like a swarm of locusts from the deepest bowels of Hell and sound like it too. And cinematographer Gregory Corandi shrouds most scenes in a hazy gray fog, which gives the audience a subtle clue that not everything is as it seems.

Saloum is a genre-bending gem of a film, expertly weaving together a revenge narrative with notes of horror, action, and Westerns. Definitely check it out if you have the chance – it’s one of the most surprising films of the year, and is more proof that foreign films are the place for action fans to get their fill.

Saloum had its world premiere at the 2021 Toronto International Film Festival and is currently available to stream on Shudder.

Saloum
  • 9/10
    Rating - 9/10
9/10

TL:DR

Saloum is a genre-bending gem of a film, expertly weaving together a revenge narrative with notes of horror, action, and Westerns. Definitely check it out if you have the chance – it’s one of the most surprising films of the year, and is more proof that foreign films are the place for action fans to get their fill.

Share. Facebook Twitter Pinterest LinkedIn WhatsApp Reddit Email
Previous ArticleREVIEW: ‘Cyberpunk: Edgerunners’ is Peak Trigger
Next Article REVIEW: ‘Pearl’ Tackles the Narcissism Fueled by a Pandemic
Collier "CJ" Jennings
  • Website
  • Facebook
  • X (Twitter)

Born and raised in Texas, Collier “CJ” Jennings was introduced to geekdom at an early age by his father, who showed him Ultraman and Star Trek: The Next Generation. On his thirteenth birthday, he received a copy of Giant Size X-Men #1 and dove head first into the realm of pop culture, never looking back. His hobbies include: writing screenplays and essays, watching movies and television, card games/RPG’s, and cooking. He currently resides in Seattle.

Related Posts

Choi Gyu-ri, Shin Eun-Soo in Love Untangled
7.5

REVIEW: ‘Love Untangled’ Is Just Adorable

08/31/2025
Austin Butler in Caught Stealing
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Caught Stealing’ Marks An Exciting Pivot for Darren Aronofsky

08/27/2025
Margaret Qualley stars as Honey O' Donahue in the film Honey Don't
8.5

REVIEW: ‘Honey Don’t!’ Is A Genius Work Of Subversion And Fantasy Fulfillment

08/25/2025
Benedict Cumberbatch in The Roses But Why Tho
5.0

 REVIEW: ‘The Roses’ Lacks A Thorny Edge

08/25/2025
Mert Ramazan Demir in Abandoned Man
6.5

REVIEW: ‘Abandoned Man’ Lacks Depth In Its Take On Betrayal

08/22/2025
Ne Zha 2 promotional still from a24
10.0

REVIEW: ‘Ne Zha 2’ Is One Of The Most Epic Feats Of Animation

08/21/2025

Get BWT in your inbox!

Subscribe to our weekly newsletter and get the latest and greated in entertainment coverage.
Click Here
TRENDING POSTS
Cosmic Spider-Man card details Features

[EXCLUSIVE PREVIEW] The Spider-Man Set Gets A 5-Color Legendary Spider

By Kate Sánchez09/02/2025Updated:09/02/2025

An exclusive look at a new 5-Color Spider entering Magic: The Gathering’s Spider-Man set, and Cosmic Spider-Man is going to be a tough one to take on.

Hololive EN at Radio City Music Hall Events

Hololive EN At Radio City Music Hall Was A Pure Expression Of Fandom

By Adrian Ruiz08/31/2025Updated:09/03/2025

Hololive EN turned Radio City in New York City into the pure expression of fandom: chants, penlights, and community in perfect sync.

Karl Anthony Towns in NBA 2k26 But Why Tho
8.5
PS5

REVIEW: ‘NBA 2K26’ Brings Basketball To Life

By Kyle Foley09/03/2025

NBA 2K26 combines improved visuals with some important tweaks to keep the series feeling fresh in the latest yearly release.

Cronos: The New Dawn Nest
8.0
PC

REVIEW: ‘Cronos: The New Dawn’ Does Post-Apocalyptic Psychological Horror Right

By Mick Abrahamson09/03/2025Updated:09/03/2025

While not particularly sacry, Cronos: The New Dawn is a lot of fun as a survival horror that puts you in the futuristic armor of the Traveler.

But Why Tho?
Facebook X (Twitter) Instagram Pinterest RSS YouTube Twitch
  • CONTACT US
  • ABOUT US
  • PRIVACY POLICY
  • SUBSCRIBE TO OUR NEWSLETTER
  • Review Score Guide
Sometimes we include links to online retail stores. If you click on one and make a purchase we may receive a small contribution.
Written Content is Copyright © 2025 But Why Tho? A Geek Community

Type above and press Enter to search. Press Esc to cancel.

But Why Tho Logo

Support Us!

We're able to keep making content thanks to readers like YOU!
Support independent media today with
Click Here