Directed and written by Olivier Marchal, MR 73 stars Daniel Auteuil, Olivia Bonamy, and Francis Renaud in a crime thriller released in theaters in 2008. The feature film, inspired by real events and in keeping with the director's dark cinema style, will be added to the Prime Video catalog on December 1, 2025.
The plot follows Louis Schneider, captain of the Marseille SRPJ, haunted by his excesses and the failures of his personal life. As a serial killer strikes the city, he pursues the investigation despite his alcoholism and a complex relationship with his superiors. At the same time, Justine, a young woman scarred by the murder of her parents twenty-five years earlier, discovers that the killer, Charles Subra, is about to be released from prison for good behavior. MR 73 follows the meeting of these two broken lives, united by the weight of the past and the need to survive.
As the story unfolds, Schneider finds himself confronted with his own demons as the investigation takes on a personal dimension. The criminal's return to Justine's life revives the gray areas of the case and brings back the moral dilemmas of its investigator. The film explores the fine line between justice, guilt, and redemption, while maintaining the tension surrounding the serial crimes. The psychological evolution of the characters is at the heart of the drama, without revealing the final ramifications of the plot.
The title refers to the Manurhin MR 73 revolver, which for Olivier Marchal symbolizes a police force that no longer exists. The director places this film in a personal trilogy that began with Gangsters and continued with 36 Quai des Orfèvres, focusing on recurring themes: loneliness, despair, and wandering. Inspired by real events, the script draws on Marchal's own experiences and the testimonies of police officers, notably those of writer and former police officer Bénédicte Desforges.
The project was developed around fifteen years before the film's release. After the success of 36 Quai des Orfèvres, Marchal chose to return to a more intimate story, written in three months. The stated influences include Adieu, ma jolie, The Pledge, and more discreet references to French crime films such as Le Cercle rouge. The film reunites several collaborators from the filmmaker's previous feature films, including Gérald Laroche, Catherine Marchal, Guy Lecluyse, and Francis Renaud.
Filmed in Paris, Marseille, and La Beaumaderie, the production used realistic sets to create a twilight atmosphere. Daniel Auteuil, who plays a broken police officer in a dense and introspective performance, was preceded in the casting process by Gérard Depardieu, who was initially approached for the role. The film is part of a genre in which the darkness of everyday life, institutional pressure, and the quest for truth create a climate of continuous tension, aimed at fans of psychological thrillers and stories rooted in reality.
MR 73
Film | 2008
Theatrical release: March 12, 2008
On Prime Video December 1, 2025
Drama, crime, thriller | Running time: 124 min
By Olivier Marchal | Starring Daniel Auteuil, Olivia Bonamy, Francis Renaud
Nationality: France
A personal work in Olivier Marchal's filmography, the film stands out as a dense crime thriller where emotion rubs shoulders with the violence of everyday police work. The nocturnal aesthetic and the writing focused on guilt reinforce its introspective nature. Its arrival on Prime Video allows us to rediscover this dark story deeply rooted in the realities of the profession.
To go further, check out our selection of new Prime Video releases for December, our guide to streaming releases across all platforms, and today's selection of What to Watch Today on Streaming.
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