Directed by Aude Léa Rapin, Planète B is a French science-fiction thriller starring Adèle Exarchopoulos, Souheila Yacoub, and Eliane Umuhire. The film hit theaters on December 25, 2024, and will be available on Netflix starting March 28, 2026. This marks the director's second feature film after Les Héros ne meurent jamais, which was showcased at Cannes' Critics' Week. Set in a dystopian universe, it reflects contemporary political tensions and anxieties.
France, 2039. Activists on the run from the authorities are disappearing without a trace. Among them is Julia Bombarth. When she wakes up, she finds herself confined in an unfamiliar world, an entity called Planet B. This parallel universe, with its unclear boundaries, plunges Julia into an unstable reality where the line between simulation, imprisonment, and political manipulation becomes increasingly blurred.
Through this journey, the story delves into mass surveillance, the drift toward authoritarianism, and the erosion of public freedoms. Drawing inspiration from recent social movements—from the Yellow Vests protests to international demonstrations—the screenplay incorporates texts by the Invisible Committee. The film maintains a constant psychological tension, blending elements of a sci-fi thriller and a psychological thriller. It follows a protagonist navigating an opaque and oppressive system.
The project stems from the director's personal experience, rooted in a sense of isolation she felt in a Mediterranean hotel—an environment that has since become her fictional backdrop. To craft her universe, Aude Léa Rapin draws on a range of references, from Peter Watkins’ Punishment Park to Ridley Scott’s Blade Runner, as well as Jordan Peele’s Get Out and the series The Prisoner. Visually, the aesthetic contrasts a dark, gritty real world—"carved in darkness"—captured alongside cinematographer Jeanne Lapoirie, against a brighter, almost paradisiacal virtual space.
The soundtrack is crafted by Bertrand Bonello, who was involved right from the early stages of filming. The sound design, heavily developed in post-production, helps create a range of immersive worlds—real, virtual, and nightmarish. The film also takes a strong female-centered perspective, featuring a leading heroine and a creative team primarily composed of women. By 2025, Souheila Yacoub receives a César nomination for Best Newcomer.
Following in the footsteps of political dystopian tales like Children of Men or Equilibrium, Planet B explores individual resistance against a domineering technological and security state. Its release on Netflix broadens access to this French dystopian story, which sits at the crossroads of genre cinema and political commentary.
Planète B
Film | 2024
Release in theaters: December 25, 2024
Available on Netflix on March 28, 2026
Science fiction, Thriller | Duration: 1h58
Directed by Aude Léa Rapin | Starring Adèle Exarchopoulos, Souheila Yacoub, Eliane Umuhire
Original title: Planète B
Country: France
Blending political dystopia, mental confinement, and the search for liberation, the film offers a bleak vision of a near future where rebellious youth face off against sophisticated systems of control. Adèle Exarchopoulos’s compelling performance grounds this genre in a human story marked by a loss of bearings.
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