Directed by Yann Gozlan and penned by Jean-Baptiste Delafon, Gourou stars Pierre Niney, alongside Marion Barbeau, Anthony Bajon, and Holt McCallany. This dramatic thriller delves into the dark side of self-help culture, and hits French theaters on January 28, 2026.
The story follows the rise of a charismatic coach whose methods are increasingly successful. As his influence grows, the mechanismsof control are revealed, exposing a system based on emotional dependence and psychological domination. The plot explores what drives people to seek external guidance in an environment where they are searching for meaning.
The story shows how this seemingly benevolent leader builds a loyal community around intensive seminars. The manipulative techniques gradually become apparent, confronting the characters with the boundary between personal quest and loss of freedom. The film highlights the potential abuses of coaching structures and the human weaknesses exploited by these systems.
The film was born out of Yann Gozlan's desire to explore contemporary personal development practices. The production was shot in urban spaces and minimalist settings to reflect the codified aesthetics of seminars. Pierre Niney reunites with the director after Black Box, a collaboration that made him known for roles requiring significant psychological work. Screenwriter Jean-Baptiste Delafon is particularly known for his work on series focusing on power and speech.
The tone favors a tense and realistic approach. The atmosphere is based on a progressive climate of suspicion and isolation, aimed at an audience interested in psychological narratives and themes related to social influence. The film addresses individual vulnerabilities in the face of persuasive discourse and the group mechanisms that can result from it.
Our take on Gourou:
Gourou, directed by Yann Gozlan, fits into the realm of contemporary psychological thrillers that probe our relationship with power, influence, and the need for belief. The film charts the meteoric rise of Mathieu Vasseur, aka Matt, a self-help coach played by Pierre Niney. His charming, seemingly benevolent speech gradually reveals a darker, increasingly manipulative machinery. Initially a reassuring, almost luminous figure, Matt slowly becomes a prisoner of his own persona in a slow descent into darkness.
Yann Gozlan’s direction stands out for its formal finesse. Smooth camera work, precise framing, immersive sound design — everything contributes to an atmosphere of fascination, almost hypnotic, echoing the gaze of Matt’s followers. Viewers are placed in an uncomfortable position, pulled in then wary, mirroring the characters surrounding Matt. This immersive approach makes palpable the group dynamics and illustrates how a initially positive message can gradually become a tool of domination.
At the core of the film, Pierre Niney delivers a compelling central performance. Charismatic and energetic at first, then increasingly paranoid and manipulative, he captures with finesse the narcissistic complexity of his character. His trajectory is all the more unsettling as it shifts not primarily due to ideological conviction but from a fear of losing his status — revealing how the craving for recognition can morph into psychological and symbolic violence.
Among the supporting roles, Anthony Bajon leaves a particularly striking impression as a seminar participant deeply scarred by childhood trauma. Through his character, Gourou explores one of the darker facets of indoctrination: that of a man seeking redemption, finding fleeting solace in the coach’s words. This fragile rebirth slowly turns into emotional dependence. Bajon powerfully embodies this shift, as a man in reconstruction desperately seeks to sustain the connection, becoming Matt’s most fervent supporter, and ultimately defining himself solely through his gaze — leading to a tragic ending that the film tackles head-on.
The character played by Marion Barbeau, wife of the coach, offers an important but somewhat underdeveloped counterpoint. Portrayed as one of the first to perceive her husband’s deterioration and the hidden emotional violence behind his kind facade, she symbolizes clarity in the face of the coach’s self-mythologizing. Her line — “Is it because I said I loved you that I have to forget I have a brain and believe everything you tell me?” — sharply encapsulates the core message. Yet, despite this crucial dramatic role, her character remains somewhat peripheral, as if the film hesitates to give her a fully autonomous perspective.
This is where Gourou leaves a more nuanced impression. While its subject matter, direction, and powerful performances draw viewers in, the screenplay occasionally feels scattered, juggling multiple themes — social critique, intimate thriller, psychological study — without fully developing them all. This narrative hesitation sometimes weakens the dramatic progression, and the abrupt ending may leave audiences more with a sense of interruption than resolution.
Nonetheless, the film hits a nerve in what it portrays. By tackling the very current phenomenon of wellness coaches and gurus, Gourou raises an essential question: how far are we willing to go in search of simple answers to complex lives? The film doesn’t outright condemn but observes, dissects, and unsettles. It reminds us that the line between genuine help and manipulation can be razor-thin — especially in a society saturated with motivating speeches and promises of transformation.
Despite its flaws, Gourou is a psychologically gripping and thought-provoking film, thanks in part to its confident direction and the intense performance of Pierre Niney. It’s a film that prompts reflection and discomfort in equal measure, capturing a deeply relevant aspect of our collective need for charismatic figures to follow — even when their influence can be dangerous.
Gourou
Film | 2026
Release date: January 28, 2026
Dramatic thriller | Running time: 2h06
Directed by Yann Gozlan | Starring Pierre Niney, Marion Barbeau, Anthony Bajon
France
The film offers a contemporary tale about the abuses of influence and the construction of power based on persuasion.
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