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Saloum

Play trailer 1:43 Poster for Saloum 2022 1h 24m Horror Mystery & Thriller Action Play Trailer Watchlist
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96% Tomatometer 55 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter 100+ Ratings
Shot down after fleeing a coup and extracting a drug lord from Guinea-Bissau, the legendary mercenaries known as the Bangui Hyenas -- Chaka, Rafa and Midnight -- must stash their stolen gold bounty, lay low long enough to repair and refuel their plane and escape back to Dakar, Senegal. When they take refuge at a holiday camp in the coastal region of Sine-Saloum, they do their best to blend in with their fellow guests; including a mute named Awa, with secrets of her own, and a policeman who may be on their tail, but it's Chaka who happens to be hiding the darkest secret of them all. Unbeknownst to the other Hyenas, he's brought them there for a reason and once his past catches up to him, his decisions have devastating consequences, threatening to unleash hell on them all.
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Saloum

Saloum

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Critics Consensus

Smart, dynamic, and fast-paced, Saloum mixes tones and genres into a tart, smoothly blended treat.

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Critics Reviews

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Frank Scheck The Hollywood Reporter 12/22/2022
Propulsively lurching with infectious glee from crime drama to modern-day Western to horror suffused with supernatural elements, this may turn out to be the rare African film that enters the international mainstream... Go to Full Review Roxana Hadadi New York Magazine/Vulture 09/09/2022
It’s a pleasure to sprint alongside Saloum in an effort to keep up. Go to Full Review Noel Murray Los Angeles Times 09/09/2022
Herbulot and Diop have made a movie that is bold and exciting, combining bits of reality with outsized myth, in a tale of crime, revenge, and literal monsters, set in a wonderland where it seems anything can happen. Go to Full Review Julian Singleton Cinapse 07/12/2025
Rivetingly directed by Jean Luc Herbulot, Saloum is already a cracklingly interesting game of cat and mouse set along the sun-baked African coastline before it invokes even darker genre spirits. Go to Full Review Sarah Vincent Cambridge Day 08/16/2023
2.5/4
The crime-thriller preamble, followed by the incurrence of the supernatural, makes for fast-paced, stylish action in the hands of Congolese filmmaker Jean Luc Herbulot, delivering in his sophomore effort. Go to Full Review Pramit Chatterjee Digital Mafia Talkies 07/20/2023
5/5
Watch Saloum just to witness Jean Luc Herbulot jump from dark comedy to thriller to western to the supernatural horror genre and then wrap it all up with a sense of existentialism like it’s nothing. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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James I @James66 Jun 18 it starts off pretty strong but gets very bad , pretty terrible actually See more Rosie T. @RT44484436 May 24 It’s pretty enjoyable and well done See more Paul M @RT85301401 05/15/2025 A stylish and clever genre bender that doesn’t quite reach the lofty expectations set by the first half of the film. The characters are well written and textured, while the visuals are sleek and haunting. There is plenty about this film to like, just not much to love. See more Logan D @Greynomad38 05/01/2025 Amidst the 2003 coup d'etat 3 mercenaries known as the Hyenas of Bangui are hired to extract a drug lord and take him to Dakar, Senegal. However, their plane is damaged and they are forced to hide out in a small isolated resort that is full of secrets. An unexpected hidden gem! All three mercenaries have their own personalities and motivations. My favorite was the white haired Papa Minuit, stoic and intense. It's fast paced and full of style, jumping from genre to genre with ease. Loved the scenery and cinematography. I will seek out Herbulot's other works. Highly recommended See more Chrissy C @RT09801782 12/23/2024 visually incredible with memorable characters. a wild plot that doesn’t feel jarring. See more Craig B @Boundsy 11/28/2024 Quite an intriguing movie. Not really a straight out horror. See more Read all reviews
Saloum

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Cast & Crew

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Jean Luc Herbulot

Director

Yann Gaël

Chaka

Evelyne Ily Juhen

Awa

Roger Sallah

Rafa

Ba Mentor

Actor

Bruno Henry

Actor

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Saloum

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Saloum

Saloum (2021) Saloum (2021) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Shot down after fleeing a coup and extracting a drug lord from Guinea-Bissau, the legendary mercenaries known as the Bangui Hyenas -- Chaka, Rafa and Midnight -- must stash their stolen gold bounty, lay low long enough to repair and refuel their plane and escape back to Dakar, Senegal. When they take refuge at a holiday camp in the coastal region of Sine-Saloum, they do their best to blend in with their fellow guests; including a mute named Awa, with secrets of her own, and a policeman who may be on their tail, but it's Chaka who happens to be hiding the darkest secret of them all. Unbeknownst to the other Hyenas, he's brought them there for a reason and once his past catches up to him, his decisions have devastating consequences, threatening to unleash hell on them all.
Director
Jean Luc Herbulot
Producer
Paméla Diop
Screenwriter
Jean Luc Herbulot, Paméla Diop
Distributor
IFC Midnight
Production Co
Lacmé
Genre
Horror, Mystery & Thriller, Action
Original Language
Wolof
Release Date (Theaters)
Sep 2, 2022, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Sep 8, 2022
Box Office (Gross USA)
$3.9K
Runtime
1h 24m