Culture news “Empty and hollow” This critically acclaimed sci-fi film was a huge success at the cinema: it is free on TF1+
A new SVOD player is slowly but surely establishing itself on French territory with a “free” offer rich in a regularly renewed catalog. TF1+ offers a science fiction film which has literally created a divide in cinema-loving circles. To the great dismay of its detractors, it was a huge success at the cinema.
TF1+ challenges Netflix
At the beginning of January 2024, a French telecommunications and entertainment giant kicked into the anthill that is the ultra-competitive SVOD market. TF1 is reinventing its MyTF1 streaming platform which officially becomes TF1+. Far from being a simple “rebranding”, TF1+ positions itself as a free alternative (with advertising) to paid offers such as Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Disney+, Paramount+, Max, etc. on French territory. For all those allergic to advertising spots, there is a Premium subscription which removes said advertisements and gives access to certain content exclusively for €5.99/month. Dune (2021) directed by Denis Villeneuve was recently one of these Premium exclusives.
A sci-fi film that divides
The science fiction film that interests us today was born from the creative mind of Luc Besson. This French director, known worldwide for The Big Blue (1988), Léon (1994) and of course The Fifth Element (1997) is no longer an essential artist in France. Beyond his legal setbacks, Luc Besson no longer attracts crowds in theaters. His last feature film DogMan was shunned by both critics and the general public. After Valérian and the City of a Thousand Planets, this psychological drama is another failure for L. Besson who only collects 3.9 million US dollars out of the 21 million committed.
Luc Besson’s last success dates back to 2014, and it was not a foregone conclusion for the film “Lucy” starring Scarlett Johansson. The one who was Black Widow in the Marvel Cinematic Universe plays Lucy Miller, a young woman forced to become a “mule” for drug traffickers and who absorbs a synthetic product increasing her physical and mental abilities tenfold. Despite mixed feedback from the press (67% on RottenTomatoes) and negative feedback from spectators (47% on RottenTomatoes), Lucy was a hit when it was released in theaters. For 40 million US dollars at stake, the film brings in 11.7 times more (469 million) internationally.
In Taipei, Lucy, a young student, finds herself unwillingly at the heart of an incredible human experiment, orchestrated by the Korean mafia. After accidentally taking a drug, she sees her brain capacities increase tenfold. Her psychic faculties then become unlimited and she can no longer control the situation… – TF1+
Watch the film Lucy on TF1+