Henri Charrière, a safecracker from the Parisian underworld nicknamed Papillon, is falsely accused of murder and sentenced to the penal colony of French Guiana, a prison from which, the story goes, nobody has ever escaped. There he meets Louis Dega, a counterfeiter from Marseille, and the two form an uneasy partnership of convenience that gradually becomes a genuine friendship. The film follows the years of confinement that shape them both, with the idea of freedom driving the narrative throughout.

How it was made

Directed by Michael Noer, the film draws on Charrière's autobiographies Papillon and Banco, and its screenplay is credited to Aaron Guzikowski and Lorenzo Semple Jr. It was shot in several European locations, including Montenegro, Malta and, principally, Belgrade. Charlie Hunnam and Rami Malek lead the cast, and David Buckley composed the score. It also serves as a new take on the 1973 adaptation starring Steve McQueen and Dustin Hoffman, a comparison the film often invites.

Reception and legacy

It premiered at the 2017 Toronto International Film Festival in the Special Presentations section and reached US cinemas in August 2018 through Bleecker Street. Critics were divided, with a 52% approval rating on Rotten Tomatoes and a score of 51 out of 100 on Metacritic, which indicates mixed reviews. Audiences were more positive, with a 66% approval on Rotten Tomatoes and a 7.2/10 rating on IMDb. It was also the last film produced by Red Granite Pictures before the company closed in 2018.

Stills

Trailer

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Trivia

A European shoot

The film was not shot in France but across several European locations, mainly in Belgrade, the Serbian capital.

A final credit

It was the last film produced by Red Granite Pictures before the company shut down in 2018.

A bestselling memoir

Charrière's original autobiography spent 21 weeks at number one in France and has sold over 13 million copies in 30 languages.

Original Cinematopedia text based on Wikipedia (es) and Wikipedia (en) and Wikidata.