A One Mann’s Movies review of “Untamable” (From the 2025 London Film Festival). (2025, 3*, ’15’).
Original Title: Indomptables.
We next head to Cameroon for an unusual police drama. Directed, co-written and starring Thomas Ngijol, we head behind a detective’s difficult family life while he tries to progress a high-profile murder investigation.
One Mann’s Movies Rating:
Plot:
When a police officer, Albert Kourde, is shot and killed in Cameroon’s capital, Commissioner Billong is under stress from his superiors to solve the case. This adds additional stress to he already disintegrating home life.
Certification:
UK: NR; US: NR. (The film has not yet been rated by the BBFC but I would expect it to be a 15 for language and scenes of violence.)
Talent:
Starring: Thomas Ngijol, Danilo Melande, Bienvenu Roland Mvoe, Thérèse Ngono, Ariana Ntomba, Junior Bessala, Dimitri Amougou, Christol le Prince Djomo.
Directed by: Thomas Ngijol.
Written by: Thomas Ngijol & Patrick Rocher with Marianne Espasa & Doriane Berantelli. (Based on the documentary “Un crime à Abidjan” by Mosco Boucault.)
Running Time: 1h 21m.
Summary:
Positives:
- Thomas Ngijol delivers a powerful presence as Billong, a really nicely crafted character.
- The view into the methods of the Cameroon police is insightful!
Negatives:
- Although the environment is novel and engaging, the story would make for a pretty average episode of “The Bill” if set in the UK.
Full Review of “Untamable”:
Billong is a fine character.
In terms of a movie character, Commissioner Billong (Thomas Ngijol) has legs. He has an interesting, if largely unexplored, backstory, commenting that in darker times in the war he buried his brother and his father when he was still the age of his oldest son Arthur (Junior Bessala). This has left Billong “immune to death”. When his detective Etamé (Danilo Melande) retorts that he is too young to be so sombre about death, Billong replies (with some appropriate sucking of teeth) “Do you think death asked people their age?”.
Tall and imposing, Ngijol cuts quite a figure as the detective and he is very believable as the ‘main man’ in the police department. Billong has a strong ethical backbone and takes no corruption or backtalk. He demands respect, asking family, colleagues and even bad guys to “Salute Me” before offering a hand to shake.
Trouble at home.
This strict adherence to ethics and rules extends to home life, where his fearsome discipline has already driven his eldest daughter Adeline (Ariana Ntomba) from home and is beginning to send eldest son Arthur (Junior Bessala) in the same direction. That’s all while his other two children watch on and his poor long-suffering wife Odette (Thérèse Ngono) is expecting another.
All of this family drama adds colour to the story, but feels a bit over-melodramatic.
Police methods differ.
The way in which the Cameroon police force extract their information from suspects is a little rougher than we seen in “24 Hours in Custody” on UK TV! It reminded me of the film “Santosh” from last year’s LFF. Billong and his team think nothing of stringing suspects up by the feet or giving them a whipping with a branch torn off a pear tree. But then Billong plays the ‘good cop’, quietly sitting them down and reasoning with them.
Summary Thoughts:
I enjoyed watching this one, since the glimpses into life in Yaoundé was always engaging and as a police drama, it worked at that level too. The family dynamics build out Billong’s character, but felt a bit “Eastenders” within the story.
Tickets for the London Film Festival showings on 10th (Two showings) and 12th October are currently sold out, but here is the booking web site to check for returns or other showings.
Where to watch?
Trailer:
A teaser trailer for the film is here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mR1-n7Tyrkw.
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