Black Box (2021 film)

Director and co-writer Yann Gozlan is a civil aviation enthusiast and had wanted to make a film on the subject for a long time: "This universe, incredibly cinematic from my perspective, with colossal financial stakes, where divergent interests coexist (aircraft manufacturers, airlines, pilots...), seemed to me like an original and exciting setting for a film".[3]

In preparation for his role, Pierre Niney spent several weeks working alongside agents from the Bureau of Enquiry and Analysis for Civil Aviation Safety (BEA): "There, I ended up finding an investigator with a profile similar to that of Mathieu. From there, as usual, I did a kind of journalistic work: I shadowed him, I spoke with him and asked his permission to film him so that I could find inspiration in his gestures, his way of working and his speed on the computer. The job of an acoustician is very technical, it was important to be able to replicate the details with precision".[3]

Filming began on 9 September 2019 in the Paris region.[4][5] In October 2019, filming was reported to have taken place at Epinay Studios in Épinay-sur-Seine.[6] That same month, the city hall of Cergy was used as a production space.[7]

The film was a major success in France, where it sold 1.2 million admissions,[10] grossing a domestic total of $9.4 million and a worldwide total of $9.7 million.[1]

Black Box received an average rating of 3.8 out of 5 stars on the French website AlloCiné, based on 33 reviews.[11] On Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 94% based on 18 reviews, with an average rating of 7.3/10.[12]

Le Monde published a positive review of the film, writing, "If the nature of the conspiracy that the hero faces is perhaps a little too obvious, the film is nevertheless distinguished by the qualities of a narrative that skillfully keeps the viewer in suspense".[13]