The change of course is as frosty as the landscapes of Haut-Jura in the middle of winter. We knew the Franck
Dubosc popular records, that of campsites and clumsy seducers. However, no one had anticipated this surgical foray into the thriller. Last year, the comedian still had fun with his absence from the big charts with a memorable sketch about Césario, this imaginary statuette for the eternally forgotten. A year later, the irony gave way to prestigious recognition during the evening chaired by Camille Cottin.
By picking up the César for best original screenplayl’éternel “Patrick Chirac” proved that his pen, now associated with that of Sarah Kaminskypossessed an unsuspected darkness and precision. This film, which has already attracted nearly a million and a half spectators in theaters, has fun flirting with the codes of crime fiction while retaining a sense of burlesque. A bear in the Jura is now in the Netflix catalog for a second life.
A bear in the Jura : a snowy thriller
The plot revolves around Michel et Cathya couple of fir tree producers strangled by debt a few days before Christmas. In the guise of Franck Dubosc and the impeccable Laure Calamy, these two characters fall into the irreparable after a road accident caused by avoiding a hypothetical bear. The discovery of two corpses and a bag containing two million euros transforms their precarious existence into a spiral of paranoia and radical decisions.
The filmmaker here assumes a direct affiliation with the cinema of the Coen brothersand more particularly with the cult Fargo. We find there this atmosphere of an isolated province where the amateurism of improvised criminals collides with an absurd inevitability. The staging of Ludovic
Colbeau-Justin captures with authentic harshness the scenery of Bois-d’Amont and Les Rousses, offering a visual immersion where the white of the snow ends up stained with blood.
Black humor is here the main driving force of a scenario which does not shy away from any audacity. Enters a swingers club called Le Cul Pidon run by Emmanuelle Devos and a particularly opportunistic priest, the film paints an acidic and entertaining portrait of a rural community overwhelmed by events. Critics also praise this balance between laughter and tension, carried by a rhythm which never weakens during the 113 minutes viewing.
A casting franchise au service du récit
The success of the film also relies on the dynamics of a set of committed actors. Benoit Poolvoorde is hilarious in the shoes of Rolanda gendarmerie major more concerned with his New Year’s Eve preparations than with the criminal investigation which is stalling. His duet with Josephine de Meaux brings a welcome lightness as the net of drug traffickers tightens dangerously on the protagonists’ farm.
The unexpected success at the box office, with plus 935,000 tickets from the third week, testifies to the support of an audience accustomed to a more traditional Franck Dubosc. With a budget of 12.1 million eurosthis Gaumont production has succeeded in the challenge of artistic quality without sacrificing narrative effectiveness. The 2026 Jacques-Deray Prize confirmed this shift towards genre cinema that is mastered and respected by peers in the profession.
Every twist and turnA bear in the Jura pushes the characters a little deeper into chaos. Franck Dubosc behind the camera seems to have found a new freedom, allowing himself incredible narrative twists but always served by a classic and rigorous technical execution. It is a surprising work. And if the bear is a myth, the directorial talent of the one we discovered in To us boys (1985), is now a reality.
