Matt Damon's "Stillwater" rises to Top Hit on Netflix, highlighting Marseille's socio-economic divide

Bill, portrayed by Matt Damon, is an out-of-work oil rig worker from Oklahoma. His life, characterized by hardship and simplicity, mainly features alcohol as his only amusement. His daughter Alison (Abigail Breslin) moves to France to study, primarily to distance herself from her father. In France, she falls in love with a beautiful Arab girl, Lena, and they start living together until Lena's murder occurs.

Suspicions point towards Alison, and she ends up being convicted for the murder. She begins to serve a nine-year sentence in Marseille. However, new evidence emerges when a boy at a party confesses to killing Lena. Despite the case being officially closed, no one seems interested in revisiting it. Thus, Alison's father decides to take things into his own hands and make amends for his past failures.

'Stillwater' is a film that lasts nearly 2.5 hours. Viewers may expect it to transform into a thriller, envisaging Matt Damon's character tackling the problem in the same vein as a typically aggressive Liam Neeson character. However, the audience may be pleasantly surprised or disappointed, as 'Stillwater' maintains its dramatic tone throughout, offering a simple yet decent, engaging, and thought-provoking narrative.

It's important to note that 'Stillwater' is not a Netflix production. It is a traditional Hollywood film from a major studio. The pandemic restrictions deprived it of standard distribution practices. Much of the footage was shot in France, particularly in Marseille and its picturesque coastal surroundings. The historic part of the city is beautifully captured. However, the scenes featuring the blocks that the protagonist visits in the search for the murderer were actually filmed in the United States.

The filmmakers seem to emphasize the socio-economic divide in Marseille, particularly the rise in crime year after year in the city's less fortunate, northern side. Tourists avoid this area, but Bill has little choice. Even in broad daylight, a taxi driver questions his decision to venture there. A resident of Marseille warns him, "We are not safe here because we are white, because we are not from here."