22 Bullets 2010

Three years before the events unfolding in this story, Charly Matteï steps away from the criminal life and hands his territory over to his longtime associate Tony Zacchia. He seeks a quiet, ordinary life, cherishing time with his wife and two children and trying to leave the shadows of the underworld behind.

Yet the past is never far. In a crowded parking lot, an eight-man hit squad ambushes Matteï, killing his dog and leaving him with twenty-two bullets in his body. Miraculously, he survives, and a new, dangerous chapter begins as he sets his sights on those who tried to kill him and on restoring a sense of safety for his family.

As he hunts the shooters and tries to identify who ordered the attack, Matteï is forced to confront the reality that his criminal past may not stay buried. His restraint—his desire to avoid bloodshed—becomes a vulnerability that his enemies quickly exploit. The violence claims another close friend, Karim, who is murdered by the very people who shot Matteï. The loss steels Matteï’s resolve and deepens the mission: to bring the masterminds to account.

Motivated by vengeance, Matteï intensifies his pursuit and begins to close in on the conspiracy behind the ambush. He even turns up unannounced at a birthday gathering of the hit squad, announcing in a chilling moment that he intends to kill each of them in time, one by one, on his own terms.

Meanwhile, Marie Goldman — the policewoman assigned to the case — investigates the driving forces behind the shooting. Her husband, a fellow officer, was killed in the line of duty, and his killer has never been found. Facing indifference from higher-ups, Goldman remains determined to pursue truth and justice, even as her path starts to intertwine with Matteï’s violent quest.

As the net tightens, Goldman and Matteï’s fates converge in a volatile alliance. To save his kidnapped son, Anatole Matteï, Matteï makes a dangerous bargain with Goldman, who herself wrestles with duty and the desire to punish Zacchia’s cadre. A USB drive containing incriminating data about Zacchia’s money-fraud and laundering schemes lands in the hands of the authorities, heightening the stakes for everyone involved.

Triumph and tragedy come to a head when Matteï rescues his son and confronts Tony Zacchia at his home. Zacchia fights back, but the confrontation is interrupted by the police just as the tide could turn against Matteï and his enemy. In the aftermath, Matteï is released because the evidence is not sufficient to mount charges.

Goldman reveals a pivotal truth: one of the eight shooters deliberately missed Matteï in the opening attack, and that shooter turns out to be Matteï’s own friend and lawyer, forced by Zacchia into the role. Matteï forgives him, choosing forgiveness over revenge, and the two men part.

The film closes with a hopeful, peaceful image: Matteï walking along a beach with his family. His voiceover shares a quiet creed—having left his past life behind, he intends to spend whatever time he has left with those he loves, no longer looking over his shoulder but at a future where peace with his past is the prize.