dir. Jonas Govaerts

Noah (Dimitri ‘Vegas’ Thivaios) loves his girlfriend Lea (Jennifer Heylen), their daughter Zita (Mila Rooms) and his Lexus. However when he picks up his cousin Carlos (Jeroen Perceval) – who is getting released from jail – he finds himself immediately pulled into a scheme. Carlos insists it will be a quick job to earn a lot of cash and convinces Noah by saying they need a driver, but what was supposed to be a quick job turns into a nightmare when Zita is kidnapped by the person they robbed. 

Opening with shots of the stunning Lexus there is a tiny crack in the windshield, foreshadowing the damage to come as this gorgeous car is used as an escape vehicle. The stunts and set pieces are breathtaking, whilst moments of dark humour puncture the tension, though the laughs die out once Zita falls into the hands of a killer, the clock ticking down.

Combining the thrills of a heist movie, the stunts of an action film and the terror of a kidnapping director Govaerts delivers a tense and beautiful joy-ride. H4Z4RD might make a unique pick for a genre festival, but the horrors of reality – plus buckets of gore – make it a worthy addition.

© Ariel Powers-Schaub

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

You can also read Ariel’s interview with Jonas Govaerts here.