GARDENER, THE

(director/writer: David Charhon; screenwriters: Vincent De Brus, Sebastien Fechner; cinematographer: Alexandre Azaria; editor: Guillaume Houssais; music: Alexandre Azaria; cast: Jean-Claude Van Damme (Leo), Michael Youn (Serge Shuster), Vincent Desagnat (Prime Minister), Nawell Mandini (Mia), Kaaris (Quasimodo), Jérôme Le Banner (Phoebus),Matthias Quiviger (Esmeralda), Carla Poquin (Alice); Runtime: 110; MPAA Rating: NR; producer: Sebastien Fechner; VOD/Rose Productions; 2025-France-in French, English subtitles)

“A weedy French blend of goofiness and action.”

Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz

A weedy French blend of goofiness and action starring the 64-year-old Jean-Claude Van Damme. It’s from director-writer David Charhon (“The Last Mercenary”/”Cyprien”), who co-writes it with Vincent De Brus and Sebastien Fechner. Van Damme starred in Charhon’s The Last Mercenary (2021).


Serge Shuster (Michael Youn, a comedian) is an idiotic, talkative,  pompous and self-absorbed government functionary who the Prime Minister (Vincent Desagnat) is trying to assassinate because he’s a trouble-maker. His gardener Leo (Jean-Claude Van Damme) is an ex-military man trained in the art of killing, who lives on Serge’s estate in the basement where weapons from a World War II resistance bunker are stored.

The jokey first-part is wretched. By the time the aging Van Damme comes out fighting in the second half and the film becomes more palatable, you might have already checked-out.

Serge has a dysfunctional family: his shrewish wife Mia (Nawell Madani), his young daughter Charlotte, and social media player Alice (Carla Poquin), his daughter from a previous marriage. They’re unaware that Serge has become an assassination target. They find out when a covert operations team is set up to eliminate him in his home.

Leo, Serge and little Charlotte must confront the three so-called Angels of Death, code-named Phoebus (Jérôme Le Banner), Esmeralda (Matthias Quiviger), and Quasimodo (Kaaris), who are the main assassins after Serge. They’re backed up by a unit from the militia.

If you can handle the obnoxious Serge character, the fight scenes with Van Damme can be entertaining.

REVIEWED ON 6/12/2025  GRADE: C

dennisschwartzreviews.com