French B Movies: Suburban Spaces, Universalism, and the Challenge of Hollywood by David Pettersen (review).

The text focuses on the evolution and cultural significance of French banlieue films—movies depicting ethnically diverse suburban neighborhoods outside Paris—and their interaction with Hollywood influences. It examines how these films, initially marginal in the 1990s, have become mainstream, blending elements of Hollywood blockbusters and B-movies while engaging with themes of universalism, spatial practice, ultraviolence, and racial representation. Key case studies include films such as *La haine* (1995), *Dheepan* (2016), and *Bande de filles* (2014), alongside analyses of directors like Luc Besson and actors like Omar Sy. The study situates these works within broader cultural, industrial, and theoretical contexts, highlighting their role in reflecting and debating French social values and identity.