Upon his release from prison, hardened criminal Dris (Samuel Le Bihan) sets out to eschew his past life and live a peaceful, crime-free existence with his girlfriend. Unfortunately, Dris's cousin Yanis (Samy Naceri) has plans to entangle him in a variety of illicit activities, and attempts to coax the ex-con back into a lawless existence. Now a powerful mob boss, Yanis has longed for his cousin's release for years, firmly believing that together they can rule the crime-strewn streets of their Parisian suburb. Though Dris tries to resist, he plunges headlong back into the criminal underworld when his brother is kidnapped during a botched attempt at an armed robbery. Dris plants himself in the center of negotiations to rescue his hapless sibling, and finds himself once again ensconced in the world from which he was so desperate to escape.

Director Manuel Boursinhac revisits some classic themes from 1950s French mobster films for this feature, fully updating them with modern-day street slang and violent scenes of confrontation. Offering a poignant snapshot of Arab immigrant life in the poverty-stricken suburbs of France, LA MENTALE is a powerful thriller that delivers a strong message about the lure of criminal activity for minority groups in the outskirts of Paris.