Wild Foxes

Bluesky

The ring, the adrenaline, the cheers of the crowd – victory, and you’re a star again. But one misstep, and you face an invisible opponent: yourself.

French director Valery Carnoy captures this tension in his debut Wild Foxes, following Camille (Samuel Kircher), a talented yet vulnerable boxer, and his friend Matteo (Fayçal Anaflous), both students at an elite French sports boarding school. Their bond extends beyond boxing: they share a fascination with wild foxes.

Carnoy avoids easy framing; his interest lies not in victory or failure, but in how pride, doubt, and dependence coexist. Camille’s victory is celebrated in the locker-room like a tribal ritual, with bare torsos, laughter and playful greetings – filled with coded gestures and animalistic energy – as if it were a modern form of initiation. At times, the inclusion of mobile phone footage adds a layer of immediacy and rebellion: its rough texture and shaky frame underline the characters’ youthful defiance and refusal to conform. This stylistic choice makes the viewer feel both inside and outside the scene.

Beyond the ritualistic energy of the gym, Carnoy carefully differentiates Camille and Matteo through visual cues. Their shared interests – similar hairstyles, a fascination with observing foxes – create a sense of mirroring, yet the contrast in personalities is emphasised through color and costume design: Camille, a blond dressed in bright tones and even wrapped in a vivid blanket in the hospital, radiates energy and impulsiveness; Matteo, darker-haired and calmer, often appears in muted shades, suggesting steadiness and restraint.

Camille’s softer, previously unseen side emerges in subtle moments: his admiration for a fox’s leap, his careful attention to a beetle in the forest, the way he listens to a melody played by a girl he likes, and his insecurity about the scar on his leg. This approach exposes the contradictions within each character – the tension between strength and sensitivity, dominance and doubt.

Wild Foxes transcends the framework of a sports drama, turning into an intimate reflection on identity and fragility. Carnoy examines the delicate interplay of pride, dependence, confidence, and vulnerability, revealing how masculinity is negotiated in both public and private spheres. Through meticulous visual contrasts, intimate framing, and the immediacy of handheld footage, the film immerses the viewer in its characters’ inner tensions. It is a reminder that the most significant victories are often internal, and human connection is what gives them meaning.

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