‘Heysel ’85’ Review – A Devastating Football Tragedy That Deserves More Emotional Depth [LFF 2026]

What should have been a celebration of football became one of the sport’s darkest days. On May 29, 1985, the European Cup final between Liverpool and Juventus ended in tragedy when violence broke out at Brussels’ Heysel Stadium, leaving 39 people dead and hundreds injured. More than four decades later, director Teodora Ana Mihai (La Civil) revisits those events in Heysel ’85, a historical drama exploring the chaos behind the scenes.

Rather than focusing entirely on the supporters, the film follows Marie Dumont (Violet Braeckman), the daughter and press secretary of Brussels’ mayor (Josse De Pauw), and Luca Rossi (Matteo Simoni), an Italian journalist covering the match. As panic spreads, Marie tries to get officials to act, while Luca searches for news about his family. Despite impressive filmmaking and two compelling central performances, this movie doesn’t quite deliver the emotional impact its subject deserves.

When Anticipation Turns Into Panic

One of Mihai’s greatest achievements is the atmosphere she creates around the tragedy. The opening scenes look deceptively bright and sun-drenched, capturing the excitement around what should have been a memorable sporting occasion. As violence escalates, that optimism quickly disappears. Marius Panduru’s (Aferim!) cinematography grows darker, making the stadium’s maze-like corridors and crowded rooms filled with politicians and VIPs feel increasingly unsettling.

Braeckman’s (War) standout performance as Marie reflects that growing sense of panic. She brings a convincing mix of determination, frustration, and desperation to a character surrounded by people unwilling to take responsibility. While the men around her argue over what should happen next, she’s one of the few actively pushing for a response. Braeckman gives Marie a fiery personality without turning her into an unrealistic hero. She’s clearly overwhelmed, which makes her persistence all the more believable.

Panduru’s camerawork brings us even closer to her struggle. He frequently follows Marie through packed corridors and offices, while Bert Jacobs’ (Zillion) restrained editing allows these moments to unfold naturally. By staying close to her, the film gives Braeckman room to express Marie’s mounting anxiety through her movements and reactions. Rather than simply watching another argument between officials, we experience what it’s like to be someone desperately trying to make herself heard.

While Marie struggles to get those in charge to act, Luca faces a more personal dilemma. Played by Simoni (Marina), the Italian journalist finds himself caught between doing his job and worrying about his family, who were inside the stadium when the violence broke out. Simoni brings warmth and sincerity to the role, offering a quieter contrast to Braeckman’s fiery performance. It’s also refreshing to hear the Flemish actor perform in both Dutch and Italian, a particularly fitting choice given his Italian roots. Together, Braeckman and Simoni provide the film with its strongest emotional moments, even as their characters experience the tragedy from different perspectives.

Caught Between Personal Fears and Political Decisions

Beyond Marie and Luca’s personal struggles, Heysel ’85 spends considerable time exploring the difficult decisions being made behind the scenes. As the situation worsens, politicians, police officers, and football officials clash over who holds responsibility, what should happen next, and whether the match should go ahead. With everyone concerned about the consequences of their decisions, actually making one becomes increasingly difficult.

The international supporting cast adds another dimension to the unfolding events. Scenes involving Liverpool players capture their uncertainty as the situation spirals out of control, while Italian football officials put further pressure on those in charge as the scale of the disaster becomes clear.

While these conflicts offer plenty of potential for compelling drama, the film doesn’t always make the most of them. Much of this conflict plays out through lengthy conversations in which those responsible repeatedly argue without making much progress. Although these exchanges effectively convey the confusion among the decision-makers, they eventually become repetitive. The story loses some of its momentum whenever it moves away from Marie and Luca and returns to another discussion behind closed doors.

The supporting performances don’t always help matters, particularly De Pauw’s portrayal of the mayor. Having delivered memorable work in films such as Crazy Love and Just Friends, De Pauw feels surprisingly subdued here. His character’s drinking and reluctance to confront the crisis feel intentional, but his performance lacks the fierceness to make those failures especially compelling. As a result, a character who should embody much of the political dysfunction sometimes fades into the background.

A Tragedy Whose Human Cost Feels Too Distant

What also fades into the background is the experience of those directly affected. While the straightforward narrative makes the crisis easy to follow, it leaves little room for the victims and their families. Mihai spends so much time with politicians debating their next move that the people caught up in the violence feel strangely distant. We understand the decisions being made, but rarely see their consequences through the eyes of ordinary supporters.

The archival footage offers a powerful reminder of the scale of the disaster, something the dramatized scenes struggle to capture. Luca’s search for news about his family provides some of the film’s more affecting moments, but these personal experiences rarely get the attention they deserve.

That’s disappointing because Heysel ’85 has all the ingredients for a gripping historical thriller. Mihai captures the growing panic and confusion through atmospheric filmmaking and strong performances from Braeckman and Simoni. Yet despite these strengths, the film never quite brings us close enough to the people who suffered because of the disaster.

Heysel ’85 was screened during the BFI London Film Festival before its U.K. theatrical release on November 20, courtesy of Icon Film Distribution. No U.S. release date yet.