Powered by a pair of blazing performances, this tense, stirring, expertly judged thriller about Syrian exiles in France, including a secret group pursuing the Syrian regime’s fugitive leaders, is a work of visceral intensity and formidable control, pulling you into a tight grip and holding you there. Best of all are the two fascinatingly matched feats of acting at the movie’s center: the stealthy emotional wallop delivered by lead Adam Bessa (Extraction) and a spine-chilling supporting turn from Tawfeek Barhom (Cairo Conspiracy). Bessa has a soulful movie-star magnetism that he modulates flawlessly here. Director Millet knows how to crank up the tension, assisted by Yuksek’s churning electro-infused score and the deft layering of ambient campus noise — whispers in the hallway, chairs creaking, the shuffling of papers — with Hamid’s own throbbing heartbeat. A gripping manhunt movie that packs a stealthy wallop. –AS