Tunnels is a high-octane “mechanical tale” exploring family dynamics, grief, and mental health in a fantasy adventure from award-winning French cartoonist Michaël Sanlaville (Lastman, Banana Sioule).
The story begins as a mundane family road trip: a couple and their three daughters (Jolène, Samantha, and baby Mila) are traveling in their Volvo station wagon toward a summer vacation. The narrative shifts abruptly after the family passes through a series of tunnels and finds themselves in a distorted, nightmarish landscape. They are thrust into a deadly, high-speed chase, pursued by mysterious, black-helmeted drivers in futuristic racing cars. What starts as a claustrophobic survival thriller, described as a blend of Mad Max, Steven Spielberg’s Duel, and Wacky Races, evolves into a poignant exploration of family bonds and the psychological weight of loss. Sanlaville utilizes a nervous, cinematic art style to capture the relentless sense of motion, culminating in a surprising final act that shifts the story’s scale from action-adventure to an emotional family drama.
