Netflix’s No Limit (Sous emprise) is a steamy French diving thriller, where love, danger, and obsession collide beneath the waves. When Roxana Aubrey meets world champion free diver Pascal Gauthier, she falls madly in love. She becomes both his lover and his student, as Pascal introduces her to the secrets of an extreme sport that’s as exhilarating as it is deadly. From one competition to the next, across the world’s most stunning dive locations, Roxana keeps pushing herself further, seduced by both the thrill of the depths and the man who seems to control them. No Limit is a story where passion becomes peril – and desire knows no limits. Sensual, tragic, and inspired by a true story, this French Netflix Original is a must-watch for fans of intense romantic dramas. Here is everything you need to know about No Limit – from the plot and cast to reviews and release date. The trailer is at the bottom of the article.
► For more titles like this, explore our guide to the steamiest movies on Netflix.
No Limit – all the key details
- Title: No Limit
- Original title: Sous emprise
- Format: Film
- Length: 1h 40m
- Genre: Drama, Romance, Thriller
- Country of production: France
- Original language: French
- Release date: September 9, 2022
- Director: David M. Rosenthal
- Producers: Maxime Delauney, Mélanie Laurent, Romain Rousseau
- Screenwriter: David M. Rosenthal
- Production company: Nolita Cinema, Netflix France
- Lead cast: Camille Rowe, Sofiane Zermani, César Domboy
- Produced by: Netflix
What No Limit is about
When Roxana (Camille Rowe) meets Pascal Gauthier (Sofiane Zermani), a magnetic world champion free diver, she falls hard. What begins as a whirlwind romance quickly becomes something deeper and darker. Roxana becomes both Pascal’s lover and his student as he initiates her into an extreme sport that is as enthralling as it is death defying.
Competition after competition, across breathtaking dive locations, Roxana starts pushing limit after limit, wholly consumed by a passion that blurs the line between erotic attraction and peril. The ocean’s hypnotic beauty collides with the claustrophobia of the deep, creating constant tension between freedom and danger. At its core, the film asks: how far would you go for love, and what happens when obsession runs out of air?
No Limit cast: the main characters
Camille Rowe plays Roxana with raw intensity, channeling a woman suspended between desire and self-destruction. Known for The Deep House and indie projects in contemporary European cinema, Rowe leans into the role’s sensuality and risk.
Sofiane Zermani (also known as Fianso) embodies Pascal, a charismatic champion whose dominance and insecurity fuel the couple’s volatility. César Domboy, familiar to international audiences for Outlander, adds an enigmatic presence that unsettles the story’s emotional balance.
Is No Limit based on a true story?
Yes – Netflix’s No Limit is inspired by the real-life story of Audrey Mestre, the French world-record-holding free diver whose career and tragic death in 2002 shocked the diving world. A gifted athlete who began diving as a teen, Audrey left France to study marine biology in Mexico, where she met Cuban champion Francisco “Pipín” Ferreras. Their partnership, both romantic and professional, led her to break multiple world records and become one of the most respected women in the sport.
During a record attempt off the coast of the Dominican Republic, Audrey suffered a fatal accident after an equipment failure prevented her from resurfacing. The tragedy sparked widespread controversy about the event’s safety protocols and Ferreras’s role, later chronicled in books and the ESPN documentary No Limits. Director David M. Rosenthal reimagined those events through the fictional story of Roxana and Pascal – turning Mestre’s pursuit of transcendence and love into a haunting meditation on passion, obsession, and the limits of human control.
What reviews say about No Limit
Critics and viewers highlight the film’s striking underwater cinematography and its charged exploration of power, control, and desire. Director David M. Rosenthal builds a sensuous yet suffocating mood that mirrors the characters’ spiraling intimacy. Some find the plot predictable, but many praise the haunting chemistry between Rowe and Zermani and the movie’s boldly steamy tone.
Where was No Limit filmed?
The filming locations of No Limit span France, the Caribbean, and Belgium, capturing both the Mediterranean’s sunlit charm and the ocean’s hypnotic depths. Key scenes were shot in Paris and across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur region, including the island of Porquerolles and the coastal town of La Ciotat, both known for their crystalline waters. The production then moved to Guadeloupe in the Caribbean, where many of the film’s breathtaking underwater sequences were filmed. Additional scenes were completed in Brussels, using one of the world’s most advanced indoor water stages to recreate the film’s deep-sea dives with striking realism (The Cinemaholic).
Why watch No Limit
If you enjoyed 365 Days or Lady Chatterley’s Lover, this is for you. No Limit blends steamy romance with psychological tension in a way that feels intimate, dangerous, and hypnotic.
No Limit release date on streaming
Available now. No Limit is already streaming on Netflix. Release date: September 9, 2022. Watch on Netflix.
Watch the trailer
Here’s the trailer to get a first taste.
