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Summer of 85
Été 85
2020 101 min Belgium, France 18+
★7.1
Romance, Drama
Director: François Ozon
🎭 Based on
«Dance on My Grave»
byAidan Chambers
Trailers
EN
EN
EN
Description
What do you dream of when you're 16-years-old and in a seaside resort in Normandy in the 1980s? A best friend? A lifelong teen pact? Scooting off on adventures on a boat or a motorbike? Living life at breakneck speed? No. You dream of death. Because you can't get a bigger kick than dying. And that's why you save it till the very end. The summer holidays are just beginning, and this story recounts how Alexis grew into himself.
Budget:
$6.9M
US Gross:
$71,788
Worldwide:
$3.6M
Starring
Félix Lefebvre
Actor
Benjamin Voisin
Actor
Philippine Velge
Actor
Awards
César Awards 2021
— Best Sound
César Awards 2021
— Best Original Score
César Awards 2021
— Best Production Design
César Awards 2021
— Best Supporting Actress
César Awards 2021
— Best Costume Design
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2020
— Sebastian Prize
San Sebastián International Film Festival 2020
— Golden Shell
European Film Awards 2020
— Best Director
César Awards 2021
— Best Film Editing
César Awards 2021
— Best Picture
César Awards 2021
— Best Director
César Awards 2021
— Best Cinematography
César Awards 2021
— Most Promising Actor
César Awards 2021
— Best Adapted Screenplay
Key opinion
Summer of 85 is a visually striking and nostalgic coming-of-age drama that captures the intensity of first love against a vivid 1980s French backdrop. While many viewers praise its emotional resonance and aesthetic polish, others find the narrative disjointed and the central romance lacking in depth or chemistry.
| Production | The film masterfully recreates the 1980s atmosphere through authentic costume design, coastal cinematography, and a well-curated soundtrack featuring The Cure. | |
| Acting | Performances by the leads are polarized, with some viewers praising the actors' sincerity and emotional range, while others criticize them as wooden or inconsistently performed. | |
| Theme | The narrative structure, which frames the story as a memoir written by the protagonist, effectively conveys themes of loss and the fleeting nature of adolescent infatuation. | |
| Screenplay | The film’s tonal shifts—moving between romantic drama, coming-of-age introspection, and sudden thriller-like plot twists—are seen by some as compellingly eclectic, while others find the ending jarring and the plot implausible. | |
| Adaptation | The screenplay is divisive, with critics debating whether its straightforward take on a classic novel is a respectful adaptation or a shallow, predictable exercise in style over substance. |