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Incendies

Play trailer Poster for Incendies R 2011 2h 10m Drama Play Trailer Watchlist
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91% Tomatometer 124 Reviews 92% Popcornmeter 10,000+ Ratings
Nawal (Lubna Azabal), a dying Middle Eastern woman living in Montreal, leaves separate letters to her twin children to be read once she passes away. Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) is to deliver hers to the father the twins never knew, and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) is to give his to the brother they never knew they had. The siblings travel to the Middle East separately, where they each experience acts of brutality, uncover a startling family history, and have revelations about themselves.
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Incendies

Incendies

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Critics Consensus

It's messy, overlong, and a touch melodramatic, but those flaws pale before Incendies' impressive acting and devastating emotional impact.

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Critics Reviews

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Roger Clarke Sight & Sound Jun 28, 2011
Incendies acquires its heft from some very deep places -- Greek tragedy rather than newsflashes. Go to Full Review Robbie Collin News of the World Jun 25, 2011
2/5
Normally I'm against decent original stories being dumbed down and squashed into bog-standard thriller shapes. But Incendies is in dire need of some dumbing down. Go to Full Review Derek Malcolm London Evening Standard Jun 24, 2011
4/5
It isn't easy to open out a well-respected stage play without losing a lot of its bite and subtlety. Go to Full Review Eddie Harrison film-authority.com Aug 12, 2024
5/5
…this might not be his best known work, but Incendies is probably Villeneuve's best film to date; if you’re willing to witness the aftermath of unspeakable events, it’s a particularly potent exploration of the twisted morality of a terrorist act… Go to Full Review Ray Pride Newcity Jul 4, 2024
10/10
The steely elegance of Villeneuve’s emphatic camera movements and framing are as much of the “story” as the terrors past unearthed by two grown, yet innocent children. Go to Full Review Rohan Naahar The Indian Express Mar 9, 2024
Before he was surfing the sand dunes of Arakkis, Denis Villeneuve was telling a more searing story about overzealous characters waging a holy war in the desert. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Yazan S @RT64028852 6 days ago wow, i hate yousef so much right now See more Marco L @decatur555 Sep 27, 2026 Denis Villeneuve turns a family search into something far more devastating: a story about war, identity, fanaticism and the violence one generation leaves to the next. What impressed me most is the restraint. Incendies rarely needs melodramatic tricks because the gradual reconstruction of the past is already overwhelming enough. Lubna Azabal is extraordinary, carrying enormous pain without reducing the character to suffering, while Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin gives the investigation its emotional pulse. The structure moves between past and present with remarkable control, allowing each new piece of information to deepen what came before without relying on cheap shock. It is a very hard film, but not a manipulative one. Villeneuve understands that some truths are devastating precisely because they are revealed quietly. Bleak, intelligent and emotionally crushing, yet ultimately concerned with whether inherited hatred can ever be stopped. See more Gabriel F @RT92562146 Sep 20, 2026 I barely have words to describe this movie. It's raw, emotional, sad and mind bending. It's one of Denis best films without a doubt. See more David C @David617 Sep 17, 2026 Incendies (2010), dirigida por Denis Villeneuve, es una película dramática muy fuerte y emocionante que cuenta la historia de dos hermanos que, después de la muerte de su madre, descubren secretos familiares que los llevan a investigar el pasado de su familia en un país afectado por la guerra. See more Adam B @RT55394047 Sep 15, 2026 There is literally no other movie like this. See more Gaspar R @g_ratinoff Sep 9, 2026 Que película más buena. Es lenta y con una narrativa que utiliza los flashbacks, que recuerda mucho a Tarantino, pero que mantiene una tensión en la mayoría de sus conversaciones, ocultando perfectamente muchos detalles que ayudan a construir ese tremendo final. See more Read all reviews
Incendies

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Cast & Crew

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Denis Villeneuve

Director

Lubna Azabal

Nawal Marwan

Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin

Jeanne Marwan

Maxim Gaudette

Simon Marwan

Rémy Girard

Notaire Jean Lebel

Abdelghafour Elaaziz

Abou Tarek

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Incendies

Lubna Azabal as Nawal Marwan in "Incendies." Lubna Azabal as Nawal Marwan in "Incendies." Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin as Jeanne Marwan in "Incendies." Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin as Jeanne Marwan and Maxim Gaudette as Simon Marwan in "Incendies." (L-R) Rémy Girard as Notary Jean Lebel, Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin as Jeanne Marwan and Maxim Gaudette as Simon Marwan in "Incendies." A scene from "Incendies." View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis Nawal (Lubna Azabal), a dying Middle Eastern woman living in Montreal, leaves separate letters to her twin children to be read once she passes away. Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) is to deliver hers to the father the twins never knew, and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) is to give his to the brother they never knew they had. The siblings travel to the Middle East separately, where they each experience acts of brutality, uncover a startling family history, and have revelations about themselves.
Director
Denis Villeneuve
Producer
Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Screenwriter
Denis Villeneuve, Valérie Beaugrand-Champagne, Wajdi Mouawad
Distributor
Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co
TS Productions, micro_scope, Phi Group
Rating
R (Strong Violence|Language)
Genre
Drama
Original Language
Arabic
Release Date (Theaters)
Apr 22, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming)
Jun 10, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA)
$6.9M
Runtime
2h 10m
Aspect Ratio
Scope (2.35:1)
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