Saint Omer

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Saint Omer

PG-13

2023

2h 2m

Drama

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Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

136 Reviews

58%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Saint-Omer court of law. Young novelist Rama attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. But as the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama's convictions and call into question our own judgement.

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Critics Consensus

A gut-punching contemplation of a woman's immigrant experience, Saint Omer puts a mother on the stand and the audience in the jury box to find humanity in the inhumane.

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Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

Sep 18, 2024

4/5

This film about a Senegalese immigrant on trial in France is made all the more horrifying by its cool clarity

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Alison Willmore

New York Magazine/Vulture

Dec 9, 2023

Alice Diop’s stunner of a film tucks a whole fraught universe into a courtroom drama.

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Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

May 25, 2023

3.5/5

At the end of it certain facts still don’t add up. They nag at you in what is otherwise a compelling film about motherhood in all its contradictions.

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Joe George

The Progressive

Jul 20, 2024

3.5/5

Instead of forcing viewers’ responses, Diop puts faith in her performers, which pays off in dividends.

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Elissa Suh

Literary Hub

Oct 2, 2023

Saint Omer, a nominal courtroom drama, is a multifaceted and astounding gem of a film, posing moral and political quandaries that generate a wealth of intellectual and emotional consequences for viewer and character alike.

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Nadine Whitney

The Curb

Sep 6, 2023

Saint Omer is unforgettable and crucial. It does not forgive Coly, but it begs us to understand how such a terrible crime happened, and all the events that were not seen as criminal because they are baked into the fabric of society led to tragedy.

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Norm V.

Jan 19, 2023

Oversold. Just a hype. The plot is all over.

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Jeffrey

Jan 18, 2023

Very personal account of the disparities in French law and magnifying glass on an outsider looking in. Solid film

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Will

Jan 17, 2023

A fine example of cinematic minimalism. Diops decision to emphasize the drama and ignore the dramatic pays dividends, with simply staged—but startlingly effective—courtroom scenes juxtaposed with a quietly touching relationship that grows between an academic spectator and the mother of the defendant, who is a mother accused of killing her 15-month-old.

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Gary G

Jan 16, 2023

This was the second French movie that made it to my U.S. theater and it likely will be the last I see. If this is one of the best French culture has to offer, they need to get out of the business.

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Eastender1012

Jan 15, 2023

Best movie of the year! Well acted! Well directed! In the end you know exactly where to lay the blame.

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Ghederick Eshmont

Jan 15, 2023

A powerful, meditative study on generational trauma & systemic racism in Provincial France. Kayije Kagame owns the screen!

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Alice Diop

Director

Kayije Kagame

Rama

Guslagie Malanda

Laurence Coly

Valérie Dréville

La Présidente du tribunal

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Xavier Maly

Luc Dumontet

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Synopsis

Saint-Omer court of law. Young novelist Rama attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. But as the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama's convictions and call into question our own judgement.

Director: Alice Diop
Producer: Toufik Ayadi, Christophe Barral
Screenwriter: Alice Diop, Marie N'Diaye, Amrita David
Distributor: Super LTD
Production Co: Doco Digital, arte France Cinéma, Srab Films, Pictanovo
Rating: PG-13 (Some Thematic Elements|Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 13, 2023, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $206.1K
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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