Summer of 85

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1:40

Summer of 85

2021

1h 41m

Drama

Romance

LGBTQ+

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

82%

Tomatometer

103 Reviews

81%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

When Alexis capsizes off the coast of France, David comes to the rescue and opens his eyes to a new horizon of friendship, art and sexual bliss.

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Critics Consensus

While not François Ozon's best work, Summer of 85 serves as a beguiling, bittersweet ode to teen love and its lingering after-effects.

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Ty Burr

Boston Globe

Jul 7, 2021

3/4

"Summer of 85" balances intriguingly but a little too murkily on a fulcrum of unreliable narration, and it becomes impossible to tell whether Ozon means us to take the story at face value or undercutting Alex's own melodramatic pronouncements.

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Ann Hornaday

Washington Post

Jun 24, 2021

2.5/4

Despite some distracting contrivances, "Summer of 85" transports viewers to a place, time and feeling that feel altogether real, and not nearly as far away as they initially might seem.

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Claudia Puig

FilmWeek (LAist)

Jun 22, 2021

It's all predicated on the strength of [Félix Lefebvre and Benjamin Voisin's] performances, and they're really good.

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Belen Prieto

Espinof

May 6, 2026

5/5

With meticulous aesthetics, evocative use of music, and a sensitivity that avoids excess, the film transforms an intimate story into an unforgettable emotional experience—one that stays with you for a long time. [Full review in Spanish]

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Serena Seghedoni

Loud and Clear Reviews

Aug 13, 2023

4/5

In Summer of 85 (Été 85), François Ozon puts his own spin on Aidan Chambers’ coming-of-age novel Dance On My Grave, crafting a complex, meaningful story about love, loss and growth.

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Mo Muzammal

Vague Visages

Jul 27, 2023

Summer of 85 is a well-designed coming-of-age work that makes for a sentimental and sensual drama, even if it fails to meet its potential.

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Virginie

Jun 29, 2021

The summer aesthetic was nice and enjoyable but the characters were incredibly under-developed and I didnt feel the romance progressed in a natural, believable way. Seemed like all the characters introduced themselves and became incredibly fast friends/love interests right away I get it was supposed to encompass the feeling of a summer fling but the screenplay was disappointing to me and lacked substance. While tragedy was inevitable, I found myself unmoved by what happened to the characters because I didnt feel attached to them at all and had no sympathy for their plights because of how surface-level it all seemed. The ingredients were all there but the execution fell flat to me.

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Dotson Rader

Jun 19, 2021

Convincing love story, beautifully played.

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Patrick

Jun 19, 2021

Great movie. The actors were amazing.

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John W

@RT41179890 Aug 9, 2026

Beautiful movie. The last line really touched me in a personal way and made the whole film worth the watch.

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Alain E

@AlainE Jun 2, 2026

A low tone love story between an inexperienced adolescent man and a pansexual copain he meets at the beach. Things don’t end well, but with the police involved the viewer starts thinking of more ominous events than what actually happened. It is overall serviceable, but fails to lift off. On Prime.

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Paige L.

@paigelilian Mar 6, 2026

Depressing. Alex deserves the world.

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François Ozon

Director

Félix Lefebvre

Alexis

Benjamin Voisin

David

Philippine Velge

Kate

Valeria Bruni Tedeschi

Madame Gorman

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Summer of 85: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

When Alexis capsizes off the coast of France, David comes to the rescue and opens his eyes to a new horizon of friendship, art and sexual bliss.

Director: François Ozon
Producer: Éric Altmayer, Nicolas Altmayer
Screenwriter: François Ozon, Aidan Chambers
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: Scope Pictures, Mandarin Films
Genre: Drama, Romance, LGBTQ+
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Jun 18, 2021, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 17, 2021
Box Office (Gross USA): $70.7K
Runtime: 1h 41m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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