Last Summer (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (2024)

87% Tomatometer 76 Reviews 66% Popcornmeter Fewer than 50 Ratings

With her first film in a decade, the fearless 75-year-old French auteur Catherine Breillat (Fat Girl, The Last Mistress) proves she's as provocative as ever with her Cannes-stirring film, which drives down the dark road of uncontrollable passion. A remarkably nuanced, radiant Léa Drucker plays Anne, an attorney who has plateaued in her marriage to Pierre (Olivier Rabourdin), a distracted businessman. His son, troubled seventeen-year-old, Theo (Samuel Kircher), from a previous marriage, has recently returned to Pierre's ineffectual and despondent care. When Pierre leaves town for a business trip, Anne and Théo -- confined under the same roof for the first time -- find themselves in the throes of an unexpected and dangerously lustful affair, threatening the stability of the household. Music by Kim Gordon heightens the erotic tension of LAST SUMMER, a film that boldly surveys power dynamics, female desire, and fulfillment.

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Last Summer

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Critics Consensus

A study of unbridled lust, Last Summer may not tell a new taboo story but is never less compelling for it.

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Critics Reviews

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Last Summer (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (1) Stephen Romei The Australian Catherine Breillat's story of forbidden love will slide under your skin. Rated: 3.5/5 Sep 20, 2024 Full Review Last Summer (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (2) Jake Wilson The Age (Australia) Last Summer isn’t sexually explicit in the manner of some of Breillat’s earlier features, such as the 1999 Romance. All the same, it’s a provocation, as well as a gripping story. Rated: 4.5/5 Sep 12, 2024 Full Review Last Summer (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (3) Matthew Lickona San Diego Reader That’s the character of the film as a whole: cataclysmic events taking place amid lovely, languid scenery and civil (or at least sophisticated) conversation. Rated: 2/5 Jul 12, 2024 Full Review Last Summer (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (4) Todd Jorgenson Cinemalogue Propelled by a committed cast, it's more thoughtful than salacious as it confronts moral complexities within realistically fractured family dynamics. Sep 20, 2024 Full Review Last Summer (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (5) Simon Miraudo Movie Squad (RTRFM 92.1) Léa Drucker is so good here as the woman with a perfect life who'd rather jump off the cliff than accidentally fall off it, as she puts it. Rated: 4/5 Sep 6, 2024 Full Review Last Summer (2023) | Rotten Tomatoes (6) Jim Schembri jimschembri.com A strong cautionary theme underscores this steamy erotic drama yet rather than get too moralistic Breillet tightens the tension between the three main characters...At a guess, the film's intimacy co-ordinator probably took stress leave after the shoot. Rated: 4/5 Sep 5, 2024 Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Wayne M Last Summer is an alluring, seductive and provocative film. It's smart and thoughtful. Anne is a respected lawyer living in the French countryside. She has an idyllic life with her husband Pierre and their two young adoptive children. One summer Theo comes to stay. He is Pierre's son from a previous marriage. Theo is morose and quite obnoxious. He has been in trouble at high school and wants no part of Pierre and Anne's life. Anne especially finds him annoying, but slowly comes around to him. Soon enough they begin an illicit affair. Anne knows she is doing the wrong thing but her heart is ruling her head. She tries to break it off but the passion between the two is hard for her to resist. Eventually the affair will prove destructive to all involved. This is a mature and intelligent film, it's subtle and graceful. Even with dealing with a senstive subject. Acting is first class, especially Lea Drucker as Anne. A film for adults that treats the audience with respect. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 09/20/24 Full Review Robin C “Last Summer”Anne (Lea Drucker) is a successful attorney, married to Pierre (Olivier Rabourdin) and raising their two adopted daughters. His son from another marriage, Theo (Samuel Kircher), is spending time with them. Then sparks start to fly between Anne and the teen in “Last Summer”75-year old Catherine Breillat directs and co-writes (with Pascal Bonitzer) this adaptation of the 2019 Danish film, “Queen of Hearts.” The remake is pretty much a blow-by-blow of the original, but with a mostly Gallic flavor – until the end, when its Danish roots show through.Things start out pretty idyllic with Anne having a successful legal career and equally successful marriage, with children. Then, Theo moves in for a while. Anne puts up with his sullenness for only so long when she scolds him to show a little interest in his family and participate. Initially, the teen takes it to heart, spending time with Ann and the girls.The added time at closer quarters between Anne and Theo causes the ice to melt between them. Soon, they kiss…and more. Anne, shocked at her behavior with a mere lad, immediately tells him it was the first and last time. The lady doth protest too much, though, and things heat up between the two. Then, Pierre tells Anne that he and his son are going to their chalet for some father-son bonding time.This is where the Gallic sensibilities become more Danish and confrontations, denials and accusations take hold. The overall tone of the story changes and conflict becomes more important than family. I know why the story headed in this direction but it is not satisfying from my viewer standpoint.Acting, as expected, is first-rate with Drucker giving Anne a strong will and sense of independence – and control. Samuel Kircher is pretty enough as Anne’s objet d’affection but, truthfully, she’s a cradle robber. The kid does play a sometimes snotty teen well.B- Rated 3.5/5 Stars • Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 08/20/24 Full Review Efrem M Good but not great. Although there were some great performances in it, the script could use some polishing. Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 08/03/24 Full Review avner k An absorbing film about handling sexual complexities -- a professional defender of abused girls ends up with a complicated issue at home. Well made. Rated 4/5 Stars • Rated 4 out of 5 stars 07/03/24 Full Review Moody C It was great until the shocking relationship arises. My mom was in town and we watched it together and it made us so uncomfortable! Rated 3/5 Stars • Rated 3 out of 5 stars 07/02/24 Full Review Freddie W "When I was 14 …...I was secretly in lovewith a friend of my mother's.I thought he was so elegant.And at the same timeI described in my diary...relentlessly his wrinkles.His thin, parchment skin.As if he were already dead.As if he disintegrated.Unrelenting.Toward death.I was disgusted.And at the same time, I was fascinated."Both Léa Drucker (Anne) & Olivier Rabourdin (Pierre) find a rare shared tenderness in this tale of forbidden love. Breillat (Director/Co-Writer) does well to harness what could be easily mishandled given the controversial material. Both actors find effortless solace in the simplest of scenes showcasing a warm spiritual connection between one another to the point where the words they are speaking are almost irrelevant compared to the obvious human connection that can be seen, heard and felt.Last Summer's radiance exists between the shared state of mind of characters, Anne (Drucker) and Pierre (Rabourdin), which is insane, as he is only seventeen. Part of their relationship is the knowingness of what they are doing is, as an exterior; absurd.Tho aware of this, there is an underlying acceptance of contentless between them which cinches the viewer to write off the films legitimacy. This "common ground" in this captivating relationship creates another energy of humour of which plays nicely throughout the film.Admittedly at times, Pierre's (Rabourdin) maturity did show, and aspects of his light leering came off to me as slightly dishonouring, especially as it didn't seem to bother Anne's (Drucker) attraction to him. Perhaps this isn't as awkward to watch for French audiences tho.Never the less the overall atmosphere, and craft of the film beautifully cradles the exceptional central acting talent, which is so good that it almost feels "new". This films reminds its viewers that life isn't really something we live. It lives us. Rated 5/5 Stars • Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/05/24 Full Review Read all reviews

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Cast & Crew

Catherine Breillat Director Léa Drucker Anne Samuel Kircher Théo Olivier Rabourdin Pierre Clotilde Courau Mina Serena Hu Serena
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Synopsis With her first film in a decade, the fearless 75-year-old French auteur Catherine Breillat (Fat Girl, The Last Mistress) proves she's as provocative as ever with her Cannes-stirring film, which drives down the dark road of uncontrollable passion. A remarkably nuanced, radiant Léa Drucker plays Anne, an attorney who has plateaued in her marriage to Pierre (Olivier Rabourdin), a distracted businessman. His son, troubled seventeen-year-old, Theo (Samuel Kircher), from a previous marriage, has recently returned to Pierre's ineffectual and despondent care. When Pierre leaves town for a business trip, Anne and Théo -- confined under the same roof for the first time -- find themselves in the throes of an unexpected and dangerously lustful affair, threatening the stability of the household. Music by Kim Gordon heightens the erotic tension of LAST SUMMER, a film that boldly surveys power dynamics, female desire, and fulfillment.

Director
Catherine Breillat

Producer
Saïd Ben Saïd

Screenwriter
Catherine Breillat, Pascal Bonitzer

Distributor
Sideshow / Janus Films

Production Co
SBS Productions

Genre
Drama, Romance, Mystery & Thriller

Original Language
French (France)

Release Date (Theaters)
Jun 28, 2024, Limited

Box Office (Gross USA)
$174.6K

Runtime
1h 44m

Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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