4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days

Released Jan 25, 2008

1h 53m

Drama

List

96%

Tomatometer

146 Reviews

86%

Popcornmeter

25,000+ Ratings

The courage and friendship of two Romanian college students is tested when Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) discovers that she is pregnant by her boyfriend (Alex Potocean), and seeks an illegal abortion with the help of her classmate Otilia (Anamaria Marinca). Enlisting the services of the shady Mr. Bebe (Vlad Ivanov), the two girls find themselves in extremely tense and uncomfortable situations and must rely on their mutual support to get them through the ordeal.

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Critics Consensus

Featuring gut-wrenching performances from Anamaria Marinca and Laura Vasiliu, 4 Months is a gripping portrayal of life in Communist Romania.

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Kristin M. Jones

Film Comment Magazine

[Christian] Mungiu has taken a leap forward into bold, focused storytelling.

Feb 14, 2018

Full Review

Joshua Rothkopf

Time Out

Rated: 5/5

Nov 17, 2011

Full Review

Peter Bradshaw

Guardian

Grippingly horrible.

Rated: 5/5

Oct 18, 2008

Full Review

Bianca Garner

Filmotomy

The bleak mise-en-scene and often handheld camerawork coupled with long takes help ground the film in this form of social realism and documentary filmmaking. Despite being set in the 1980s, there is no romanticizing or nostalgic longing for the past.

Oct 4, 2024

Full Review

Eve Tushnet

Patheos

The trains, especially, seemed to me like a representation of how it feels when you think that another life exists, but not for you. That feeling is usually false but it is very convincing.

May 24, 2023

Full Review

Brian Eggert

Deep Focus Review

In a story that unfolds over a tense 24-hour period, Mungiu steeps us in the everyday, forcing the viewer to understand this world through its discordance with our own.

Rated: 4/4

Feb 12, 2022

Full Review

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Bogdan M

One of the best movies from Romanian Cinema. The movie is really..drama . it gives you a bad feeling..

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/13/24

Full Review

Kevin L

Brilliant performances basically all around, but this is drudgery to get through just based on the subject matter and the utterly cold, harsh tone set by the reality of it all. Much credit to the skills of director/writer Cristian Mungiu. Strong use of concentrated shots on the faces of the main players. Makes them more authentic and familiar as characters, creating more concern and tension for the viewer when added to the story line and mature performances. 3.7 stars

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/01/24

Full Review

Gareth v

A powerful and distubing tale set in Ceausescu's Romaina. How this wasn't even nominated for an Oscar is baffling. One of 2008's best movies.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

06/19/23

Full Review

kevin c

Compelling drama set in Romania which sees a woman helping her friend get an illegal abortion during her second trimester. Pretty heavy movie but very riveting nonetheless. The two lead actresses are extremely believable in these difficult roles. Tough watch but a well made film.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

lawrence l

Impressive art film. Quite intense, powerful, suspenseful, and emotional, as we feel the characters' fears and desperation. The movie is about abortion in 1987 in Romania, with drama and thriller element. Everything happened in 1 day. Many long takes, a bit boring to watch at the beginning. Though communism is not mentioned, but the overall societal environment serves as the backdrop of the story. The film is neither for or against abortion.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

dave s

As taut and tension-filled as a carefully scripted thriller, Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days is a Romanian drama that tells the story of a young woman who, with the help of her roommate, arranges for an abortion at a time when the procedure was punishable by a prison term if caught and found guilty. Despite being unrelentingly grim, the movie is gripping from the first scene to the last as the handheld camera follows the characters activities through seedy streets and dingy hotels with lengthy and well-choreographed shots that make the viewer feel like they are in the midst of the action. Four Months, Three Weeks and Two Days is as impactful and memorable as a film can be.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

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Cristian Mungiu

Director

Anamaria Marinca

Otilia

Laura Vasiliu

Gabita

Vlad Ivanov

Mr. Bebe

Alexandru Potocean

Adi

Luminita Gheorghiu

Adi's Mother Gina

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Synopsis

The courage and friendship of two Romanian college students is tested when Gabita (Laura Vasiliu) discovers that she is pregnant by her boyfriend (Alex Potocean), and seeks an illegal abortion with the help of her classmate Otilia (Anamaria Marinca). Enlisting the services of the shady Mr. Bebe (Vlad Ivanov), the two girls find themselves in extremely tense and uncomfortable situations and must rely on their mutual support to get them through the ordeal.

Director: Cristian Mungiu
Producer: Oleg Mutu, Cristian Mungiu
Screenwriter: Cristian Mungiu
Distributor: IFC Films
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Romanian
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 25, 2008, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Oct 10, 2016
Box Office (Gross USA): $1.2M
Runtime: 1h 53m
Sound Mix: Dolby

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