Blue Is the Warmest Color

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Blue Is the Warmest Color

NC-17

Released Oct 25, 2013

2h 55m

Drama

Comedy

LGBTQ+

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88%

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204 Reviews

84%

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10,000+ Ratings

A French teen (Adèle Exarchopoulos) forms a deep emotional and sexual connection with an older art student (Léa Seydoux) she met in a lesbian bar.

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Critics Consensus

Raw, honest, powerfully acted, and deliciously intense, Blue Is the Warmest Color offers some of modern cinema's most elegantly composed, emotionally absorbing drama.

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Kate

Autostraddle

I am sad to report that I was underwhelmed and uncomfortable, and all too familiar with the tropes at play, none of them creatively handled.

Jun 14, 2021

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Tammy Oler

Bitch Media

Exarchopoulos and Seydoux are constantly undercut by Kechiche's direction, which often seems more about his directorial desires than the motivations of the story's protagonists.

Jan 20, 2021

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J. Hoberman

ARTINFO.com

The most discomfiting thing about Blue [Is The Warmest Color] is that it ultimately feels like a menage a trois involving the actors and the camera, staged for the benefit of the director.

Feb 22, 2019

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JD Duran

InSession Film

The story itself is captivating but also heartbreaking and emotional. It’s one that everyone can relate with, despite sexual preference.

Aug 13, 2024

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Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

Blue is the Warmest Colour was the first time many queer women were able to see two women in a romantic relationship in popular media. It’s a shame those characters weren’t treated with respect.

Jul 25, 2023

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Erick Estrada

Cinegarage

Abdellatif Kechiche takes all the time in the world to narrate the emergence and possible sentimental catastrophe of this young couple... [Full review in Spanish]

Feb 7, 2023

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Veronika K

Go in blind, be somebody

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

08/02/25

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Alain E

It’s a beautiful film narrating an ultimately conventional love story. The main difference is that both protagonists are young women and nobody dies from cancer. The love scenes are well done and not pornographic, although definitely explicit. In the end blue is not attainable. Poor Adele, is not able to find her sea legs when the story ends. The director uses very well the three hours of length. Acting is first class and regardless of the sexual orientation of the viewer, we participate in the sadness.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/22/25

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Gail B

If you have ever been in love, no matter who you are or what you are, you will feel compassion for the characters in this movie. It made me cry. It’s beautiful.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

05/21/25

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Audience Member

This is one of the most beautifully realized screen love stories of all time. Everytime I watch it I am blown away all over again.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

05/10/25

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Eva O

DO NOT WATCH IF LESBIAN please I got traumatised watching this awful exploitive film, and felt really off about being a lesbian did not know why. But now I do and I don’t want anyone else to feel that way.(genuinely wish I didn’t see this)

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

05/04/25

Full Review

Rob W

Brilliant acting, directing and writing. Both Lea and Adele are not hard to look at, but a couple of the scenes were definitely porny (which seems quite exploitive). That said, if you have issues with stunning woman going at it, just fast forward through. Lea and Adele are generational talents here in this.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/19/25

Full Review

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Abdel Kechiche

Director

Léa Seydoux

Emma

Adèle Exarchopoulos

Adèle

Salim Kechiouche

Samir

Mona Walravens

Lise

Jérémie Laheurte

Thomas

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Synopsis

A French teen (Adèle Exarchopoulos) forms a deep emotional and sexual connection with an older art student (Léa Seydoux) she met in a lesbian bar.

Director: Abdel Kechiche
Producer: Abdel Kechiche, Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua
Screenwriter: Abdel Kechiche, Ghalya Lacroix, Julie Maroh
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Quat'sous Films, Vertigo Films, Wild Bunch, Scope Pictures, RTBF, France 2 Cinéma
Rating: NC-17 (Explicit Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama, Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 14, 2016
Runtime: 2h 55m
Aspect Ratio: CinemaScope (2,35:1)

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