Gagarine

Released Apr 1, 2022

1 hr. 37 min.

Drama

TRAILER

for Gagarine: Trailer 1

List

96%

45 Reviews

Tomatometer

65%

Fewer than 50 Ratings

Audience Score

Teenager Youri (gifted newcomer Alseni Bathily) has lived his whole life in the tight-knit community of Gagarine, even being named after the famed Russian cosmonaut who inaugurated it in 1963. From the heights of his apartment, the science wiz dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when plans to demolish his home are leaked, Youri joins the resistance, embarking on a mission to save Gagarine, resolved to keep both the building and its community alive. Working tirelessly with best friend Houssam (Jamil McCraven) and Diana (Lyna Khoudri), a mechanically-minded Roma girl he has a crush on, Youri ingeniously transforms the housing project into his own "starship" before it disappears into space forever.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Fandango at Home

Premiered May 02

Buy Now

Fandango at Home

Prime Video

Apple TV

Rent Gagarine on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV, or buy it on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, Apple TV.

Critics Consensus

Balancing whimsy-tinged magic realism against serious themes of community and displacement, Gagarine is as bracingly original as it is ultimately poignant.

Read Critics Reviews

Raph G

How strange and ethereal must be the feeling of being the last man standing, when everything and nothing are at stake... Gagarine will fly you to a very special place.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

04/17/23

Full Review

Audience Member

Touching, imaginative, original, thought provoking. Stuttered occasionally, particularly at character intersections and relationship development. Main character never quite felt fully fleshed out. Would have enjoyed a deeper dive into his psychology, the character always seemed slightly at odds with his eccentric behaviour. Still though, these really are not that big an issue, it's a beautiful film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

dave d

'Gagarine' was first a short documentary French film turned into a feature length fictional drama. It should have stayed a short as this was stretched and mostly unenjoyable. When you only have 45 minutes (AT MOST) of material or words on the page you simply can't expect a 97 minute feature to work. The movie once again shows the disconnect between the real people watching movies and elitist critics. Newcomer Alséni Bathily turns in an eye-opening performance as Yuri which is the best part of the picture. Too many unexplained montages in a film that is way too contemplative. With supporting characters criminally underdeveloped and the stakes never really explained, 'Gagarine' in a colossal wasted chance to put the underserved in focus. That focus should have been SOLELY on people displaced from their homes and relationships potentially altered forever. Giant swing and a miss. Final Score: 3/10

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Mauro L

(Mauro Lanari) "Balancing whimsy-tinged magic realism against serious themes of community and displacement, Gagarine is as bracingly original as it is ultimately poignant" (RT). Suffused with an extraordinary demure halo, glocal, mic-mac, innernaut-cosmonaut maximized from the banlieue to the moon and from deep space to the suspended return: a memorable debut.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/02/24

Full Review

isla s

This film has a lovely dreamlike feel to it. It depicts young adults trying to escape their barren surroundings, dreaming of a better, more exciting life, wondering what may exist, to be explored in space. I suppose in a way its an example of a compelling escapist, or immersive, film, that does well at pulling the viewer in to the world of the characters on screen. I can certainly relate to having a curious imagination. It is a bit of an arty film, so possibly may be a little too abstract for some peoples taste but its definitely got a nice warmth to it, which I enjoyed. I particularly liked the library footage of space explorations shown in between scenes set on Earth and the floaty/dreamlike music softly played in the background at times. I also liked the use of bright colours, particularly red, to emphasise some brief scenes as depicting imagined scenarios. Yes, I'd recommend this film.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

wayne m

Gagarine is an intriguing and beautiful film. One that combines realism with magic with great skill. Set in Cite Gagarine in Paris it concerns itself with a group of young friends coming to terms with losing their home. Cite Gagarine are high rise apartments built in the 1970s and named after famed Russian cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin. The main character is named Youri too and he is a 16yo boy trying to keep the block of apartments afloat by undertaking repairs. The commnunity wants to keep the block alive but the council is determined to demolish them. Youri also has a fascination with space and the film blends quite well the realistic nature of everyday life and his 'magic world' of looking to the stars. Alseni Bathily is superb in the lead role. This is a lovely film that was compelling to watch.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

Fanny Liatard

Director

Jérémy Trouilh

Director

Alséni Bathily

Youri

Lyna Khoudri

Diana

Jamil McCraven

Houssam

Finnegan Oldfield

Dali

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

97%

65%

Atlantis

TRAILER

for Atlantis

17%

%

Anna Karenina: Vronsky's Story

83%

%

Rose

83%

%

Mother and Son

93%

76%

Beanpole

TRAILER

for Beanpole

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Gagarine: Trailer 1

1:39

View more videos

View more photos

Ronda Racha Penrice

TheWrap

Through the very real circumstances of the Cité Gagarine, directors Liatard and Trouilh put faces and names to the many public policy discussions conducted in private that destroy both the lives and legacies of real people.

Apr 1, 2022

Full Review

Odie Henderson

RogerEbert.com

The camaraderie between the characters is so strong and effective that Liatard and Trouilhs occasional forays into magical realism feel intrusive and forced.

Rated: 3/4

Apr 1, 2022

Full Review

Joe Morgenstern

Wall Street Journal

It’s a piece of urban history seen through the lens of magic realism, a fragile but beguiling fantasy, tethered now and then to gritty reality, about a do-gooder doing the best he can against daunting odds.

Apr 1, 2022

Full Review

Hector A. Gonzalez

Loud and Clear Reviews

Fanny Liatard and Jérémy Trouilh’s feature debut, Gagarine, is a beautifully told story about shattered dreams with magical realism attached to it.

Rated: 3.5/5

Mar 24, 2024

Full Review

Javier Ocaña

El Pais (Spain)

Just when the movie flails and meanders, Liatard and Trouih surprise us with an extraordinary tonal and genre shift... [Full review in Spanish]

Jun 7, 2022

Full Review

Soham Gadre

Film Inquiry

Charming and sympathetic portrayals by Alséni Bathily and Lyna Khoudri make Gagarine feel warmly satisfying and make it a passable and peculiar French indie.

Jun 5, 2022

Full Review

Read all reviews

Synopsis

Teenager Youri (gifted newcomer Alseni Bathily) has lived his whole life in the tight-knit community of Gagarine, even being named after the famed Russian cosmonaut who inaugurated it in 1963. From the heights of his apartment, the science wiz dreams of becoming an astronaut. But when plans to demolish his home are leaked, Youri joins the resistance, embarking on a mission to save Gagarine, resolved to keep both the building and its community alive. Working tirelessly with best friend Houssam (Jamil McCraven) and Diana (Lyna Khoudri), a mechanically-minded Roma girl he has a crush on, Youri ingeniously transforms the housing project into his own "starship" before it disappears into space forever.

Director: Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Trouilh
Screenwriter: Fanny Liatard, Jérémy Trouilh, Benjamin Charbit
Distributor: Cohen Media Group
Production Co: Haut et Court, France 3 Cinéma
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 1, 2022, Limited
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

Most Popular at Home Now