Incendies

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Incendies

R

Released Apr 22, 2011

2h 10m

Drama

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

91%

Tomatometer

126 Reviews

92%

Popcornmeter

10,000+ Ratings

Nawal (Lubna Azabal), a dying Middle Eastern woman living in Montreal, leaves separate letters to her twin children to be read once she passes away. Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) is to deliver hers to the father the twins never knew, and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) is to give his to the brother they never knew they had. The siblings travel to the Middle East separately, where they each experience acts of brutality, uncover a startling family history, and have revelations about themselves.

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Critics Consensus

It's messy, overlong, and a touch melodramatic, but those flaws pale before Incendies' impressive acting and devastating emotional impact.

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Roger Clarke

Sight & Sound

Incendies acquires its heft from some very deep places -- Greek tragedy rather than newsflashes.

Jun 28, 2011

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Robbie Collin

News of the World

Normally I'm against decent original stories being dumbed down and squashed into bog-standard thriller shapes. But Incendies is in dire need of some dumbing down.

Rated: 2/5

Jun 25, 2011

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Derek Malcolm

London Evening Standard

It isn't easy to open out a well-respected stage play without losing a lot of its bite and subtlety.

Rated: 4/5

Jun 24, 2011

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Eddie Harrison

film-authority.com

…this might not be his best known work, but Incendies is probably Villeneuve's best film to date; if you’re willing to witness the aftermath of unspeakable events, it’s a particularly potent exploration of the twisted morality of a terrorist act…

Rated: 5/5

Aug 12, 2024

Full Review

Ray Pride

Newcity

The steely elegance of Villeneuve’s emphatic camera movements and framing are as much of the “story” as the terrors past unearthed by two grown, yet innocent children.

Rated: 10/10

Jul 4, 2024

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Rohan Naahar

The Indian Express

Before he was surfing the sand dunes of Arakkis, Denis Villeneuve was telling a more searing story about overzealous characters waging a holy war in the desert.

Mar 9, 2024

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Mary G

This film is an uncompromising masterpiece. While long, it deftly engages many topics related to the harrowing morass of war and the complexities of motherhood and family. I was surprised and impressed by how much material was covered in so little time. I believe it was in part due to the powerful, quiet scenes that allow one to see and feel without being directed by dialogue. What we imagine on our own is always so much more vast that what we are told directly in film. Lubna Azabal is amazing in this role.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/21/25

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Sergio A

It takes its time. It’s an excellent film, with a slow pace that ultimately works in its favor. One of the most memorable endings in the history of cinema…

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

02/15/25

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Taehee K

great great great movie i've ever seen, it gives the enormous hit when i'm watching it. it gives us a big after effect which is great some part was shocking for me it was during the story of abou tarek, should watch it

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/02/25

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victor leonardo g

el claro ejemplo de que la vida puede ponerse mas ogt

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/23/25

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Audience Member

Despite the shocking ending, "Incendies" is not rewarding enough to compensate for the 130 minutes that it drags on.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

01/16/25

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S R

An unusual film to say the least. A Canadian film showing a refugee from Iran going back to learn about her bizarre and complicated family history. Despite the unique plot, it still left me questioning and frustrated. It was interesting to see their views on Iranian culture. I saw it since it was on the IMDB 250 list. It was on tubi.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

12/27/24

Full Review

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Denis Villeneuve

Director

Lubna Azabal

Nawal Marwan

Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin

Jeanne Marwan

Maxim Gaudette

Simon Marwan

Rémy Girard

Notaire Jean Lebel

Abdelghafour Elaaziz

Abou Tarek

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Synopsis

Nawal (Lubna Azabal), a dying Middle Eastern woman living in Montreal, leaves separate letters to her twin children to be read once she passes away. Jeanne (Mélissa Désormeaux-Poulin) is to deliver hers to the father the twins never knew, and Simon (Maxim Gaudette) is to give his to the brother they never knew they had. The siblings travel to the Middle East separately, where they each experience acts of brutality, uncover a startling family history, and have revelations about themselves.

Director: Denis Villeneuve
Producer: Luc Déry, Kim McCraw
Screenwriter: Denis Villeneuve, Valérie Beaugrand-Champagne, Wajdi Mouawad
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: micro_scope, Phi Group, TS Productions
Rating: R (Strong Violence|Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Arabic
Release Date (Theaters): Apr 22, 2011, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Jun 10, 2014
Box Office (Gross USA): $6.9M
Runtime: 2h 10m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)

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