Meet the Barbarians

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Meet the Barbarians

2024

1h 42m

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

91%

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11 Reviews

Popcornmeter

Fewer than 50 Ratings

The town council of Paimpont -- a small village in Brittany -- has unanimously voted in favor of welcoming a family of Ukrainian refugees. However, the refugees who turn up aren't Ukrainian but Syrian, and some of the locals are not very pleased with their new neighbors. Yet the Fayad family avoids all the clichés the French villagers may have expected. So much so that, they leave one wondering: who in this little village are the true 'barbarians'?

Siddhant Adlakha

Variety

A movie that, though it never quite achieves the dramatic highs for which it aspires, proves eye-wateringly funny.

Oct 2, 2024

Full Review

Elizabeth Weitzman

TheWrap

It's hard to imagine that Delpy could make something unexpectedly lovely out of so much fear and malice. But by keeping the words sharp and the tone light, she ultimately achieves her goal: to show us two sides of the same mirror.

Sep 27, 2024

Full Review

Monica Castillo

RogerEbert.com

Delpy wants to find a way to both entertain and critique; however, the result makes the film feel rather uneven, leaving the movie to take big swings between comedy scenes and dramatic beats with little warning.

Sep 13, 2024

Full Review

Samantha Schuster

Cinéfilo Serial

An effective French comedy that, based on complex and current themes such as immigration, offers us more than 100 minutes of funny, crazy situations that will allow us to reflect on various topics. [Full Review in Spanish]

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 16, 2025

Full Review

Megan McLachlan

The Contending

Meet the Barbarians is a movie Americans would be too afraid to make. Even though it takes place in France, its message is universal. I can see why Delpy says it’s her favorite film she’s ever made.

Apr 7, 2025

Full Review

Jason Gorber

Collider

Meet the Barbarians provides a light yet engaging look into how communities are built and maintained, and how differing aspects of their identities can form something better when people of disparate backgrounds are brought together.

Rated: 7/10

Sep 23, 2024

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Jim E

Neat story of displaced Refugees trying to find a place to call home and fit in! Excellent cast!

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

07/16/25

Full Review

Evan C

It's an effective satire of the "common" French folk, as the Syrian refugee family in #MeetTheBarbarians subverts expectations at every step. But mixed in is real heart, humour & levity, resulting in a lighthearted story that highlights the humanity on both sides of the equation.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

06/28/25

Full Review

Theresa B

Just light-hearted and funny enough to make the serious situation easy to watch and understand. Most of all, this shows us the humanity we can all share.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

04/06/25

Full Review

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Julie Delpy

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Synopsis

The town council of Paimpont -- a small village in Brittany -- has unanimously voted in favor of welcoming a family of Ukrainian refugees. However, the refugees who turn up aren't Ukrainian but Syrian, and some of the locals are not very pleased with their new neighbors. Yet the Fayad family avoids all the clichés the French villagers may have expected. So much so that, they leave one wondering: who in this little village are the true 'barbarians'?

Director: Julie Delpy
Producer: Michaël Gentile
Screenwriter: Julie Delpy, Matthieu Rumani, Nicolas Slomka, Lea Domenech
Production Co: Le Pacte, The Film
Genre: Comedy
Original Language: French (France)
Runtime: 1h 42m