Monika

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Monika

R

1952

1h 36m

Drama

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100%

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18 Reviews

83%

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2,500+ Ratings

Disillusioned young city-dweller Harry (Lars Ekborg) is frustrated with his societal responsibilities and his menial job, but when he meets sultry beauty Monika (Harriet Andersson), and she takes an interest in him, life takes on new meaning. Inflamed with passion, the lovers steal Harry's father's boat and give up their banal city life for an erotic summer spent on an island. There, Monika teaches Harry to give up his inhibitions, and all is good -- until Monika's true nature is revealed.

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Manohla Dargis

New York Times

More than 50 years after its first screening in America, Monika arrives in New York again to light up the screen, this time without a trace of impropriety.

Rated: 4/5

Nov 14, 2007

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J. Hoberman

Village Voice

Bergman's tale of heedless teenage love is a sort of neorealist Rebel Without a Cause -- except that sex is acknowledged and the outlaw is a girl.

Nov 13, 2007

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Anthony Lane

The New Yorker

Bergman would be no more adept a pornographer than he would be at filming hip-hop, but his camera did stare at the human surface with an intentness unmatched since von Sternberg rhapsodized over Marlene Dietrich.

Jul 30, 2007

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Sean Burns

Crooked Marquee

Bergman was madly in love with Andersson at the time, and you can feel it in every frame.

Aug 25, 2025

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Ian Thomas Malone

ianthomasmalone.com

Andersson rarely plays Monika for sympathy, but you can understand her claustrophobia toward her dreary monotony when juxtaposed against the ephemeral nature of summer.

Jul 11, 2025

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Jean-Luc Godard

Arts (France)

Summer With Monika is the most original film of the most original of directors.

Sep 1, 2021

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Philip G

corny and oddly paced. monika sure turns into a horrible person quickly. i guess the moral is use birth control. really not a great film and i cannot understand the enthusiasm here for it.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

08/20/25

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Richard B

The fight scenes and some acting choices are dated now, think Star Trek OST, but the story allows for multiple interpretations. It could be about being trapped in working class lives, or about shallow people who stand for nothing. No matter how "in love" a person is, you really don't know them until you have seen them in routine, boredom and stress. There's a difficulty in balancing emotions in all these character's lives. One guy finds meaning through newborn baby, so the job is a means to an end, but his new boss find pleasure in his job so much so that he's not fazed by trouble at home.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

01/05/25

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Grant H

A depressing film whose reputation hasn't worn well with the passage of time. Some scenes are very stagey. There are many Bergman trademark "meaningful" landscape shots but the story is slight and episodic. I was expecting more.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

04/20/24

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nick s

An immersive story rather than a riveting one, but definitely one that draws you in. So count on a bit of a slow burn. The acting is perfect, as is the patient artistic directing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/18/23

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Dave S

In an effort to escape their mundane, working-class lives, young lovers Monika and Harry (Harriet Andersson and Lars Ekborg) escape to the Swedish seaside for a summer of romance and adventure. However, when Monika finds herself pregnant, the pressures of adulthood begin to rupture their relationship. Ingmar Bergman's Summer With Monika is both refreshing and sobering in equal measures, a coming-of-age story with no happy ending and a final scene that may leave the viewer feeling gutted. With strong performances, especially from Andersson, some beautiful cinematography, a pair of intensely interesting characters, and typically sure-handed direction, Summer With Monika is arguably Bergman's first masterpiece.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

08/24/23

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Jay S

"You're different from all the others you're just like someone in a film." Such a beautiful film by Ingmar Bergman. All I want is a piece of what they have! This is my first film I've seen in his filmography and I can't wait to see more.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

07/18/23

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Ingmar Bergman

Director

Harriet Andersson

Monika

Lars Ekborg

Harry

John Harryson

Lelle

Georg Skarstedt

Harry's father

Dagmar Ebbesen

Harry's aunt

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Synopsis

Disillusioned young city-dweller Harry (Lars Ekborg) is frustrated with his societal responsibilities and his menial job, but when he meets sultry beauty Monika (Harriet Andersson), and she takes an interest in him, life takes on new meaning. Inflamed with passion, the lovers steal Harry's father's boat and give up their banal city life for an erotic summer spent on an island. There, Monika teaches Harry to give up his inhibitions, and all is good -- until Monika's true nature is revealed.

Director: Ingmar Bergman
Producer: Allan Ekelund
Screenwriter: Per Anders Fogelström
Production Co: Svensk Filmindustri
Rating: R
Genre: Drama
Original Language: Swedish
Release Date (Streaming): Jan 14, 2017
Runtime: 1h 36m

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