'

Saint Omer

Play trailer

1:56

Saint Omer

PG-13

Released Jan 13, 2023

2h 2m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

138 Reviews

56%

Popcornmeter

100+ Ratings

Saint-Omer court of law. Young novelist Rama attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. But as the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama's convictions and call into question our own judgement.

Watch on Fandango at Home

Buy Now

Critics Consensus

A gut-punching contemplation of a woman's immigrant experience, Saint Omer puts a mother on the stand and the audience in the jury box to find humanity in the inhumane.

Read Critics Reviews

Christina Newland

iNews.co.uk

This film about a Senegalese immigrant on trial in France is made all the more horrifying by its cool clarity

Rated: 4/5

Sep 18, 2024

Full Review

Alison Willmore

New York Magazine/Vulture

Alice Diop’s stunner of a film tucks a whole fraught universe into a courtroom drama.

Dec 9, 2023

Full Review

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

At the end of it certain facts still don’t add up. They nag at you in what is otherwise a compelling film about motherhood in all its contradictions.

Rated: 3.5/5

May 25, 2023

Full Review

Joe George

The Progressive

Instead of forcing viewers’ responses, Diop puts faith in her performers, which pays off in dividends.

Rated: 3.5/5

Jul 20, 2024

Full Review

Elissa Suh

Literary Hub

Saint Omer, a nominal courtroom drama, is a multifaceted and astounding gem of a film, posing moral and political quandaries that generate a wealth of intellectual and emotional consequences for viewer and character alike.

Oct 2, 2023

Full Review

Nadine Whitney

The Curb

Saint Omer is unforgettable and crucial. It does not forgive Coly, but it begs us to understand how such a terrible crime happened, and all the events that were not seen as criminal because they are baked into the fabric of society led to tragedy.

Sep 6, 2023

Full Review

Read all reviews

Norm V.

Oversold. Just a hype. The plot is all over.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

01/19/23

Full Review

Jeffrey

Very personal account of the disparities in French law and magnifying glass on an outsider looking in. Solid film

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/18/23

Full Review

Will

A fine example of cinematic minimalism. Diops decision to emphasize the drama and ignore the dramatic pays dividends, with simply staged—but startlingly effective—courtroom scenes juxtaposed with a quietly touching relationship that grows between an academic spectator and the mother of the defendant, who is a mother accused of killing her 15-month-old.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/17/23

Full Review

Gary G

This was the second French movie that made it to my U.S. theater and it likely will be the last I see. If this is one of the best French culture has to offer, they need to get out of the business.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Eastender1012

Best movie of the year! Well acted! Well directed! In the end you know exactly where to lay the blame.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/15/23

Full Review

Ghederick Eshmont

A powerful, meditative study on generational trauma & systemic racism in Provincial France. Kayije Kagame owns the screen!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

01/16/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

POST RATING

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

Alice Diop

Director

Kayije Kagame

Rama

Guslagie Malanda

Laurence Coly

Valérie Dréville

La Présidente du tribunal

Aurélia Petit

Maître Vaudenay

Xavier Maly

Luc Dumontet

Just Mercy

85%

99%

Just Mercy

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Just Mercy

Shayda

97%

55%

Shayda

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Shayda

Music Box

75%

76%

Music Box

Watchlist

Till

96%

97%

Till

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Till

A Hero

97%

83%

A Hero

Watchlist

TRAILER

for A Hero

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Saint Omer: Trailer 1

1:56

View more videos

View more photos

Synopsis

Saint-Omer court of law. Young novelist Rama attends the trial of Laurence Coly, a young woman accused of killing her 15-month-old daughter by abandoning her to the rising tide on a beach in northern France. But as the trial continues, the words of the accused and witness testimonies will shake Rama's convictions and call into question our own judgement.

Director: Alice Diop
Producer: Toufik Ayadi, Christophe Barral
Screenwriter: Alice Diop, Marie N'Diaye, Amrita David
Distributor: Super LTD
Production Co: Doco Digital, arte France Cinéma, Srab Films, Pictanovo
Rating: PG-13 (Some Thematic Elements|Brief Strong Language)
Genre: Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 13, 2023, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $206.1K
Runtime: 2h 2m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

Most Popular at Home Now