The Innocents

PG-13

Released Jul 1, 2016

1h 50m

History

Drama

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List

95%

115 Reviews

Tomatometer

87%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

In December 1945, a Red Cross doctor (Lou de Laâge) tries to help a group of pregnant Benedictine nuns at a convent in Warsaw, Poland.

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Critics Consensus

The Innocents isn't always easy to watch, but its nuanced exploration of complex themes -- and its refreshing perspective -- are well worth the effort.

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

The Blue Lenses

The Innocents [is] a strong instance of a movie that - if made by a male director - may have lost some of its thematic punch, particularly in regards to the nuanced and often subtle relationships between the film's primarily female cast.

Sep 5, 2018

Full Review

Jake Wilson

The Age (Australia)

[Fontaine] retains her knack for keeping the viewer guessing about what she might be up to

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 28, 2017

Full Review

Stephen Romei

The Australian

It builds to something quite remarkable.

Rated: 3.5/5

Apr 28, 2017

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Dave Giannini

InSession Film

The Innocents is a challenging movie, both in tone and pace. It is a film that demands your patience, yet finds a way to keep you waiting for just one moment of happiness.

Feb 27, 2024

Full Review

Keith Garlington

Keith & the Movies

By the end it was clear to me that no character’s innocence would remain intact, but even the smallest light can offer a glimmer of hope. The film helps us remember that.

Rated: 4.5/5

Aug 22, 2022

Full Review

Curve Staff

Curve

The Innocents is recommended, if confronting viewing, and it’s a film that should remain with its audience for a considerable time.

Rated: 4/5

May 20, 2022

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Marit Risto F

Terrible, but beautiful

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/02/24

Full Review

Juan V

Refreshing film with an inspiring message of human kindness.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

12/15/23

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Stanley T

"EVEN THE CONSECRATED QUESTIONS THEIR FAITH TOO" "HOW WAR AFFECTS EVERYONE" As a cradle Catholic, I have always regarded nuns, especially cloistered ones, as the peak of how humans can achieve spiritual maturation in the church. I regarded them as people who can easily use discernment and know what is morally right and wrong. Now that I am an adult coming back as a practicing Catholic, I have come to understand that nuns are humans too. It is impossible for them not to question their faith. Even in times of great suffering. While watching the movie, I, too, thought of the questions, "Is this really what the heavens gave them?", "Why would God do this?, and "How can God forsake them like this". I was able to capture the essence of the movie. Everything feels so raw and disturbing. The emotions that were presented by each of the characters were well. This movie would probably go as one of my favorite movies of all time.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

06/10/23

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william l

Amazing story about the wartime barbarism and compassion.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

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Audience Member

Really good drama based in Polond after WWII with Russians raping nuns and French Dr. helping out with deliveries and then an orphanage.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/27/23

Full Review

Audience Member

The Innocents is a wonderfully mature, composed work by Anne Fontaigne and writers Karine and Vial. Atrocities abound here, from the soldiers who raped a convent of mostly virgin novitiates, to an attempt on the one medic who is helping the now-pregnant young women; the orphans who play among the shrapnel and batterings of war; the absurdity and soul-crushing ligatures of Catholicism. Led by a stirring performance by the skilled and lovely Lou de Laâge, the cast here is excellent. Also of special note are the great Joanna Kulig (Ida, Cold War), Anna Prochniak, Agata Kulesza, and Vincent Macaigne as the doctor friend and lover of Laâge's Mathilde who so wants to be the cynical, war-hardened cool lothario but is really a decent man who needs some peace in his life. Tone, pacing, and editing are all very strong here as it clocks in at under two hours. 4 stars

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

01/26/23

Full Review

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Anne Fontaine

Director

Lou de Laâge

Mathilde

Agata Buzek

Soeur Maria

Agata Kulesza

Mère Supérieure

Vincent Macaigne

Samuel

Joanna Kulig

Irena

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The Innocents: Trailer 1

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Synopsis

In December 1945, a Red Cross doctor (Lou de Laâge) tries to help a group of pregnant Benedictine nuns at a convent in Warsaw, Poland.

Director: Anne Fontaine
Screenwriter: Sabrina B. Karine, Alice Vial, Pascal Bonitzer, Anne Fontaine
Distributor: Music Box Films
Production Co: Mandarin Cinéma, Scope Pictures, Aeroplan Film
Rating: PG-13 (Disturbing Thematic Material|Brief Suggestive Content|Sexual Assault|Some Bloody Images)
Genre: History, Drama
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 1, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 7, 2016
Runtime: 1h 50m
Aspect Ratio: Flat (1.85:1)

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