Saint Omer

Play trailer

1:56

Saint Omer

PG-13

2023

2h 2m

Drama

Play Trailer

Watchlist

Watchlist

Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

95%

Tomatometer

136 Reviews

58%

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

Stream 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

09/18/2024

4/5

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

Go to Full Review

Alison Willmore

New York Magazine/Vulture

12/09/2023

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

Go to Full Review

Sandra Hall

Sydney Morning Herald

05/25/2023

3.5/5

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.

Go to Full Review

Joe George

The Progressive

07/20/2024

3.5/5

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

Go to Full Review

Elissa Suh

Literary Hub

10/02/2023

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.

Go to Full Review

Nadine Whitney

The Curb

09/06/2023

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.

Go to Full Review

Read all reviews

Norm V.

01/19/2023

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

See more

Jeffrey

01/18/2023

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

See more

Will

01/17/2023

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.

See more

Gary G

01/16/2023

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.

See more

Eastender1012

01/15/2023

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

See more

Ghederick Eshmont

01/15/2023

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

See more

Read all reviews

Read More

Read Less

WRITE A REVIEW

EDIT REVIEW

POST RATING

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%

57%

Shayda

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Shayda

Till

96%

97%

Till

Watchlist

TRAILER

for Till

A Hero

97%

82%

A Hero

Watchlist

TRAILER

for A Hero

White Bird

75%

99%

White Bird

Watchlist

TRAILER

for White Bird

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

Everything Everywhere All at Once and TÁR Lead Independent Spirit Awards

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)