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La cérémonie

1995 · Movie · NR · 112 min · ★ 7.3 · 88% critics

DramaThriller

A reserved live-in maid takes a job with a wealthy French family and tries to keep her head down. When she bonds with a blunt, rebellious local postal worker, their friendship pushes her to question the household’s quiet rules, exposing simmering resentments and class tensions that grow harder to contain.

Also known as The Ceremony · A Judgment in Stone

IMDb

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Details
Original title
La Cérémonie
Years
1995
Release date
1995-08-30
Language
French
Rated
NR
Runtime
112 min
Critic score
88/100
TMDB rating
7.3/10 (399 votes)
About

You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a chilly, character-driven thriller about class resentment and a volatile friendship, with a sense of inevitability; Not for you if you need fast pacing or lighter stakes, like in Caché.

Pros: tense slow-burn build; sharp class conflict; strong lead performances | Cons: very slow first act; uneven suspense; disturbing violent payoff

Themes

  • class society
  • france
  • illiteracy
  • country life
  • bourgeoisie
  • female friendship
  • pregnant minor
  • post
  • gallery owner
  • femme fatale
  • maid
  • family

Awards & recognition

  • Lumière Award — Best Actress · 1996
  • César Award — Best Actress · 1996 · nominated

Cast & crew

Directed by Claude Chabrol