Blue Is the Warmest Color

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Blue Is the Warmest Color

NC-17

Released Oct 25, 2013

2h 55m

Drama

Comedy

LGBTQ+

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88%

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204 Reviews

85%

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10,000+ Ratings

A French teen (Adèle Exarchopoulos) forms a deep emotional and sexual connection with an older art student (Léa Seydoux) she met in a lesbian bar.

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Critics Consensus

Raw, honest, powerfully acted, and deliciously intense, Blue Is the Warmest Color offers some of modern cinema's most elegantly composed, emotionally absorbing drama.

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Kate

Autostraddle

I am sad to report that I was underwhelmed and uncomfortable, and all too familiar with the tropes at play, none of them creatively handled.

Jun 14, 2021

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Tammy Oler

Bitch Media

Exarchopoulos and Seydoux are constantly undercut by Kechiche's direction, which often seems more about his directorial desires than the motivations of the story's protagonists.

Jan 20, 2021

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J. Hoberman

ARTINFO.com

The most discomfiting thing about Blue [Is The Warmest Color] is that it ultimately feels like a menage a trois involving the actors and the camera, staged for the benefit of the director.

Feb 22, 2019

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JD Duran

InSession Film

The story itself is captivating but also heartbreaking and emotional. It’s one that everyone can relate with, despite sexual preference.

Aug 13, 2024

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Tina Kakadelis

Beyond the Cinerama Dome

Blue is the Warmest Colour was the first time many queer women were able to see two women in a romantic relationship in popular media. It’s a shame those characters weren’t treated with respect.

Jul 25, 2023

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Erick Estrada

Cinegarage

Abdellatif Kechiche takes all the time in the world to narrate the emergence and possible sentimental catastrophe of this young couple... [Full review in Spanish]

Feb 7, 2023

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Rob W

Brilliant acting, directing and writing. Both Lea and Adele are not hard to look at, but a couple of the scenes were definitely porny (which seems quite exploitive). That said, if you have issues with stunning woman going at it, just fast forward through. Lea and Adele are generational talents here in this.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/19/25

Full Review

Leprechaun K

Mesmerizing performances by Exarchopoulos and Seydoux. Wonderfully directed. The perfect painful love story. Well deserved winner of the Palme d'Or.

Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars

04/19/25

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Paula R

Worst adaptation ever done. Disgustingly erotized for the male view. I am not only sad about how uncomfortable and pornogaphic all felt, but because they literally throwed the entire plot through a freaking window. This movie doesn't deserve having the name of the comic. It's crap.

Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars

02/26/25

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Scott M

Only lesbian love story I've ever enjoyed. Although I haven't seen many lesbian love stories. Still would've been good if they weren't lesbians.

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

02/18/25

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Douglas L

One of the most realistic and intimate portrayals of love found and lost in the history of the movies. Absolutely incredible.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

10/01/24

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Colin W

I've heard a lot about this movie on Brett Goldstein's podcast. It's worth watching, though don't do it with anyone who is hung up on sex. The main problem is the movie's 3-hour length. Again and again, I thought "he could've made a quicker cut here," or "do we need this scene at all?" And while it is quite long, the editing is at times choppy, and I felt like scenes are missing that could have added to the drama. Also, the explicit sex scenes are far less sexy than the non-naked moments. That said, the acting is terrific, brave, and the emotional scenes pack a punch. The movie has an admirable naturalistic quality, too. You never feel like people are acting, and they will make you feel awkward and uncomfortable at times. Definitely not a movie you will forget.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

09/30/24

Full Review

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Abdel Kechiche

Director

Léa Seydoux

Emma

Adèle Exarchopoulos

Adèle

Salim Kechiouche

Samir

Mona Walravens

Lise

Jérémie Laheurte

Thomas

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Synopsis

A French teen (Adèle Exarchopoulos) forms a deep emotional and sexual connection with an older art student (Léa Seydoux) she met in a lesbian bar.

Director: Abdel Kechiche
Producer: Abdel Kechiche, Vincent Maraval, Brahim Chioua
Screenwriter: Abdel Kechiche, Ghalya Lacroix, Julie Maroh
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: RTBF, Scope Pictures, Quat'sous Films, France 2 Cinéma, Wild Bunch, Vertigo Films
Rating: NC-17 (Explicit Sexual Content)
Genre: Drama, Comedy, LGBTQ+
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): Oct 25, 2013, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Sep 14, 2016
Runtime: 2h 55m
Aspect Ratio: CinemaScope (2,35:1)

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