Summer of 85

{{Infobox film

| name = Summer of 85

| image = Ete_85.jpg

| alt =

| caption = Theatrical release poster

| native_name = {{Infobox name module|fr|Été 85}}

| director = François Ozon

| screenplay = François Ozon

| based_on = {{Based on|Dance on My Grave|Aidan Chambers}}

| producer = {{Plainlist|

| starring = {{Plainlist|

| cinematography = Hichame Alaouié

| editing = Laure Gardette

| music = Jean-Benoît Dunckel

| production_companies = {{Plainlist|

Mandarin Films
Scope Pictures
Canal+
Playtime
CNC
OCS
France 2 Cinéma}}

| distributor = Diaphana Distribution

| released = {{Film date|df=yes|2020|7|14|France}}

| runtime = 100 minutes{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/06/cannes-film-festival-2020-lineup-movies-announcement-livestream-1202950103/|title=Cannes Film Festival Reveals 2020 Lineup: Wes Anderson, Steve McQueen, Kate Winslet & Pixar|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Andreas|last=Wiseman|date=3 June 2020|access-date=3 June 2020}}

| country = {{Plainlist|

France
Belgium}}

| language = French

| budget =

| gross = $3.7 million{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl541557505/weekend/|title=Summer of 85|website=Box Office Mojo|access-date=29 October 2021}}{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Ete-85-(2020-France)#tab=summary|title=Summer of 85|website=The Numbers|access-date=29 October 2021}}

}}

Summer of 85 ({{langx|fr|Été 85}}) is a 2020 romantic drama film written and directed by François Ozon, partly based on the 1982 novel Dance on My Grave by Aidan Chambers. It stars Félix Lefebvre and Benjamin Voisin.

It was released in France on 14 July 2020 by Diaphana Distribution.

Plot

In the summer of 1985 in Normandy, Alexis, a 16-year-old who is fascinated by death, goes out to sea. A thunderstorm forms, causing his boat to capsize, and he is rescued by 18-year-old David. The pair go to David's house, where Alexis meets his overbearing, single mother, and learns that David was forced to work at the family's fishery shop following his father's death. Alexis also adopts the name Alex, after David's mother mishears his name. David and Alex begin a romantic and sexual relationship over the course of 6 weeks. Alex has a tumultuous relationship with his parents, with his father insisting that he drop out of school to work, while Alex himself is passionate in writing. After an argument with his father, Alex starts to work at David's shop part-time while contemplating on whether to drop out.

Alex begins to grow suspicious of David after he rescues a drunk man from the middle of the street. The two have a fight as Alex believes David had an affair with him, due to him returning to his house at 4 in the morning. David has an affair with British tourist Kate, resulting in a fight between Alex and him, where David claims he is bored of the relationship. Alex wrecks the shop and runs out. David chases after Alex, but ends up dying in a motorcycle crash. Alex, feeling guilty, decides to carry out the pact formed between them: to go and dance on the grave of the one who dies first. Alex gets arrested while doing so, but is pitied by the judge and only charged with 140 hours of community service and a strong recommendation to visit a psychiatrist.

The film alternates between scenes of the two boys' relationship before David's death, and scenes of the aftermath of the accident, in which Alex finds healing in writing his story for his trial on his literature teacher's recommendation. The film ends with Alex befriending the drunk man David rescued.

Cast

{{Cast listing|

Félix Lefebvre as Alexis Robin
Benjamin Voisin as David Gorman
Philippine Velge as Kate
Valeria Bruni Tedeschi as David's mother
Melvil Poupaud as Mr. Lefèvre
Isabelle Nanty as Alexis's mother
Laurent Fernandez as Alexis's father
{{ill|Aurore Broutin|fr}} as the social worker
Bruno Lochet as Bernard
{{ill|Yoann Zimmer|fr}} as Luc
Antoine Simoni as Chris

}}

Production

In June 2019, it was announced that Félix Lefebvre, Benjamin Voisin and Philippine Velge had joined the cast of the film, with François Ozon directing from a screenplay he wrote.{{cite web|url=https://cineuropa.org/newsdetail/373657/|title=François Ozon shooting Eté 84|website=Cineuropa|first=Fabien|last=Lemercier|date=5 June 2019|access-date=28 September 2019}} Principal photography began in May 2019 (from 27 May to 21 June).{{cite web|url=http://www.troiscouleurs.fr/cinema/en-tournage-ete-84-de-francois-ozon/|title=En tournage : " Été 84 " de François Ozon|website=troiscouleurs.fr|date=6 June 2019|access-date=28 September 2019}}

Release

The film was set to premiere at the Cannes Film Festival in May 2020, prior to its cancellation due to the COVID-19 pandemic.{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/cannes-2020-lineup-includes-wes-andersons-french-dispatch-1296386|title=Cannes 2020 Lineup Unveiled|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Scott|last=Roxborough|date=3 June 2020|access-date=3 June 2020}} It was released in France on 14 July 2020.{{cite web|url=http://diaphana.fr/film/ete-85/|title=Ete 85|website=Diaphana Distribution|access-date=4 June 2020}} In September 2020, Music Box Films acquired U.S. distribution rights to the film.{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2020/film/global/music-box-acquires-u-s-rights-to-francois-ozons-cannes-2020-highlight-summer-of-85-exclusive-1234763821/|title=Music Box Acquires U.S. Rights to Francois Ozon's Cannes 2020 Highlight 'Summer of 85' (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Elsa|last=Keslassy|date=9 September 2020|access-date=30 September 2020}} It screened at the 2020 Toronto International Film Festival on 13 September 2020.{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2020/07/toronto-film-festival-2020-lineup-werner-herzog-regina-king-mira-nair-francois-ozon-naomi-kawase-1202999399/|title=Toronto Sets 2020 Lineup: Werner Herzog, Regina King, Mira Nair, Francois Ozon, Naomi Kawase Titles Join Hybrid Edition|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Andreas|last=Wiseman|date=July 30, 2020|access-date=July 30, 2020}} It was released in the United States on 18 June 2021.{{cite web|url=https://thefilmstage.com/u-s-trailer-for-francois-ozons-summer-of-85-brings-romance-and-mystery/|title=U.S. Trailer for François Ozon's Summer of 85 Brings Romance and Mystery|website=The Film Stage|first=Jordan|last=Raup|date=12 May 2021|access-date=16 May 2021}}{{cite web |title=Summer of 85 |url=https://www.filmlinc.org/films/summer-of-85/ |website=Film at Lincoln Center |access-date=21 June 2021}}

Reception

=Critical reception=

On review aggregator AlloCiné it has a rating of 3.9/5 based on 33 press reviews.{{cite web|url=https://www.allocine.fr/film/fichefilm_gen_cfilm=274837.html|title=Eté 85|website=AlloCiné|access-date=14 June 2025}}

Summer of 85 holds {{a or an|{{RT data|score}}}} approval rating on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average of {{RT data|average}}. The site's critical consensus reads, "While not François Ozon's best work, Summer of 85 serves as a beguiling, bittersweet ode to teen love and its lingering after-effects."{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/summer_of_85|title=Summer of 85 (2020)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|date=18 June 2021|publisher=Fandango|access-date={{RT data|access date|df=dmy}}}} On Metacritic, the film holds a rating of 65 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".{{cite web|url=https://www.metacritic.com/movie/summer-of-85|title=Summer of 85|website=Metacritic|access-date=14 June 2025}}