Overview
A haunting exploration of a tragic day that changed lives forever.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Extreme
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Graphic
- austere
- harrowing
- contemplative
- serious film discussion
- historical drama viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's formally controlled, compassionate reconstruction of the Montreal Massacre, finding beauty and moral seriousness in its restrained treatment of violence.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Pierre Gill's black-and-white imagery minimizes graphic blood effects while giving the massacre a stark, contemplative visual form.
The gunman targets female engineering students while Valérie's internship interview exposes discriminatory assumptions about women's professional and family aspirations.
The story moves among the Assassin, Valérie, and Jean-François rather than relying on a single survivor's viewpoint.
The film faithfully recreates the Montreal massacre while avoiding tabloid treatment and leaving audiences to read between the frames.
Films like Polytechnique, and why
Elephant
shares a cool, formalist examination of a school massacre through multiple perspectives, restrained violence, and moral aftermath
We Need to Talk About Kevin
shares an austere treatment of institutional violence, intersecting viewpoints, and attention to the social conditions surrounding an atrocity
The United 93
shares a stark, psychologically unsettling account of targeted violence and the ethical challenge of representing real trauma
The Nightingale
shares a minimalist, monochrome visual approach and a serious exploration of misogyny, violence, and collective memory
Movie Details
- Director
- Denis Villeneuve
- Release Date
- 2009-02-06
- Runtime
- 77 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (717)
Cast
- Maxim Gaudette
- Sébastien Huberdeau
- Karine Vanasse
- Evelyne Brochu
- Martin Watier
- Johanne-Marie Tremblay
- Natalie Hamel-Roy
- Pierre-Yves Cardinal
- Pierre Leblanc
- Francesca Barcenas
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Polytechnique about?
- A stark, compassionate reconstruction of the École Polytechnique massacre that confronts misogyny through three interlocking perspectives.
- What is Polytechnique like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Polytechnique as brisk, its intensity as extreme and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Polytechnique violent?
- Yes. Ember rates the violence in Polytechnique as graphic.
- What did critics think of Polytechnique?
- Critics broadly praised the film's formally controlled, compassionate reconstruction of the Montreal Massacre, finding beauty and moral seriousness in its restrained treatment of violence.
- Which films are like Polytechnique?
- Films with a similar feel include Elephant, We Need to Talk About Kevin, The United 93, and The Nightingale.
- How long is Polytechnique?
- Polytechnique runs 77 minutes.
- Where can I watch Polytechnique?
- In United States, Polytechnique streams on Philo, Fandor, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
