Breathe
A lonely French teenager finds exhilarating belonging in a new friendship that curdles into psychological danger when affection becomes dependence.
Overview
An intense friendship spirals into danger as two teenage girls navigate their tumultuous bond.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- melancholic
- intimate
- tense
- quiet evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a sensitive, well-acted portrayal of the bittersweet upheaval and emotional volatility of adolescence.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Charlie feels fulfilled and invincible through Sarah's closeness, then destabilized when Sarah withdraws.
Charlie and Sarah move from inseparable companionship toward conflict as Sarah seeks new social attachments.
The film foregrounds Charlie's doubt, disillusionment, solitude, and intense but damaging friendship.
The girls' rapid exchange of secrets and growing inseparability establish the conditions for later hostility.
Films like Breathe, and why
Thirteen
intense adolescent friendship, volatile identity formation, and emotionally raw coming of age drama
Heavenly Creatures
psychologically charged teenage friendship, social alienation, and unsettling adolescent intimacy
The Scent of Green Papaya
sensitive French coming of age drama centered on female friendship and emotional dependence
Movie Details
- Director
- Mélanie Laurent
- Release Date
- 2014-11-12
- Runtime
- 91 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (489)
Cast
- Joséphine Japy
- Lou de Laâge
- Isabelle Carré
- Roxane Duran
- Claire Keim
- Radivoje Bukvić
- Thomas Solivérès
- Camille Claris
- Louka Meliava
- Louise Grinberg
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- France Channel Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Breathe about?
- A lonely French teenager finds exhilarating belonging in a new friendship that curdles into psychological danger when affection becomes dependence.
- What is Breathe like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Breathe as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Breathe violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Breathe as mild.
- What did critics think of Breathe?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a sensitive, well-acted portrayal of the bittersweet upheaval and emotional volatility of adolescence.
- Which films are like Breathe?
- Films with a similar feel include Thirteen, Heavenly Creatures, and The Scent of Green Papaya.
- How long is Breathe?
- Breathe runs 91 minutes.
- Where can I watch Breathe?
- In United States, Breathe streams on France Channel Amazon Channel.
