The New Girlfriend
After her best friend's death, a grieving woman discovers that her friend's widowed husband is living a secret feminine identity, forcing friendship, desire, and social expectations into unsettling transformation.
Overview
A woman's life is turned upside down as she uncovers a shocking secret after her best friend's death.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- witty
- mischievous
- arthouse film night
- lgbtq+ cinema viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised François Ozon's thoughtful, humorous, and stylish examination of sexual and gender identity, while noting some deliberately convoluted turns.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
David's emergence as Virginia drives Claire's changing understanding of selfhood and intimacy.
The film combines melodramatic transformation with mischievous humor and deliberately heightened situations.
Claire discovers David's secret and must renegotiate their friendship and her assumptions about him.
Critics specifically identify an understated Hitchcockian suspense strain in the film's treatment of desire and transformation.
Films like The New Girlfriend, and why
Tootsie
shared gender identity exploration, melodramatic stylization, and mischievous humor
Tomboy
shared lgbtq+ themes, emotional intimacy, and elegant European character drama
The Crying Game
shared transformation narrative, sexual identity themes, and camp-inflected dramatic tone
Swimming Pool
shared provocative identity questions, friendship-centered drama, and heightened psychological tension
Movie Details
- Director
- François Ozon
- Release Date
- 2014-10-11
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 6.1 / 10 (325)
Cast
- Romain Duris
- Anaïs Demoustier
- Raphaël Personnaz
- Isild Le Besco
- Aurore Clément
- Jean-Claude Bolle-Reddat
- Claudine Chatel
- Anita Gillier
- Alex Fondja
- Zita Hanrot
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cohen Media Amazon Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is The New Girlfriend about?
- After her best friend's death, a grieving woman discovers that her friend's widowed husband is living a secret feminine identity, forcing friendship, desire, and social expectations into unsettling transformation.
- What is The New Girlfriend like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of The New Girlfriend as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is The New Girlfriend violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in The New Girlfriend.
- What did critics think of The New Girlfriend?
- Critics broadly praised François Ozon's thoughtful, humorous, and stylish examination of sexual and gender identity, while noting some deliberately convoluted turns.
- Which films are like The New Girlfriend?
- Films with a similar feel include Tootsie, Tomboy, The Crying Game, and Swimming Pool.
- How long is The New Girlfriend?
- The New Girlfriend runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch The New Girlfriend?
- In United States, The New Girlfriend streams on Philo, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cohen Media Amazon Channel.
