Being 17
Two Alpine teenagers move from violent rivalry toward a fragile first love as family upheaval and hidden desire reshape their lives.
Overview
In a world where friendship and rivalry intertwine, two boys discover the complexities of love and identity amidst the challenges of adolescence.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- tender
- melancholic
- intimate
- quiet evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a touching, naturalistic, and unusually sensitive account of adolescent bullying, sexual awakening, and emotional discovery.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Damien and Thomas begin as secret combatants before their enforced proximity reveals mutual vulnerability and attraction.
Damien questions his sexuality while hiding his crush on Thomas amid bullying and school pressure.
The boys' conflicts and discoveries unfold against an Alpine village, school, farms, and mountain landscapes with an ultra-naturalistic tone.
The year is divided into three on-screen chapters called trimesters, linking school life to Christine's pregnancy.
Films like Being 17, and why
The Way He Looks
adolescent same-sex desire, bullying, secrecy, and tender emotional discovery in a character-driven drama
Heartstone
French LGBTQ coming-of-age drama centered on first love, identity, and social pressure
God's Own Country
intimate queer teenage romance shaped by repression, vulnerability, and emotional awakening
North Sea Texas
naturalistic coming-of-age drama about sexuality, friendship, and painful self-discovery
Movie Details
- Director
- André Téchiné
- Release Date
- 2016-02-27
- Runtime
- 116 min
- Rating
- 6.8 / 10 (389)
Cast
- Sandrine Kiberlain
- Kacey Mottet Klein
- Corentin Fila
- Alexis Loret
- Jean Fornerod
- Mama Prassinos
- Jean Corso
- Rémi Garcia
- Maïté Arraiza
- Françoise Gaillard
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Strand Releasing 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 Being 17 about?
- Two Alpine teenagers move from violent rivalry toward a fragile first love as family upheaval and hidden desire reshape their lives.
- What is Being 17 like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Being 17 as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Being 17 violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Being 17 as mild.
- What did critics think of Being 17?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a touching, naturalistic, and unusually sensitive account of adolescent bullying, sexual awakening, and emotional discovery.
- Which films are like Being 17?
- Films with a similar feel include The Way He Looks, Heartstone, God's Own Country, and North Sea Texas.
- How long is Being 17?
- Being 17 runs 116 minutes.
- Where can I watch Being 17?
- In United States, Being 17 streams on Strand Releasing Amazon Channel.
