Divines
A fiercely energetic teenager pursues escape from poverty through a dangerous drug enterprise while friendship and desire pull her toward different futures.
Overview
In the gritty streets of Paris, two friends seek a way out of their harsh reality.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Brisk
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- Mild
- urgent
- rebellious
- volatile
- social drama night
- french cinema evening
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film's raw energy, confident direction, and powerful performances while recognizing its intense social perspective.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Dounia joins Rebecca's drug operation because she wants to escape life in the slums and gain material independence.
Dounia and Maimouna begin their criminal work together, but their bond is strained by escalating risk and changing desires.
The film combines a grounded banlieue setting with energetic performances, dance, and urgent movement through street and criminal spaces.
Dounia and Rebecca occupy central positions in the drug economy, while Dounia actively pursues power rather than remaining a passive victim.
Films like Divines, and why
Girlhood
shares social realism, teenage female protagonists, urban poverty, and morally fraught survival choices
Fish Tank
shares coming of age drama, marginalized youth, street violence, and intimate friendship under economic pressure
La Haine
shares socially conscious drama, working class adolescence, and an emotionally volatile path toward self determination
Movie Details
- Director
- Houda Benyamina
- Release Date
- 2016-08-31
- Runtime
- 105 min
- Rating
- 7.7 / 10 (696)
Cast
- Oulaya Amamra
- Déborah Lukumuena
- Kévin Mischel
- Jisca Kalvanda
- Yasin Houicha
- Majdouline Idrissi
- Farid Larbi
- Bass Dhem
- Maryama Soumare
- Wilfried Romoli
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Divines about?
- A fiercely energetic teenager pursues escape from poverty through a dangerous drug enterprise while friendship and desire pull her toward different futures.
- What is Divines like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Divines as brisk, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Divines violent?
- Only mildly. Ember rates the violence in Divines as mild.
- What did critics think of Divines?
- Critics broadly praised the film's raw energy, confident direction, and powerful performances while recognizing its intense social perspective.
- Which films are like Divines?
- Films with a similar feel include Girlhood, Fish Tank, and La Haine.
- How long is Divines?
- Divines runs 105 minutes.
- Where can I watch Divines?
- In United States, Divines streams on Netflix, Netflix Standard with Ads.
