Overview
A summer of passion and turmoil unfolds on a secluded island, where love and responsibility clash.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- romantic
- wistful
- rebellious
- reflective evening
- classic cinema night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Bergman's youthful romance as a deeply sympathetic and influential portrait of impulsive love, social constraint, and the transition into adulthood.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Harry embraces education and employment after Monika becomes pregnant, while Monika resists the demands of family life.
Harry and Monika abandon their families and stockroom jobs to spend an isolated summer on an island.
The Stockholm archipelago and isolated island summer provide the couple's temporary refuge from small-town routines.
Nineteen-year-old Harry is forced to mature through marriage, parenthood, work, and renewed studies.
Films like Summer with Monika, and why
A Swedish Love Story
youthful romance, social constraint, and emotionally candid coming-of-age drama
Breathless
romantic escape, intimate naturalism, and the pressures of adult responsibility
The 400 Blows
rebellious young lovers, doomed freedom, and bittersweet romantic realism
The Graduate
passionate young romance confronting class and domestic expectations
Movie Details
- Director
- Ingmar Bergman
- Release Date
- 1953-02-09
- Runtime
- 98 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (408)
Cast
- Harriet Andersson
- Lars Ekborg
- Dagmar Ebbesen
- Åke Fridell
- Naemi Briese
- Åke Grönberg
- Sigge Fürst
- John Harryson
- Georg Skarstedt
- Gösta Ericsson
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Criterion Channel
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Summer with Monika about?
- A rebellious summer escape becomes a poignant test of whether youthful love can survive the demands of parenthood and ordinary life.
- What is Summer with Monika like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Summer with Monika as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Summer with Monika violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Summer with Monika.
- What did critics think of Summer with Monika?
- Critics broadly regard Bergman's youthful romance as a deeply sympathetic and influential portrait of impulsive love, social constraint, and the transition into adulthood.
- Which films are like Summer with Monika?
- Films with a similar feel include A Swedish Love Story, Breathless, The 400 Blows, and The Graduate.
- How long is Summer with Monika?
- Summer with Monika runs 98 minutes.
- Where can I watch Summer with Monika?
- In United States, Summer with Monika streams on Criterion Channel.
