Overview
A solitary engineer's life takes an unexpected turn when he meets a captivating woman, challenging his beliefs about love and destiny.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- witty
- austere
- intimate
- quiet evening
- arthouse film night
What critics said
Critics broadly regard Rohmer's film as an elegant, intellectually demanding romantic drama distinguished by its precise writing, performances, and graceful formal balance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Jean-Louis repeatedly interprets his romantic choices through Blaise Pascal's writings, turning attraction and marriage into an ethical wager.
The central evening unfolds through extended debates among Jean-Louis, Vidal, and Maud about sex, love, religion, and morality.
Jean-Louis decides that the blonde woman he sees at church is destined to become his wife despite never having spoken to her.
Vidal deliberately brings Jean-Louis to Maud's apartment, where one night of conversation tests Jean-Louis's Catholic ideals and romantic resolve.
Films like My Night at Maud's, and why
The Green Ray
intellectual romantic drama built around conversation, moral uncertainty, and emotionally restrained attraction
The Mother and the Whore
French New Wave romantic uncertainty, introspective dialogue, and protagonists negotiating desire against personal ideals
Scenes from a Marriage
elegant European relationship drama centered on ethical choice, intellectual debate, and ambiguous romantic feeling
Certified Copy
talkative, morally probing chamber drama in which romantic decisions expose competing philosophies of life
Movie Details
- Director
- Éric Rohmer
- Release Date
- 1969-06-04
- Runtime
- 110 min
- Rating
- 7.6 / 10 (370)
Cast
- Jean-Louis Trintignant
- Françoise Fabian
- Marie-Christine Barrault
- Antoine Vitez
- Leonid Kogan
- Guy Léger
- Anne Dubot
- Marie Becker
- Marie-Claude Rauzier
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is My Night at Maud's about?
- A solitary Catholic engineer’s carefully calculated path toward marriage is unsettled by one intimate, philosophically charged night with a divorced atheist.
- What is My Night at Maud's like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of My Night at Maud's as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is My Night at Maud's violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in My Night at Maud's.
- What did critics think of My Night at Maud's?
- Critics broadly regard Rohmer's film as an elegant, intellectually demanding romantic drama distinguished by its precise writing, performances, and graceful formal balance.
- Which films are like My Night at Maud's?
- Films with a similar feel include The Green Ray, The Mother and the Whore, Scenes from a Marriage, and Certified Copy.
- How long is My Night at Maud's?
- My Night at Maud's runs 110 minutes.
- Where can I watch My Night at Maud's?
- In United States, My Night at Maud's streams on HBO Max Amazon Channel, Criterion Channel, HBO Max.
