Overview
A poignant exploration of childhood and loss unfolds in a magical setting.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Moderate
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- tender
- wistful
- dreamy
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly regard the film as a precise, emotionally resonant, and imaginative meditation on childhood grief and the mother daughter bond.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Nelly meets Marion, a girl her own age who is connected to her mother’s childhood, making the past physically accessible through a child’s perspective.
The ordinary process of clearing a family home is interwoven with an impossible connection between mother and daughter across time.
Nelly’s adventures and friendship in the woods transform bereavement and the work of sorting her grandmother’s belongings into an imaginative emotional process.
The house, woods, and treehouse are presented with calm naturalism while supporting the film’s tender temporal mystery.
Films like Petite Maman, and why
The Spirit of the Beehive
Tender childhood perspective, magical realism, and emotionally restrained family grief
The Miraculous Stranger
Intimate mother daughter relationship, childhood wonder, and gently uncanny fantasy
The Reflecting Skin
Poetic coming of age, memory, and luminous encounters with the past
Where Is the Friend's Home?
Quietly moving exploration of parent child bonds through an imaginative child’s viewpoint
Movie Details
- Director
- Céline Sciamma
- Release Date
- 2021-06-02
- Runtime
- 72 min
- Rating
- 7.1 / 10 (485)
Cast
- Joséphine Sanz
- Gabrielle Sanz
- Nina Meurisse
- Stéphane Varupenne
- Margot Abascal
- Florès Cardo
- Josée Schuller
- Guylène Péan
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand
- Buy
- Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Petite Maman about?
- After losing her grandmother, an eight-year-old girl finds an impossible bridge to her mother’s childhood through a new friend in the woods.
- What is Petite Maman like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Petite Maman as measured, its intensity as moderate and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Petite Maman violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Petite Maman.
- What did critics think of Petite Maman?
- Critics broadly regard the film as a precise, emotionally resonant, and imaginative meditation on childhood grief and the mother daughter bond.
- Which films are like Petite Maman?
- Films with a similar feel include The Spirit of the Beehive, The Miraculous Stranger, The Reflecting Skin, and Where Is the Friend's Home?.
- How long is Petite Maman?
- Petite Maman runs 72 minutes.
- Where can I watch Petite Maman?
- In United States, Petite Maman is available to rent or buy from Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Spectrum On Demand.
