Overview
An unassuming cleaning lady harbors a hidden talent that could change her life forever.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Layered
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- contemplative
- intimate
- quiet evening
- arthouse movie night
What critics said
Critics broadly praised this subtle, well-crafted French biographical drama for its sensitive treatment of art, religion, and mental illness and for Yolande Moreau's brilliant performance.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
Séraphine Louis is presented as a marginalized domestic worker whose paintings attract the attention of collector Wilhelm Uhde.
Séraphine's painting practice and the mysterious preparation of her works are central to the film's atmosphere and characterization.
Critics specifically describe the film as a study in subtlety while it follows Séraphine's relationship with art, religion, and mental illness.
Wilhelm Uhde's discovery of Séraphine places her work within the unequal dynamics of patronage, class, and the early modern art market.
Films like Séraphine, and why
Big Eyes
quiet biographical drama about an outsider artist, with restrained period detail and a powerful central performance
Camille Claudel 1915
meditative portrait of a gifted artist whose private life and creative practice collide with social pressures
Mr. Turner
elegant European period biopic exploring artistic vocation, psychological fragility, and patronage
The Diving Bell and the Butterfly
subtle art-centered character study shaped by isolation, social marginalization, and mental illness
Movie Details
- Director
- Martin Provost
- Release Date
- 2008-10-01
- Runtime
- 125 min
- Rating
- 6.7 / 10 (141)
Cast
- Yolande Moreau
- Ulrich Tukur
- Anne Bennent
- Geneviève Mnich
- Nico Rogner
- Adélaïde Leroux
- Françoise Lebrun
- Hélène Hardouin
- Serge Larivière
- Léna Bréban
Where to watch in United States
- Streaming
- Philo, OVID, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cineverse 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 Séraphine about?
- A marginalized cleaning woman in wartime France finds belated recognition as a visionary painter, while art, faith, and fragile mental health pull her toward an unsettling destiny.
- What is Séraphine like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Séraphine as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as layered.
- Is Séraphine violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Séraphine.
- What did critics think of Séraphine?
- Critics broadly praised this subtle, well-crafted French biographical drama for its sensitive treatment of art, religion, and mental illness and for Yolande Moreau's brilliant performance.
- Which films are like Séraphine?
- Films with a similar feel include Big Eyes, Camille Claudel 1915, Mr. Turner, and The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.
- How long is Séraphine?
- Séraphine runs 125 minutes.
- Where can I watch Séraphine?
- In United States, Séraphine streams on Philo, OVID, Fandor Amazon Channel, Cineverse Amazon Channel.
