The Past
Seen it?2013 | 130 min | Drama, Mystery
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (92% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and a box office loss. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who likes to be kept guessing. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Tense.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 2 hr 10 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated PG-13. Probably too much for younger kids.
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
After four years apart, Ahmad returns to his wife Marie in Paris in order to progress their divorce. During his brief stay, he cannot help noticing the strained relationship between Marie and her daughter Lucie. As he attempts to improve matters between mother and daughter Ahmad unwittingly lifts the lid on a long buried secret...
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
92% on Rotten Tomatoes, 85 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.2 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Best Actress Award. Also nominated for 2 Golden Globes. Plus 7 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$11 million worldwide on a $11 million budget; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 21K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Asghar Farhadi
- Bérénice BejoMarie Brisson
- Ali MosaffaAhmad
- Tahar RahimSamir
- Pauline BurletLucie
- Elyes AguisFouad
- Jeanne JestinLéa
- Sabrina OuazaniNaïma
- Babak KarimiShahryar
- Valéria CavalliValeria
- Aleksandra KlebanskaCeline