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Poster for Departure

Departure

Seen it?

2016 | 109 min | Drama, Romance, Family

Sunday Safe Betearly rating

Why it’s a Sunday Safe Bet

It earned strong reviews (87% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had a box office flop and almost no lasting buzz. 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 romantics and families. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
The mood
Warm and romantic, feel-good.
The pace
Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 49 min.
What might put you off
  • No age rating on record, so check it first for young kids.
  • Audiences were cooler on it than critics.

An English mother and her teenage son spend a week preparing the sale of their remote holiday house in the South of France. Fifteen-year-old Elliot struggles with his dawning sexuality and an increasing alienation from his mother, Beatrice. She in turn is confronted by the realisation that her marriage to his father, Philip, has grown loveless and the life she knows is coming to an end. When an enigmatic local teenager, Clément, quietly enters their lives, both mother and son are compelled to confront their desires and, finally, each other.

How it earned its rating

  • CriticsStrong

    87% on Rotten Tomatoes

  • AudiencesBelow par

    6.3 out of 10

  • AwardsNot counted

    No major awards or nominations

  • Reach & staying powerWeak

    Streaming release that reached a small audience so far

  • Buzz & cultural impactWeak

    About 15K people sought it out in the past year

Trailer

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Cast & crew

Directed by Andrew Steggall

  • Juliet StevensonBeatrice
  • Alex LawtherElliot
  • Phénix BrossardClément
  • Finbar LynchPhilip
  • Niamh CusackSally
  • Patrice JuiffFrançois
  • Guillaume ToboButcher
  • Danièle CatalaWoman at the Market