critics consensus

The smartly written French Exit offers proof that even the most caustic characters can be made entertaining -- and even relatable -- through a Michelle Pfeiffer performance. Read critic reviews

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Movie Info

A widowed New York socialite and her aimless son move to Paris after she spends the last of her husband's inheritance.

Rating:

R (Language and Sexual References)
Genre:

comedy, drama
Original Language:

English
Director:

Azazel Jacobs
Producer:

Trish Dolman, Olivier Glaas, Christine Haebler, Katie Holly, Belle Nuru, Christina Piovesan, Noah Segal
Writer:

Patrick deWitt
Release Date (Theaters):

Feb 12, 2021 limited
Runtime:

1h 50m
Production Co:

Telefilm Canada, Saalgo Productions, Blinder Films, Rocket Science, Terminal City Pictures, Elevation Pictures, Screen Siren Pictures
Aspect Ratio:

Scope (2.35:1)

Cast & Crew

Michelle Pfeiffer
Frances Price

Lucas Hedges
Malcolm Price

Tracy Letts
Small Frank
Voice

Valerie Mahaffey
Mme. Reynard

Susan Coyne
Joan

Danielle Macdonald
Madeleine

Show all Cast & Crew

Critic Reviews for French Exit

All Critics (77) | Top Critics (21) | Fresh (47) | Rotten (30)

French Exit is headlined by the sharpest Michelle Pfeiffer we've seen in years, in a role so handsomely form-fitted to her talent, style, and attitude, it's as if the movie had been written with that distinctive curl of her mouth.

February 17, 2021 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

K. Austin Collins
Rolling Stone
It's be hard to defend this movie as a good movie but it does sort of have its guilty pleasures.

February 13, 2021 | Full Review…

Peter Rainer
FilmWeek (KPCC - NPR Los Angeles)
Even when the film as a whole grows a little ungainly, as it fills up with supporting characters who feel more like one-note ideas than actual people, Pfeiffer's steely presence anchors the proceedings.

February 12, 2021 | Rating: 3/4 | Full Review…

Christy Lemire
RogerEbert.com
The misadventures of the eccentrically wealthy may not exactly fit the mood right now, but the new "French Exit" is so genuine in its mix of arch and earnest, idiosyncrasy and earthiness that it creates a space all for itself.

February 12, 2021 | Full Review…

Mark Olsen
Los Angeles Times
Too listless to fizz and too peculiar to win us over, "French Exit," directed by Azazel Jacobs, is hampered by clockwork quirkiness and disaffected dialogue.

February 11, 2021 | Full Review…

Jeannette Catsoulis
New York Times
It's a restless portrait of a bizarrely aimless woman.

February 11, 2021 | Rating: A- | Full Review…

Mike D'Angelo
AV Club
Pfeiffer makes Frances fully her own, rendering her spectacularly superior as she mixes with mere mortals and reflects sadly on her life.

March 5, 2021 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Emma Simmonds
Radio Times
Smart but not a particularly good dramedy.

March 1, 2021 | Rating: C+ | Full Review…

Dennis Schwartz
Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews
French Exit is a messy, uneven film that tries to be too quirky for its own good. The characters in the movie act more and more ridiculous until the story reaches a very uninspired and tepid conclusion.

February 19, 2021 | Full Review…

Carla Hay
Culture Mix
It's a warm portrait of a mother and son who are clueless about the world, directed at an unhurried pace by Azazel Jacobs from a script by author Patrick DeWitt.

February 19, 2021 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Rich Cline
Shadows on the Wall
Iffy messages in absurdist comedy with drinking, language.

February 18, 2021 | Rating: 3/5 | Full Review…

Tara McNamara
Common Sense Media
French Exit isn't a pleasure to watch, even with Michelle Pfeiffer doing her thing.

February 18, 2021 | Full Review…

Sarah Marrs
Lainey Gossip