Love at First Fight

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Love at First Fight

2015

1h 38m

Romance

Comedy

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Popcornmeter

82%

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33 Reviews

67%

Popcornmeter

500+ Ratings

A small-town man (Kévin Azaïs) falls in love with an apocalyptic-minded woman (Adèle Haenel) and joins her at boot camp to learn survivalist skills.

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Clarence Tsui

The Hollywood Reporter

12/31/2015

Love at First Fight is overflowing with relentlessly acerbic humor that shapes the way the film's two young protagonists contend with not just each other, but also with the uncertainties of the world they're emerging into as adults.

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Peter Debruge

Variety

12/31/2015

Aggression, not affection, sparks romance in Les Combattants, a promising feature debut that already had members of the French film establishment touting newcomer Thomas Cailley as the next big thing.

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Mark Kermode

Observer (UK)

06/21/2015

4/5

The dramatic final act is audacious, yet wholly in keeping with the film's bubbling themes of love and war.

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Lucía Ros Serra

Espinof

04/23/2020

Thomas Cailley's debut is more than admirable: he achieves something simple from something complicated, offering a story with many layers and reflections about youth. [Full Review in Spanish]

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Peter Calder

New Zealand Herald

05/04/2016

3.5/5

The debut feature for its young writer-director, this unassuming but engaging French dramedy deserves the prizes it picked up at Cannes and at the country's Oscar-equivalent Cesars.

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John Fink

The Film Stage

02/22/2016

B+

Irritably charming, Love at First Fight is a warm summer romance destined to be remade by Hollywood.

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Claudio C

@Claudio666 Mar 24

Cute and Original (12,350 – 24 Mar 2026) In France, after the death of his father, Manu assumes the carpentry business with his brother Arnaud. While at military enlistment, Arnaud is challenged by Madeleine Beaulieu to fight her. She subdues him but he cheats and bites her arm, winning the dispute. The brothers are hired by Madeleine’s parents to build a shelter near the swimming pool, and Arnaud learns that Madeleine is a pessimist young woman that wants to join the army to learn to survive since she believes the world will end. When she joins the army training, Arnaud joins too since he has a crush on her. "Les combattants", a;k.a. "Love at First Fight" (2014), is a cute and original French romance by Thomas Cailley. The plot is totally different and works, gripping the attention of the viewer that likes French romantic comedies. The reference to Covid in 2014 is interesting. My vote is seven. Title (Brazil): "Amor à Primeira Briga" ("Love at the First Fight")

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Aender S

@RT01933294 04/19/2024

A different take on the subject of romance with a catchy musical score.

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03/05/2018

This is quite an amusing film until about the half point where it completely loses its way really. Maybe it's just funnier when Madeleine is oblivious to Arnaud's advances but I found myself bored once they left the army camp. Promising debut overall though.

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10/15/2017

This is a great movie. A more accurate translation of the title would be The Survivalists! In French it's Les Combattants...

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01/01/2017

The blossoming love story is worthwhile, but the setting and background for it offers up the most interest.

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08/14/2016

Cracking wee tale of young love and forest fires .... recommended by the Guardian so we gave it a whirl. Gives good insight into modern French mores. Not your average Hollywood blockbuster, and all the better for that.

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Thomas Cailley

Director

Adèle Haenel

Madeleine Beaulieu

Kévin Azaïs

Arnaud Labrède

Antoine Laurent

Manu Labrède

Brigitte Roüan

Hélène Labrède

William Lebghil

Xavier

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Synopsis

A small-town man (Kévin Azaïs) falls in love with an apocalyptic-minded woman (Adèle Haenel) and joins her at boot camp to learn survivalist skills.

Director: Thomas Cailley
Producer: Pierre Guyard
Screenwriter: Thomas Cailley, Claude Le Pape
Distributor: Strand Releasing
Production Co: Nord-Ouest Films, Appaloosa Distribution
Genre: Romance, Comedy
Original Language: French (France)
Release Date (Theaters): May 22, 2015, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Dec 8, 2015
Box Office (Gross USA): $25.1K
Runtime: 1h 38m