Anatomy of a Fall

Anatomy of a Fall

Company type	Film
Industry	Film industry
Founded	2023
Founder	Justine Triet, Arthur Harari
Products	Psychological legal drama film

Anatomy of a Fall () is a 2023 French psychological legal drama helmed by director Justine Triet, who co-wrote the screenplay alongside Arthur Harari. The film features Sandra Hüller portraying a novelist defending herself in the investigation surrounding her husband's death, with supporting performances from Swann Arlaud, Milo Machado-Graner, Antoine Reinartz, among others.

The movie debuted at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2023, where it received the and the Palm Dog Award, and was also in competition for the Queer Palm. Released in France by Le Pacte starting on 23 August 2023, it achieved widespread critical praise, attracted over 1.9 million viewers domestically, and secured six prizes at the 49th César Awards, including Best Film. On the international stage, it earned five nominations at the 96th Academy Awards, such as Best Picture, Best Director (Triet), and Best Actress (Hüller), winning Best Original Screenplay. The film is widely regarded as one of the defining cinematic works of both the 2020s and the twenty-first century.

Produced by Les Films Pelléas and Les Films de Pierre, its production budget was €6.2 million ($6.7 million), while global box office receipts totaled $36 million. The dialogue alternates between French and English, with a total runtime of 152 minutes.

Plot

Set in a remote mountain chalet near Grenoble, novelist Sandra Voyter postpones an interview with a female student because her husband, Samuel Maleski—a university professor—plays loud music from their attic. After the student departs, Sandra’s visually impaired eleven-year-old son Daniel goes for a walk accompanied by his guide dog, Snoop. Upon returning home, Daniel discovers Samuel has died following an apparent fall.

Sandra maintains that Samuel’s fall was accidental. Her lawyer friend Vincent proposes that it might have been suicide, recalling an incident six months prior when Samuel overdosed on aspirin after discontinuing his antidepressant medication. The investigation uncovers inconsistencies in Daniel’s statements, evidence of a head injury Samuel suffered before falling, and an audio recording capturing an argument between Sandra and Samuel the previous day. Sandra is formally charged with homicide but is released on bail.

A year later, Sandra’s trial commences. The defense argues that Samuel fell accidentally from the attic window onto a shed roof, whereas the prosecution contends that Sandra struck him with a blunt instrument before pushing him off the balcony. During court proceedings, Sandra admits to harboring resentment towards Samuel due to his involvement in Daniel’s vision impairment.

The recorded altercation reveals Samuel accusing Sandra of plagiarism, infidelity, and controlling behavior before becoming physically aggressive. Prosecutors assert that all violence originated from Sandra; she counters by admitting only to slapping him while he inflicted self-harm. After confessing to a prior affair, Sandra faces claims that Samuel’s loud music was motivated by jealousy over her flirtations, which triggered their confrontation. The prosecution emphasizes Sandra’s tendency to incorporate personal disputes into her novels, pointing out that a character expressing homicidal thoughts parallels aspects of this case. Sandra rebuts this by stating that one recording and fictional characters cannot define their relationship or her motives.

Daniel insists on giving testimony prior to closing statements. The judge enforces strict courtroom guidelines and appoints Marge as court monitor. Daniel asks Sandra to leave their home for the weekend so he can be alone with Marge and Snoop. He recalls that when Samuel overdosed previously, Snoop also became ill—likely from ingesting vomit—and confirms aspirin causes similar effects in the dog. Struggling with uncertainty, Daniel confides in Marge, who advises him to trust what feels true when facts remain ambiguous.

On the witness stand, Daniel expresses understanding of suicide but firmly denies murder. He recounts Samuel’s remarks about preparing for loss and embracing life's continuation as indications of suicidal intent. Following Daniel's testimony, Sandra is found not guilty. Back at home, mother and son share their anxieties before embracing each other. The day concludes with Sandra reflecting on a photograph of herself and Samuel prior to falling asleep with Snoop nearby.

Cast

• Sandra Hüller portrays Sandra Voyter
• Swann Arlaud plays Vincent Renzi
• Milo Machado-Graner appears as Daniel Maleski
• Antoine Reinartz takes on the role of the prosecutor
• Samuel Theis features as Samuel Maleski
• Jehnny Beth acts as Marge Berger
• embodies Nour
• Camille Rutherford is cast as Zoé Solidor
• Anne Rotger performs as the President
• Sophie Fillières represents Monica
• Messi appears as Snoop

Development

On 10 July 2021, Variety announced that and would jointly produce Justine Triet's fourth feature film, Anatomie d'une chute, co-written alongside Arthur Harari and described as a "Hitchcockian procedural thriller." The international distribution rights were managed by mk2 Films.

Triet’s inspiration for this project originated from her interest in revisiting the courtroom drama genre following her 2016 film In Bed with Victoria. She sought to delve into the complexities of legal proceedings intertwined with relationship dynamics and cohabitation challenges. The narrative draws from the Amanda Knox case, exploring issues of cultural otherness and language obstacles within a judicial framework.

In a conversation with The New Yorker, Triet highlighted that the film centers on mutual exchange in romantic partnerships, addressing cultural gender expectations and focusing on a female lead who is an artist by profession.

The lead character was crafted specifically for Sandra Hüller, marking their second collaboration after Sibyl (2019). Hüller’s role is that of a German author accused of killing her French spouse; due to their linguistic differences, much of their dialogue is conducted in English. Triet deliberately chose this language approach to emphasize themes of identity and estrangement during the trial.

Although Hüller invested significant effort in learning French for the part, her character mainly speaks English. A scene involving German dialogue was filmed but ultimately excluded from the final cut. Throughout production, Triet maintained ambiguity regarding the character’s culpability, instructing Hüller to portray innocence without definitive confirmation. Triet has suggested that further insight into this ambiguity may be shared years after the film’s release.

A sex scene between Sandra and her lawyer was removed upon producer Marie-Ange Luciani’s recommendation to avoid perpetuating outdated stereotypes. Hüller agreed with this decision, criticizing conventional depictions of romantic relationships.

Initially, the song "Jolene" was planned for a crucial scene but was replaced by "P.I.M.P." due to licensing constraints. Triet remarked on the stark contrast between these tracks while noting how each thematically complements the film’s tension.

Filming

Principal photography commenced in late February 2022 and wrapped up on 13 May 2022. The majority of filming took place in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, with locations including Maurienne and Villarembert in Savoie, as well as Montbonnot-Saint-Martin and Grenoble in Isère. Courtroom sequences were filmed at the courthouse in Saintes, Charente-Maritime, where a symbolic representation of justice remains visible post-filming. Additional scenes were captured in Paris.

Theatrical

Anatomy of a Fall made its debut at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2023. The film was subsequently released in French cinemas by Le Pacte on 23 August 2023. It was also featured at the 27th Lima Film Festival in August and later at the 28th Busan International Film Festival in October 2023.

In May 2023, distribution rights for North America were acquired by Neon, which initiated a limited theatrical release in the United States on 13 October 2023, followed by a wider rollout. Later, in September 2023, Lionsgate UK obtained UK and Ireland distribution rights from Picturehouse Entertainment, with a planned release date of 10 November 2023.

Home media

On 21 December 2023, Anatomy of a Fall became available in France through digital platforms as well as on Blu-ray and DVD, distributed by Le Pacte and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment France. Streaming commenced on MyCanal starting 24 February 2024.

In North America, The Criterion Collection issued Blu-ray and DVD editions on 28 May 2024.

Critical response

The film garnered extensive critical praise. On AlloCiné, it holds a score of 4.4 out of 5 based on evaluations from 40 French critics.

Both Triet and Hüller were singled out for commendation; Le Figaro described it as Triet’s "most ambitious and accomplished work to date". Jon Frosch from The Hollywood Reporter lauded Hüller as "exceptional" and regarded the film as a significant milestone in Triet’s international career. Awarding four stars, Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian emphasized Hüller’s captivating portrayal. Damon Wise of Deadline Hollywood highlighted her magnetic presence as central to the film’s effectiveness.

David Sims of The Atlantic attributed much of the movie’s resonance to Hüller’s remarkable performance. Steve Pond at TheWrap admired Triet’s nuanced narrative technique, while Alexandra Heller-Nicholas from the Alliance of Women Film Journalists acknowledged both Hüller and Triet as exemplary figures in their fields.

Raphael Abraham of Financial Times gave the film four stars, noting its examination of power dynamics within marriage alongside its suspenseful elements, suggesting Hüller was deserving of Cannes’ Best Actress honors. Candice Frederick from the HuffPost described it as "utterly gripping," appreciating its focus on intricate personal relationships rather than conventional crime drama.

Peter Debruge of Variety called it a "thought-provoking" and "unusually mature" portrayal of modern relationships. In contrast, Richard Brody of The New Yorker dismissed it as "prestige cinema resembling an airport novel."

Ranking third in Cahiers du Cinéma’’s top ten films for 2023, the movie also appeared ninth on Scott Phillips’ "Best Films of 2023" list for Forbes, and seventh on David Fear’s "20 Best Movies of 2023" compiled by Rolling Stone. It received acclaim from numerous directors and actors including Robert Eggers, Bill Hader, and Lulu Wang.

By June 2025, IndieWire placed it at number 66 in their compilation of "The 100 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far)." Additionally, in 2025 it ranked twenty-sixth on The New York Times’’ "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century" list and secured the eightieth position in their "Readers' Choice" edition.

Box office

By 15 April 2024, Anatomy of a Fall had accumulated $5.1 million in box office revenue across the United States and Canada, alongside $30.9 million from international markets, bringing its global total to $36 million. The leading contributors to its earnings included France ($14.6 million), the United States ($5.1 million), Spain ($2.7 million), and Germany ($2.2 million).

In France, the film premiered in 379 theaters, debuting at second place with more than $2 million in revenue and 262,698 tickets sold. It ranked just behind Barbie (which sold 288,185 tickets) but surpassed Oppenheimer (231,550 tickets). This opening marked the strongest debut for a Palme d’Or winner in France since The Class in 2008. During its second weekend, it maintained the number two position behind The Equalizer 3, yet overtook Barbie with a cumulative ticket count of 608,913. In its third weekend, it climbed to the top spot at the French box office with 191,392 admissions across 738 theaters, reaching an overall total of 800,283 tickets sold and generating $5.7 million. By the fourth weekend, it had slipped to fifth place with a total of 921,308 admissions.

On 23 September 2023, within one month of release, the film surpassed one million admissions in France, becoming only the seventh Palme d’Or recipient—and third French Palme d’Or winner—to reach this milestone since 2000. By May 2024, after 35 weeks in French cinemas, admissions exceeded 1.9 million.

In the United States, Anatomy of a Fall earned $117,000 during its opening weekend from five theaters and increased to $152,000 across fourteen theaters in its second weekend. Its third weekend expansion to 262 theaters brought in $634,000 (ranking eleventh), followed by a fourth weekend presence in 440 theaters generating $600,355 and pushing the total US gross to $2 million.

Accolades

On 26 May 2023, Anatomy of a Fall was awarded the Palme d'Or at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, marking it as the third film helmed by a female director to receive this prestigious prize after Julia Ducournau's Titane (2021) and Jane Campion's The Piano (1993). It was selected from a competition of twenty-two films.

On 13 September 2023, it was shortlisted among five French contenders for submission to the Best International Feature Film category at the 96th Academy Awards. However, on 21 September 2023, France opted to submit The Taste of Things instead. This decision stirred debate amid allegations that director Justine Triet faced repercussions for her critical remarks about French President Emmanuel Macron during her Cannes acceptance speech.

Questions were raised regarding the film’s qualification for Best International Feature due to its English-language content. The US distributor Neon confirmed that French dialogue constitutes 59% of the film’s spoken lines, satisfying the Academy’s requirement that over half of the dialogue be non-English. In contrast, France’s official submission The Taste of Things is entirely in French. Despite this controversy, Anatomy of a Fall received five Academy Award nominations whereas The Taste of Things did not secure any nominations in this category.

Award / Festival	Date	Category	Recipient(s)	Result
Cannes Film Festival	27 May 2023	Palme d'Or	Justine Triet	Template:Won
	26 May 2023	Queer Palm		Template:Nom
	26 May 2023	Palm Dog Award	Messi	Template:Won
Sydney Film Festival	18 June 2023	GIO Audience Award for Best International Narrative Feature	Justine Triet	Template:Won
Brussels International Film Festival	5 July 2023	Grand Prix – International Competition	Template:Nom
		International Competition – Audience Award	Template:Won
Locarno Film Festival	12 August 2023	Piazza Grande – UBS Audience Award	Template:Nom
Cinéfest Sudbury International Film Festival	28 September 2023	Audience Choice for Best Feature Film	Template:Runner-up
Film Festival Cologne	26 October 2023	Cologne Film Prize	Template:Won
Festival international du cinéma francophone en Acadie	24 November 2023	Best International Fiction Feature Film	Template:Won
Gotham Independent Film Awards	27 November 2023	Best Screenplay	Justine Triet and Arthur Harari	Template:Won
		Best International Feature	Anatomy of a Fall	Template:Won	... [Table continues with key awards and nominations highlighting Justine Triet, Sandra Hüller, and production team successes] ...

External links

• Anatomy of a Fall on Unifrance
• Anatomy of a Fall at Cineuropa
• Anatomy of a Fall featured by Cannes Film Festival
• Anatomy of a Fall listed in ISAN (International Standard Audiovisual Number)