When Fall Is Coming (CTC)

A quietly unsettling French drama that explores guilt, motherhood, and the fragile threads of family.

In the depths of autumn in Burgundy, Michelle spends her quiet, isolated life foraging in the undergrowth for mushrooms with Marie-Claude. When Michelle's acerbic daughter, Valérie, drops her son off for the school holidays, Michelle hopes his stay will rekindle their strangled relationship. But when Michelle makes a mistake, she risks everything and her relationship with everyone. Alienated from her daughter again and shadowed by guilt, Michelle’s world turns bleak – until Marie-Claude’s son is unexpectedly released from prison.

When Fall is Coming is an atmospheric film that maps our mistakes and our redemption, our second chances and changing seasons. Amidst the beauty of autumnal Burgundy, Ozon's film reveals a quietly menacing undercurrent. This darkness sets off a chain of startling events and highlights secrets, which like poisonous mushrooms, often lurk in plain sight.

Cast: Helene Vincent, Josiane Balasko, Pierre Lottin, Sophie Guillemin

Director: François Ozon

★★★★ "In a strong ensemble cast, Vincent gives a superb performance" RADIO TIMES

★★★★ "The delight of the drama stems from the well crafted characters" EYE FOR FILM

★★★★ "To say any more risks ruining the many twisty pleasures to be found in this exquisitely acted, slow-burning drama, not least Vincent’s gently sinister performance." SCOTSMAN

★★★★ "This spry little French-language picture... shows the director at his most understated, the better to foreground the excellent, intriguingly layered performance from Hélène Vincent." GUARDIAN

★★★★ "A delicious black comedy" CINEMANIA