Critical response On
Metacritic, the film has a
weighted average score of 75 out of 100, based on 21 critic reviews, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.
Last Summer received an average rating of 3.6 out of 5 stars on the French website
AlloCiné, based on 35 reviews.
Vulture's Allison Willmore labeled the film "a family drama as masterfully propulsive as a horror movie," while
Manohla Dargis of
The New York Times described it as "a story about a woman who — after entrancing and appalling you — emerges as both more monstrous and more human than you're prepared for" as well as "complex, tricky, at times very uncomfortable and thoroughly engrossing." In a review for
The New Yorker, film critic
Richard Brody stated that the film was "a long-delayed return to work and an artistic self-renewal". Jordan Mintzer of
The Hollywood Reporter described it as "a movie that defies moral boundaries and narrative conventions," while
The Chicago Tribune's
Michael Phillips labeled it "a work of artfully sustained sexual suspense."
Christy Lemire of
RogerEbert.com gave the film 3 out of 4 stars and commended it for its candid exploration of women's sexuality. She notes that Breillat's approach is "technically intimate yet tonally detached -- languid as a summer's day, sometimes unbearably so, and often uncomfortably warm" and that the film's "matter-of-fact tone" that amplifies tension and complicates viewer empathy. Film critic
Peter Bradshaw gave the film a less favorable review, rating it 2 out of 5 stars. He describes
Last Summer as a "hot – or rather tepid – mess" that fails to capture the original's erotic excitement, pointing out that Breillat's changes dilute the story's impact. He states that while the film starts off capably, it falters in the third act, where the developments become "silly" and lack the necessary "iciness". He concludes that Breillat seems to have retreated from her former uncompromising approach to sexuality, leaving the film feeling safe and uninspired.
Screen International Wendy Ide shared a similar sentiment, describing the film as "oddly muted" despite its provocative subject matter. She notes that the film lacks the "disruptive, confrontational jab" typical of Breillat's earlier work, with key character motivations feeling underexplored. Ide also highlights that while the sexual tension is present, the rapid progression of the affair feels unconvincing. Film critic
Sophie Gilbert described it as her favorite among Breillat's films to date. Writing for
Le Figaro,
Eric Neuhoff gave
Last Summer a poor review and rated it 1 out of 4. He highlights what he sees as the film's "great naivety" and outdated audacity in its depiction of a married woman who has an affair with her stepson. Neuhoff criticizes the film for lacking depth, noting the disconnect between the couple and mocking the shallow performances, particularly that of Samuel Kircher. He concludes that while the film may entertain some, it ultimately feels like an unremarkable addition to Breillat's body of work.
Last Summer was ranked ninth on
Cahiers du Cinémas top 10 films of 2023 list. Filmmakers
Sean Baker,
Joanna Arnow,
Davy Chou,
Raven Jackson and
Savanah Leaf cited it as among their favorite films of the year.
Accolades ==References==