In a housing estate on the outskirts of Paris, a badass banlieue girl who is hungry for her share of power and success becomes a runner for a drug dealer. An intense friendship and a passionate love affair will then force her to face up to her contradictions.
7 July 1976, Clermont-Ferrand, Puy-de-Dôme, France
November 30, 2016
Divines exemplifies the importance of diversity behind the cameras. [Full review in Portuguese]
November 17, 2016
A portrait of combustible banlieue femininity, emanating raw energy and scrappy good humor even as it builds to an unexpectedly tragic and horrifying finale.
May 19, 2016
Houda Benyamina bursts onto the scene with a punchy, pacy directorial debut, playing as gangster thriller and female buddy movie.
November 22, 2016
Divines isn't feminist. But it's thrillingly, fiercely female.
May 19, 2016
A work that showcases the distaff director's raw filmmaking talents but may have to fight its way out of the usual Francophone ghettos.
November 11, 2016
The overwhelming impression is that Dounia has ambition and vision, a conviction that she might still be able shape her own future. It's an exhilarating film.
October 04, 2016
[A]n absolute corker of a coming-of-age tale with a vividly drawn heroine and a blistering eye for the ironies of a life of crime.... [T]he performances from the trio of women at the center are mesmerizing, lively, and uniquely unforgettable.
November 15, 2016
An odd collection of strident single notes.
November 20, 2016
Divines weaves together first love, religious identity, youth poverty, and then pure rage into a haunting story.
September 16, 2016
A decent yet erratic debut...
November 17, 2016
A heavenly cast coming-of-age story that's told with real consequences.
February 25, 2017
Like many debut filmmakers, Benyamina has the urge to cram in as many ideas and styles as possible, as though fearing she may never get another chance.
