Directed by: Denis Côté
Screenplay by: Denis Côté
Cast: Larissa Corriveau, Arianne Castellanos, Laure Giappiconi, Anne-Elisabeth Bossé, Samir Guesmi
Genre: Drama / Psychological / Art-House
Runtime: 137 minutes
💬 Plot Overview
In That Kind of Summer (Un été comme ça), director Denis Côté turns an empathetic, non-judgmental lens onto three women—Geisha, Eugénie, and Léonie—who invite themselves to a serene lakeside retreat for twenty-six days. Guided by a compassionate therapist and a gentle social worker, the trio isn't seeking a cure, but rather a quiet sanctuary to explore, articulate, and come to terms with their hypersexuality and complex internal lives. Far from a clinical study, the film observes their evolving camaraderie, friction, and quiet moments of self-discovery as they navigate the boundaries between desire, trauma, and emotional freedom.
🎨 Style & Direction
Observational Patience & Tactile Framing: Côté eschews sensation and explicit melodrama, opting instead for static compositions, long takes, and a soft, naturalistic aesthetic that allows the characters to inhabit space without voyeurism.
Complex Female Autonomy: The narrative treats the protagonists' sexuality not as a pathology to be resolved, but as an intricate aspect of their psychological landscape, balancing vulnerability with fierce personal agency.
Immersive Acoustic Landscape: In signature Côté fashion, the natural soundscape of the rural retreat collides with intense, quiet dialogue, constructing an atmosphere that feels simultaneously tranquil and emotionally charged.
💬 QueerFilmHub Perspective
“That Kind of Summer is a tender, uncompromising work of contemporary auteur cinema—a contemplative exploration of intimacy and desire that refuses easy answers in favor of raw emotional truth.”
