In an isolated mountainchalet nearGrenoble, novelist Sandra Voyter decides to reschedule her interview with a female student because her husband, university lecturer Samuel Maleski, plays music loudly in their attic, disrupting the interview. After the student drives away from the chalet, Sandra's eleven-year-old son Daniel, who is visually impaired, takes a walk outside with hisguide dog Snoop. When they return home, Daniel finds Samuel dead from an apparent fall.
Sandra insists that the fall must have been accidental. Her old friend and lawyer, Vincent, suggests the possibility ofsuicide, while Sandra recalls her husband's attempt to overdose on aspirin six months earlier, after going offantidepressants. After an investigation, Daniel's conflicting accounts of what happened shortly before his father's death, combined with the revelation that Samuel sustained a head wound before his body hit the ground and an audio recording of a fight between Samuel and Sandra the previous day, Sandra isindicted on charges of homicide. She is released on bail soon after.
One year later, Sandra's trial begins. Herdefense team claims Samuel fell from the attic window and hit his head on a shed below, while theprosecution posits that Sandra hit him with a blunt object and pushed him from the second-floor balcony. During a courtroom argument with Samuel's psychiatrist, Sandra admits her resentment toward her husband due to his partial responsibility for the accident that led to Daniel's impaired vision.
In the recorded fight, Samuel accuses Sandra ofplagiarism, infidelity, and exerting control over his life, before their protracted argument turns physically violent. The prosecution claims that all the violence came from Sandra. She counters that while she had slapped Samuel, the rest of the violence heard was her husband self-harming. After Sandra admits to an affair with a woman the year before Samuel's death, the prosecution argues that Samuel's loud music indicated jealousy over Sandra's flirting with the interviewer, leading to the physical confrontation later. The prosecutor also notes Sandra's pattern of writing personal conflicts into her stories, and how murdering her husband mirrors a minor character's thoughts from her most recent novel. In turn, Sandra protests that one recording does not represent the nature of their relationship, nor do the words of a character in a novel reflect her own inclinations.
A distraught Daniel insists on testifying before closing arguments the following Monday. The judge lays strict ground rules to prevent anyone from influencing his testimony and brings in a court monitor, Marge. Daniel then asks that Sandra leave their house for the weekend so he can be alone with Marge and Snoop. He recalls that when Samuel overdosed, Snoop also fell sick, possibly due to having eaten Samuel's vomit. He then deliberately feeds Snoop aspirin and finds it has the same effect, which aligns with Sandra's testimony. Daniel confides to Marge his anguish, and she advises him that if he doesn't know what is really true, he can instead decide what's true for him.
On the witness stand, Daniel says he can comprehend his father taking his own life but not the murder scenario. He says that when he and Samuel were driving Snoop to the veterinarian, Samuel spoke about the need to be prepared that those he loves will die and to know that his life will go on, which Daniel now interprets as his father's own suicidal thoughts. Sandra isacquitted following Daniel's testimony. When she returns home, Daniel tells her he was afraid of her homecoming and she says that she was too; the two embrace. As Sandra heads to bed, she lingers at a photo of her and Samuel before falling asleep with Snoop.
On 10 July 2021,Variety reported thatLes Films Pelléas andLes Films de Pierre would co-produceJustine Triet's fourth feature film,Anatomie d'une chute, co-written by Triet andArthur Harari,[12] and described as "aHitchcockian procedural thriller".[5] International sales were handled by mk2 Films.[13]
Triet said that the genesis ofAnatomy of a Fall stemmed from her longstanding desire to create anothertrial film since her 2016 production,In Bed with Victoria.[14] In an interview withParis Match, she explained: "I really wanted to address the legal question in all its details, to delve into issues of relationships and cohabitation. It was also a pretext to dissect every aspect of their lives."[14] Triet further expressed her fascination with theAmanda Knox case, wherein a young American woman was accused of murdering her roommate,Meredith Kercher, in Italy in 2007.[14]
Triet has also stated that "the fundamental question of the film is the question of reciprocity in the couple" in an interview withThe New Yorker, stating that "culturally, women have always been at home, and men have gone out into the world and have had the time to think, to reflect, to have ideas [...] The fact of having a female character who's a creator, who writes books, who is in the position, at last, of taking time to write, means that it's the man who suffers [...] It's something universal and fundamental vis à vis the place of men and women in the family".[15]
Triet wroteAnatomy of a Fall forSandra Hüller,[16] marking their second collaboration following the 2019 comedy-drama filmSibyl.[17] When Hüller was cast in the role of a German writer who is accused of murdering her French husband in France, Triet told the actress that the language would be an important subject in the film, as the couple did not speak the same language and communicated through English.[16] Hüller wanted to speak French in the film, but Triet rejected the idea.[16] "It was very important to have this sensitivity, this feeling that the husband and the wife don't speak the same language, so they communicate through a third language, English. There was also this idea of what it means to be a foreigner on trial in France. To be tried in a country that is not your own can be tough because you're judged for how you express yourself but as you're not speaking in your mother tongue and there are lots of filters between you and your reality. The fact she is a German who speaks English and tries to speak French that creates lots of masks and clouds the issue, creating more confusion around who she is", Triet toldDeadline Hollywood.[16]
Hüller learned to speak French forAnatomy of a Fall,[18] although her character speaks mostly English in the film,[6][19] because she wanted her character to be able to understand what she was saying in French.[18] Hüller learned French in three or four months.[20] In the screenplay, there is a scene where Sandra speaks a few lines in German with a photographer who is taking photos of her with her son and their dog at the chalet for a photoshoot that would be released in Germany,[21] but the scene was not included in the theatrical cut and Hüller did not speak any German in the film.[6]
On set, Hüller repeatedly asked Triet whether her character was guilty or not, but the director refused to answer.[22] Triet ended up instructing Hüller to play her character as innocent, which Triet later said was "very sneaky", since Hüller did not have an answer.[23] When a journalist asked Triet at theGolden Globe Awards press room in January 2024 if Sandra did kill her husband, Triet replied: "I will tell you in 10 years."[24]
The film was supposed to include a sex scene between Sandra and her lawyer Vincent, but the scene was scrapped thanks to producerMarie-Ange Luciani, who found the scene too "'80s". Hüller agreed with Luciani's decision and said: "Why do people always have to prove they love each other by going to bed with each other? It's so dull!"[25]
The original song meant for the scene where the character Samuel blasts on his stereo on the day he dies was "Jolene", but as the film was unable to acquire the rights, the song "P.I.M.P." was used. Triet described the choice, saying: "I loved the joy and the almost hypnotic quality of [Jolene], and in the trial scenes, there was a whole dissection of the lyrics—certain lyrics that could be interpreted as the husband sending a signal. [P.I.M.P] has lyrics that are pretty misogynistic, obviously. But it also has something quite warm about it, which contrasts hugely with the situation that this character is about to go through: the discovery of her dead husband."[15]
In May 2023,Neon acquired the North American distribution rights.[13] Neon released the film in alimited theatrical release in the United States on 13 October 2023 before expanding to more theaters the following week.[32][33] In September 2023,Lionsgate UK acquired the UK and Ireland distribution rights fromPicturehouse Entertainment, and set a release date for 10 November 2023.[34]
The film received critical acclaim.[b] On thereview aggregator websiteRotten Tomatoes, 96% of 285 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of 8.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "A smart, solidly crafted procedural that's anchored in family drama,Anatomy of a Fall finds star Sandra Hüller and director/co-writer Justine Triet operating at peak power."[49]Metacritic, which uses aweighted average, assigned the film a score of 86 out of 100, based on 44 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".[50]AlloCiné gave the film an average rating of 4.4/5, based on 40 French reviews.[51]
Triet and Hüller were praised by critics, andLe Figaro described the film as the "most ambitious and successful film" of Triet's career.[52][53] Jon Frosch ofThe Hollywood Reporter wrote: "A director and actress in peak form. Sandra Hüller is brilliant, sensational. An exciting step forward for a filmmaker who seems primed for greater international recognition."[54]Peter Bradshaw ofThe Guardian gave the film four out of five stars, writing: "Sandra Hüller's calm directness as an actor is what gives the film its texture, substance and emotional force."[55] Damon Wise ofDeadline Hollywood wrote: "Sandra Hüller shines. A cerebral smash that might finally bring the[Cannes] Best Actress award that its star, Sandra Hüller, was cruelly deniedin 2016. Hüller's screen magnetism cannot be denied."[56]
ForDavid Sims ofThe Atlantic, the film "works largely because Hüller, a German actress probably best known for her role inToni Erdmann, gives an extraordinary performance already being tipped for Oscar success".[57] Steve Pond ofTheWrap wrote that the film "is straightforward in its style but sophisticated in the way Triet doles out information. It's tense, unbearably so at times, but also subtle and satisfying".[58]Alexandra Heller-Nicholas ofAlliance of Women Film Journalists wrote: "Both in front and behind the camera,Anatomy of a Fall is a film made by two women in particular who are simply at the top of their game, and neither Hüller nor Triet show any signs of slowing down."[59]
Raphael Abraham ofFinancial Times gave the film four out of five stars, writing: "Triet builds a taut did-she-do-it tension while also working in discomfiting questions about marital power dynamics and how much an artist's work really reveals about their character." Abraham also added that Hüller deserved a Cannes Best Actress prize for her performance.[60] Candice Frederick of theHuffPost wrote: "Through vivid flashbacks and meticulous courtroom interrogation, Triet masterfully turns our attention from potential crime-solving to the inner workings of two imperfect people and one complicated marriage. It's absolutely riveting."[61]
Peter Debruge ofVariety called the film "thought-provoking", "a kind ofGone Girl in reverse", and an "uncommonly mature film through all its layers, seeing rarely expressed truths about 21st-century relationships in its trajectory".[10] Conversely,Richard Brody ofThe New Yorker was critical, writing: "Anatomy of a Fall is prestige cinema as (an) airport novel" and that "the showcasing and enshrining of mediocre movies as masterworks poses as great a danger."[41]
In June 2025,IndieWire ranked the film at number 66 on its list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 2020s (So Far)."[67] In 2025, the film ranked number 26 onThe New York Times' list of "The 100 Best Movies of the 21st Century" and number 80 on the "Readers' Choice" edition of the list.[68][69]
As of 15 April 2024,Anatomy of a Fall has grossed $5.1 million in the United States and Canada, and $30.9 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $36 million.[9] Its largest markets were France ($14.6 million), the US ($5.1 million), Spain ($2.7 million), and Germany ($2.2 million).[9]
The film was released to 379 theaters in France,[70] where it debuted at number two at the box office grossing over $2 million[9] and selling 262,698 tickets, behindBarbie (288,185 tickets) and ahead ofOppenheimer (231,550 tickets).[71]Anatomy of a Fall had the best opening for aPalme d'Or winner sinceThe Class (2008), which sold 358,000 tickets in France during its opening weekend in 2008.[71] In its second weekend, the film remained in second place behindThe Equalizer 3 and ahead ofBarbie, accumulating 608,913 tickets sold.[72] In its third weekend, the film reached the top spot at the French box office with 191,392 admissions from 738 theaters,[73] accumulating 800,283 tickets sold,[74] and grossing $5.7 million.[9] In its fourth weekend, the film dropped to the fifth spot at the French box office and accumulated 921,308 admissions.[75]
On 23 September 2023,Anatomy of a Fall exceeded 1 million admissions in France one month after its theatrical release, becoming the seventh Palme d'Or winner–and the third French Palme d'Or winner–to cross the 1 million admissions mark in France since 2000.[76] In May 2024, the film exceeded 1.9 million admissions in France after 35 weeks in theaters.[77][78][79][80] In its opening weekend in the United States, the film made $117,000 from five theaters.[9] It made $152,000 in its second weekend from fourteen theaters.[9] Expanding to 262 theaters the following weekend, the film made $634,000, finishing in 11th. During its fourth weekend, the film expanded to 440 theaters and made $600,355 for a total of $2 million.[9]
On 13 September 2023,Anatomy of a Fall was one of the five films pre-selected by France's Oscar committee to represent the country in theBest International Feature Film category at the96th Academy Awards.[82] On 21 September 2023, France chose to submitThe Taste of Things instead, which sparked controversy, with French insiders claiming that directorJustine Triet was being "punished" for criticizing French PresidentEmmanuel Macron's repression of thepension reform protest movement during her acceptance speech at the 2023 Cannes Film Festival.[c]
The amount of English language used inAnatomy of a Fall also raised concerns over whether the film would be eligible for the Best International Feature Film category,[87] whose rules state that at least 50% of a film's dialogue must be spoken in a language other than English.[88] According to US distributorNeon, 59% ofAnatomy of a Fall is spoken in French, therefore making it eligible.[87] France's Oscar committee choice,The Taste of Things, contains 100% French dialogue.[88]Anatomy of a Fall ended up receiving five nominations for the Academy Awards, whileThe Taste of Things did not receive the nomination for Best International Feature Film.[89]
^While the official website of the film's international sales agent, mk2 Films, lists German among the film's languages, the theatrical release contains no German dialogue.[6][7]
^Lane, Anthony (6 October 2023)."'Anatomy of a Fall' is a Magnificently Slippery Thriller".The New Yorker.Archived from the original on 26 January 2024. Retrieved8 March 2024.Speaking largely in English, the language in which—as a compromise, or in search of common ground—they raised Daniel, she is a mother with no use for her mother tongue.
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