The Dreamers (2003)

Kernel Score: 81% · 3,044 ratings · Rated NC-17

Genres: Drama, Romance

Released: 2003-10-10

Runtime: 115 minutes

Is The Dreamers worth watching?

Depends on your taste. Bertolucci's story of three young cinephiles in 1968 Paris, shut away in an apartment. It's sensual, talky and explicit, and it works as a mood piece more than a plot.

Watch it if you

  • love 1960s Paris and film culture
  • are fine with explicit adult content

Skip it if you

  • dislike nudity and sexual themes
  • want a clear story

Best for: Adult solo night

Fresh Kernels verdict, AI-assisted from our scores, audience reviews and the official rating.

Overview

When Isabelle and Theo invite Matthew to stay with them, what begins as a casual friendship ripens into a sensual voyage of discovery and desire in which nothing is off limits and everything is possible.

The Dreamers parents' guide: ages 16+

Parents need to know that The Dreamers is an NC-17 drama with explicit sexual content, nudity, and themes of incest.

  • Sex, romance & nudity: Intense — Contains explicit sexual content, nudity, and an incestuous relationship between twins, rated NC-17.
  • Drinking, drugs & smoking: Some — Set amid 1960s student unrest with some drinking and drug-culture references.

Fresh Kernels AI-assessed from the official NC-17 rating, publicly documented content. A guide for families, not an official rating.

Movies like The Dreamers

If you liked The Dreamers, these are the movies we'd watch next.

  • Jules and Jim (1962) — 85%: Truffaut's classic of a three-way friendship in Paris
  • Masculin Féminin (1966) — 80%: Godard's portrait of young Parisians in the 1960s
  • The Conformist (1971) — 86%: Bertolucci's political, stylish drama
  • The Last Emperor (1987) — 85%: Bertolucci's lavish epic
  • 1900 (1976) — 87%: Bertolucci's sprawling epic of class and politics
  • Heartbeats (2010) — 80%: Stylish modern love triangle among young friends

Director

Bernardo Bertolucci

Cast

  • Michael Pitt as Matthew
  • Eva Green as Isabelle
  • Louis Garrel as Theo
  • Anna Chancellor as Mother
  • Robin Renucci as Father
  • Jean-Pierre Kalfon as Jean-Pierre Kalfon
  • Jean-Pierre Léaud as Jean-Pierre Léaud
  • Florian Cadiou as Patrick
  • Pierre Hancisse as First Buff
  • Valentin Merlet as Second Buff

The Dreamers FAQ

Is The Dreamers worth watching?

Depends on your taste. Bertolucci's story of three young cinephiles in 1968 Paris, shut away in an apartment. It's sensual, talky and explicit, and it works as a mood piece more than a plot.

Is The Dreamers OK for kids?

The Dreamers is rated NC-17. Fresh Kernels suggests ages 16+. Parents need to know that The Dreamers is an NC-17 drama with explicit sexual content, nudity, and themes of incest.

What movies are like The Dreamers?

If you liked The Dreamers, try Jules and Jim, Masculin Féminin, The Conformist and The Last Emperor.