Smoking Causes Coughing (2023)
71%RT Audience Score: 52%
Awards & Nominations: NA
“Smoking Causes Coughing” is a film that defies explanation, but that’s part of its charm. Director Quentin Dupieux has created a surreal and irreverent world that will leave you in stitches. The film moves at a leisurely pace, allowing the perpetually strung-out jokes to land with maximum impact. The cast, including both human and puppet performers, is uniformly excellent and delivers enthusiastic performances. While the film may not have a cohesive plot or profound message, it’s a hilarious and unforgettable experience that will leave you gasping for air between laughs. Dupieux may not be for everyone, but for those who appreciate his unique brand of humor, “Smoking Causes Coughing” is a must-see.
“Smoking Causes Coughing” is the kind of movie that will leave you scratching your head and wondering what the heck you just watched. But in a good way! It’s a wild ride of irreverent humor and strung-out jokes that will have you giggling uncontrollably. Sure, it might not make a whole lot of sense, but who needs sense when you’ve got puppets and superheroes and existential farce? If you’re looking for a profound plot, this might not be the movie for you. But if you’re looking for a good time and a lot of laughs, then buckle up and get ready for a weirdly unforgettable experience.
Production Company(ies)
Foreign Language, Gaumont, VOD
Distributor
Magnolia Pictures
Release Type
Theatrical, Theatrical (Limited)
Filming Location(s)
MPAA / Certificate
NR
Year of Release
2023
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby
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Aspect ratio:2.20 : 1
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Runtime:1h 20m
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Language(s):French
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Country of origin:France
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Mar 31, 2023 Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Mar 31, 2023
Genre(s)
Comedy
Keyword(s)
comedy, French, superheroes, team, misadventures, giant turtle, retreat, planet Earth, Quentin Dupieux, directed by Quentin Dupieux, written by Quentin Dupieux, produced by Hugo Sélignac, starring Gilles Lellouche, Benzene, Vincent Lacoste, Methanol, Anaïs Demoustier, Nicotine, Jean-Pascal Zadi, Mercure, Oulaya Amamra, Ammonia, Alain Chabat, reviewed by David Fear, Noel Murray, Ryan Lattanzio, Simon Abrams, Josh Kupecki, Elisabeth Vincentelli, Oscar Goff, Patrick McDonald, Edwin Arnaudin, Walter Chaw, Michael McWhertor, Nicholas Bell, Magnolia Pictures, MPAA rating, box office performance, budget, limited release, streaming, in theaters, vudu, amazon-prime-video-us, itunes
Worldwide gross: NA
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): NA
US/Canada gross: NA
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend:
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): NA
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): NA
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $5,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $5,000,000
Production budget ranking: 1,821
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $2,692,500
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): NA
ROI to date (est.): NA
ROI ranking: NA
Vincent Lacoste – Methanol
Anaïs Demoustier – Nicotine
Jean-Pascal Zadi – Mercure
Oulaya Amamra – Ammonia
Alain Chabat – Self
Director: Quentin Dupieux
Producer: Hugo Sélignac
Writer: Quentin Dupieux
Director(s)
Quentin Dupieux
Writer(s)
Quentin Dupieux
Producer(s)
Hugo Sélignac
Film Festivals
Cannes
Awards & Nominations
NA
Academy Awards
All Critics (47) | Top Critics (9) | Fresh (43) | Rotten (4)
Whether something was, in fact, smoked during the making of it is irrelevant. The sheer irreverence of everything here… is more than enough to cause serious giggling fits.
April 3, 2023
David Fear
Rolling Stone
TOP CRITIC
It’s not a criticism to say that “Smoking Causes Coughing” doesn’t hold together, because cohesion isn’t what Dupieux is going for.
April 1, 2023
Noel Murray
Los Angeles Times
TOP CRITIC
Trying to explain Smoking Causes Coughing is like recounting a dream: The person listening might not care, and it might not mean anything to them, but it leaves a weirdly unforgettable impression on the spectator.
March 31, 2023 | Rating: B
Ryan Lattanzio
indieWire
TOP CRITIC
“Smoking Causes Coughing” moves unhurriedly from moment to moment, which makes its perpetually strung-out jokes even funnier.
March 31, 2023 | Rating: 3/4
Simon Abrams
RogerEbert.com
TOP CRITIC
The cast is uniformly excellent and delivers enthusiastic performances, even the ones played by puppets, and the pacing is lively and not at all boring.
March 30, 2023 | Rating: 4/5
Josh Kupecki
Austin Chronicle
TOP CRITIC
[Dupieux’s] latest might be his funniest yet…
March 30, 2023
Elisabeth Vincentelli
New York Times
TOP CRITIC
Does any of this amount to more than a series of deadpan non sequiturs? Not really, but if you’re looking for a profound or cohesive plot, Quentin Dupieux might not be the director for you.
April 7, 2023
Oscar Goff
Boston Hassle
This existential farce … would you expect anything else out of France? … skewers the superhero world so effectively that you might gasp between laughs. Could equal the playing field for anyone dealing with a superhero-genre-loving movie going mate. Ennui!
April 4, 2023 | Rating: 4/5
Patrick McDonald
HollywoodChicago.com
Random to a fault, yet also just random enough to work — but barely.
April 4, 2023 | Rating: B-
Edwin Arnaudin
Asheville Movies
Smoking Causes Coughing resolves as the closest a film has come in a long time to nailing the cheeky vibe of Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life.
April 3, 2023 | Rating: 3/4
Walter Chaw
Film Freak Central
This is a low-key hangout movie with remarkably minimal stakes and no big resolution.
April 3, 2023
Michael McWhertor
Polygon
There’s much to enjoy in this compounded scenario of stories even when it has the tendency to flatline. Unfortunately, there’s nothing truly substantive lurking behind its cheesy, plastic exteriors.
April 3, 2023 | Rating: 3/5
Nicholas Bell
IONCINEMA.com…
Plot
The misadventures of a team of superheroes known as the Tobacco Force, including Benzene, Nicotine, Methanol, Mercury, and Ammonia, as they go on a mandatory retreat to strengthen their group cohesion and face off against the Emperor of Evil who wants to annihilate planet Earth in Smoking Causes Coughing.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The cast includes Gilles Lellouche, Vincent Lacoste, Anaïs Demoustier, Jean-Pascal Zadi, Oulaya Amamra, and even Alain Chabat.
Quentin-Dupieux.jpg
