Elle (2016): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Plot
Elle is a 2016 drama thriller directed by Paul Verhoeven, starring Isabelle Huppert, Charles Berling and Laurent Lafitte. It is based on Elle by Philippe Djian and Michael Katims. It runs 2 hours 10 minutes and earned $12.4 million worldwide. It won 5 awards from 8 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Critics gave it 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 89 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
- Released
- Runtime
- 2h 10m (130 min)
- Director
- Paul Verhoeven
- Original language
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French - Studio
- Sony Pictures Classics
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Elle About?
The premise of Elle without spoilers, adapted from Elle by Philippe Djian and Michael Katims. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
Michèle, a successful and assertive executive in the video game industry, suffers a shocking and violent attack that challenges her composure. Driven by a surprising need for closure, she embarks on a relentless pursuit to find her attacker. What begins as a search for justice evolves into a complex and unsettling game of cat and mouse, exploring themes of power, obsession, and the unexpected connections that can emerge from trauma.
Elle Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- video game company
- sexual assault
- rape and revenge
- female full frontal nudity
- pepper spray
- game development
- sexual violence
- anonymous text message
- opening scene repeated later in film
- female rear nudity
- newborn baby
- female frontal nudity
+38 more Show fewer
- female nudity
- death of mother
- yoga class
- criminal in a ski mask
- reference to the other sex by simone de beauvoir
- reference to medea
- female masturbation
- mother dislikes son's girlfriend
- car crash
- rough sex
- female protagonist
- extreme violence
- prison visit
- hatred of father
- father in prison
- violence against a woman
- film starts with sex
- ex husband ex wife relationship
- flashback
- mother son relationship
- death of father
- based on novel
- handjob
- male rear nudity
- sex with best friend's husband
- reference to santiago de compostela
- reference to pope francis
- power struggle
- woman slaps a man
- kinky sex
- paris france
- man slaps a woman
- france
- getting away with rape
- businesswoman
- pregnant girlfriend
- ruthlessness
- male prostitute
Elle Cast
Isabelle Huppert leads the cast, with Charles Berling and Laurent Lafitte. Directed by Paul Verhoeven; 4 actors are credited in all.
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Director Paul Verhoeven
More from Paul Verhoeven
More films directed by Paul Verhoeven, best-rated first: Black Book, Total Recall, Benedetta and Starship Troopers.
Elle Reviews & Ratings
Critics gave Elle 91% on Rotten Tomatoes and 89 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 7.1/10.
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IMDb 7.1 /10
See on IMDb -
Rotten Tomatoes 91% Tomatometer
Popcornmeter 73%
See on Rotten Tomatoes -
Metacritic 89 Metascore
User score 7.3
See on Metacritic -
TMDB 67% User score
See on TMDB -
Letterboxd 3.7 /5
184 ratings
See on Letterboxd -
Movie Insider 2.0 /5
See on Movie Insider
Elle Plot Summary
What happens in Elle from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 15 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 3-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
A middle-aged French woman named Michèle Leblanc experiences a traumatic incident when she is raped in her home by a masked assailant. Strikingly resilient, she promptly tidies up the chaos left behind and continues with her life. As the assertive leader of a prosperous video game company located in Paris, Michèle navigates a workplace filled with a mix of resentment and infatuation from her male employees. Her relationship with her son, Vincent, suffers as he is caught under the thumb of his ungrateful and possibly unfaithful pregnant girlfriend, Josie.
Full summary
The whole story of Elle, scene by scene
Elle Box Office
Elle grossed $12.4 million worldwide. $2.3 million came from the US and Canada and $10.1 million (81%) from the rest of the world.
Worldwide gross
$12.4M
- US & Canada
- $2.3M
- International
- $10.1M
Elle Awards & Nominations
Elle won 5 awards from 8 nominations, one of them 1 Oscar nomination. Its biggest night was the Golden Globes 2017, with 2 wins from 2 nominations.
5 wins8 nominations6 ceremonies
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BAFTA 2018 1 nomination- Nominated Best Film Not in the English Language – Paul Verhoeven
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Golden Globes 2017 2 wins · 2 nominations- Won Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama – Isabelle Huppert
- Won Best Foreign Language Film
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Spirit Awards 2017 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Best Female Lead – Isabelle Huppert
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Gaudí Awards 2017 1 win · 1 nomination- Won Best European Film
Show all 6 ceremonies Show fewer ceremonies
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Oscars 2017 1 nomination- Nominated Actress in a Leading Role – Isabelle Huppert
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Critics' Choice 2016 1 win · 2 nominations- Won Best Foreign Language Film
- Nominated Best Actress – Isabelle Huppert
Elle Trailers & Videos
11 videos: 3 trailers, 1 teaser, 4 clips and 3 featurettes.
- Trailer UK Trailer
- Trailer Official Trailer
- Teaser TV Spot #1
- Clip "Empty Stare" Official Clip
How Well Do You Know Elle?
10 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 10
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
- Question 10: not answered
Who is the protagonist of the movie 'Elle'?
Cars in Elle
34 cars on screen, including the 2012 Audi A4 B8 and the 2014 Volvo XC60.
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2012 Audi A4 B8 Main role -
2014 Volvo XC60 Main role -
2014 Iveco EuroCargo 75E19 Minor role -
2011 Lexus CT 200h Minor role
Elle Also Known As
21 alternative titles, including “エル ELLE：2016” and “Она”.
- Also known as
-
- エル ELLE：2016
- Она
- Εκείνη
- 她
- O Kadın
- היא
- 엘르
- Ela
- Тя
- Áldozat?
- Вона
- എൽ
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- エル ELLE
- 烈女本色
- 她的危險遊戲
- แรง ร้อน ลึก
- Hún
- Viņa
- Quý Cô
- Ji, ის
- الی
Seen Elle?
Movies Like Elle
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Elles, Extremities and Alléluia.
Elle FAQ: Cast, Box Office & Awards
Runtime, release date, director, cast, box office, ratings, the book behind it and awards of Elle, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Elle?
Elle runs 2 hours 10 minutes (130 minutes).
When was Elle released?
Elle was released on November 11, 2016.
Who directed Elle?
Elle was directed by Paul Verhoeven.
More films by Paul Verhoeven Who is in the cast of Elle?
Elle stars Isabelle Huppert, Charles Berling and Laurent Lafitte, among 4 credited actors.
How much did Elle make at the box office?
Elle grossed $12.4 million worldwide ($2.3 million domestic, $10.1 million international).
How is Elle rated?
Elle has 7.1/10 on IMDb, 91% on Rotten Tomatoes, 89 on Metacritic and 67% on TMDB.
Is Elle based on a book?
Yes. Elle is adapted from Elle by Philippe Djian and Michael Katims.
What awards did Elle win?
Elle won 5 awards from 8 nominations, including Best Actress in a Motion Picture – Drama at the Golden Globes 2017.
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