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The Workshop (2018): Cast, Ratings, Box Office & Where to Watch

The Workshop (2018) movie poster

The Workshop is a 2018 drama directed by Laurent Cantet, starring Matthieu Lucci as Antoine, Marina Foïs and Mélissa Guilbert. It runs 1 hour 53 minutes and earned $1 million worldwide on a $3.5 million budget. Critics gave it 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and 74 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.5/10. Stream it on Fandango at Home Free and Kanopy, or rent or buy it on Amazon Video and Apple TV Store.

IMDb rating
6.5/10
Rotten Tomatoes
89%
worldwide gross
$1M
Echo Score
75
The Workshop (2018) movie poster
Released
Runtime
1h 53m (113 min)
Director
Laurent Cantet
Genre
Drama
Original language
French
Budget
$3.5M
After the credits
No No extra scene
The story

What Is The Workshop About?

The premise of The Workshop without spoilers.

In the coastal town of La Ciotat, France, a gifted but struggling writer named Antoine participates in a prestigious summer workshop. There, he and a small group of others are challenged to write a crime thriller under the mentorship of the celebrated novelist Olivia. As the workshop progresses, Antoine's anxieties about contemporary society clash with Olivia's romanticized view of the town’s industrial heritage, leading to creative friction and mounting tension among the participants.

The Workshop Themes & Keywords

· 50 tags
  • workshop
  • teenage boy
  • cigarette smoking
  • construction site
  • summer
  • summertime
  • novelist
  • female novelist
  • writer
  • female protagonist
  • la ciotat
  • bare chested male
+38 more
  • playing a video game
  • sea
  • seaside
  • south of france
  • jumping into water
  • social network
  • watching a video
  • voice over
  • night
  • boat
  • male rear nudity
  • looking at oneself in a mirror
  • reference to isis the terrorist group
  • reference to the bataclan theatre massacre
  • writing workshop
  • post industrial society
  • reference to scarface
  • stalker
  • far right politics
  • neo fascism
  • abduction
  • death threat
  • killer's mind
  • racism
  • peeping
  • blackened face
  • hateful teenager
  • hatred
  • shooting practice
  • shipyard
  • luxury yacht
  • troubled youth
  • french arab
  • swimming underwater
  • ship launch
  • archive footage
  • abandoned warehouse
  • unemployment
Where to watch

Where to Watch The Workshop

Stream it on Fandango at Home Free and Kanopy, or rent or buy it from Amazon Video and Apple TV Store. US availability and prices from JustWatch.

Streaming availability in the US, powered by JustWatch logo

Cast & crew

The Workshop Cast & Characters

Matthieu Lucci leads the cast as Antoine, with Marina Foïs as Olivia Dejazet and Mélissa Guilbert as Lola. Directed by Laurent Cantet; 10 actors are credited in all.

Also Starring in The Workshop

· 6 more
Ratings

The Workshop Reviews & Ratings

Critics gave The Workshop 89% on Rotten Tomatoes and 74 on Metacritic, and IMDb users rate it 6.5/10. Our Echo Score gives it 75/100, strongest in art & craft (80) and weakest in story & flow (65).

75 /100

The Workshop Echo Score Breakdown

Overall, The Workshop offers a moderately engaging social drama that excels in its authentic portrayal of youth but occasionally falters in pacing and narrative focus. Critics praised the film's ability to inspire real anxiety through its grounded plausibility and its compelling debate sequences, while noting that the third act's genre detour disrupts the film's coherence. User reflections highlight its atmospheric rural setting and thought-provoking perspective shifts. Ultimately, the film delivers a memorable experience grounded in its thematic depth despite occasional unevenness.

Our own 0–100 rating, built from five aspects: art, character, story, the sensory experience and how well a film rewatches.

  • Art & Craft 80

    In terms of art & craft, The Workshop demonstrates assured direction and an atmospheric visual design that immerses viewers in its rural French setting. The semi-improvised approach to staging yields moments of spontaneous energy, while the understated color palette reinforces the film’s contemplative tone. Although the third act’s shift toward genre conventions occasionally undermines the editing’s cohesion, the overall craft remains stylishly subtle.

  • Character & Emotion 80

    In terms of character and emotion, the film benefits from sharp and spontaneous performances that convey authentic youth perspectives. The nonprofessional cast delivers full-bodied portrayals, lending credibility to the exchanges of ideas. Some characters resonate through moments of genuine empathy, although a few supporting roles lack deeper development. Overall, the ensemble achieves a compelling emotional texture despite occasional superficiality.

  • Story & Flow 65

    In terms of story and flow, The Workshop offers a thought-provoking premise rooted in social debate, though its trajectory sometimes feels predictable. Reviewers noted the energy of the debate sequences but observed occasional pacing lulls, particularly when the narrative diverges into genre elements in the final act. While the thematic exploration of cultural tensions engages, the uneven progression diminishes overall coherence.

  • Sensory Experience 70

    In terms of sensory experience, the film’s sound design and musical score remain unobtrusive yet effective in supporting its contemplative mood. The visual styling employs an understated color palette and naturalistic lighting to accentuate the rural setting and reinforce the film’s immersive atmosphere. While the audio-visual cohesion generally succeeds, the lack of dynamic or memorable motifs occasionally limits sensory impact.

  • Rewatch Factor 70

    In terms of rewatch factor, the film delivers lasting appeal through its thematic depth and authentic dialogue exchanges. The contemplative tone and shifting perspectives invite subsequent viewings to unpack character motivations and cultural insights. However, the film’s uneven pacing and occasional superficial moments may temper its replay value for some viewers. Overall, it maintains moderate rewatch potential anchored in its intellectual engagement.

Box office

The Workshop Box Office & Budget

The Workshop grossed $1 million worldwide on a $3.5 million budget, 29% of what it cost. $22,061 came from the US and Canada and $977,995 (98%) from the rest of the world.

2018 box office

Worldwide gross

$1M

29% of its budget back

US & Canada
$22.1K
International
$978K
Budget
$3.5M
US & Canada 2% Rest of the world 98%
Videos

The Workshop Trailers & Videos

The trailer of The Workshop.

The Workshop Trailer #1 (2018) | Movieclips Indie
Details

The Workshop Also Known As

19 alternative titles, including “寫作工坊” and “Vasaras skola”.

Also known as
  • 寫作工坊
  • Vasaras skola
  • Der Workshop
  • Το Ατελιέ
  • 워크숍
  • A Trama
  • El taller de escritura
  • Семинарът
  • A műhely
  • 小鬼作家養成班
  • 腦作風雲
  • 编剧工坊
+7 more
  • L'atelier
  • Letnia szkoła życia
  • Gruppen
  • Atölye
  • Atelierul
  • Lekce
  • Мастерская

Seen The Workshop?

FAQ

The Workshop FAQ: Where to Watch, Cast & Box Office

Runtime, release date, director, cast, where to watch, box office, ratings and post-credit scenes of The Workshop, each answered in a sentence.

How long is The Workshop?

The Workshop runs 1 hour 53 minutes (113 minutes).

When was The Workshop released?

The Workshop was released on March 23, 2018.

Who directed The Workshop?

The Workshop was directed by Laurent Cantet.

More films by Laurent Cantet

Who is in the cast of The Workshop?

The Workshop stars Matthieu Lucci as Antoine, Marina Foïs as Olivia Dejazet and Mélissa Guilbert as Lola, among 10 credited actors.

Where can I watch The Workshop?

In the US, The Workshop is streaming on Fandango at Home Free, Kanopy and Strand Releasing and available to rent or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store and Fandango At Home (availability from JustWatch).

How much did The Workshop make at the box office?

The Workshop grossed $1 million worldwide ($22,061 domestic, $977,995 international) on a budget of $3.5 million.

How is The Workshop rated?

The Workshop has 6.5/10 on IMDb, 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 74 on Metacritic and 59% on TMDB.

Does The Workshop have a post-credit scene?

No. The Workshop has no extra scene during or after the credits.

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