The Balconettes

The Balconettes (Les Femmes au balcon) is a 2024 French comedy horror film directed by, co-written by, and starring Noémie Merlant. The film, which co-stars Souheila Yacoub and Sanda Codreanu, follows three young women during a heatwave in the south of France.

The film premiered in the Midnight Screenings section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival on 19 May 2024, where it competed for the Queer Palm.

Plot
During a heat wave in Marseille, three roommates are cooped up in their apartment. From the balcony they look out at their mysterious neighbor, about whom they indulge in all sorts of fantasies. However, late into the night, an ordinary conflict turns into a bloodbath.

Cast

 * Souheila Yacoub as Ruby
 * Noémie Merlant as Élise
 * Sanda Codreanu as Nicole
 * Christophe Montenez as Paul
 * Lucas Bravo as Magnani
 * Nadège Beausson-Diagne as Denise

Production
The Balconettes is the second feature film by French actress Noémie Merlant, who is primarily known as an actress, following her award-winning debut film Mi Iubita Mon Amour (2021). Noémie Merlant wrote the screenplay in collaboration with Céline Sciamma, who previously directed Merlant in her 2019 historical drama film Portrait of a Lady on Fire. The Balconettes was touted in advance as "bloody, punk and exhilarating" and as a "comedy horror". Pierre Guyard produced the film for Nord-Ouest Films, a role which he had previously undertaken on Mi Iubita Mon Amour. Merlant decided to take on one of the main roles, as in her directorial debut, alongside Souheila Yacoub and Sanda Codreanu. Codreanu had also previously been entrusted with a larger role in Mi Iubita Mon Amour.

Filming was originally scheduled to begin in August 2023. Due to an impending filming conflict with Audrey Diwan's film project Emmanuelle, in which Merlant had been given the title role, the start of filming was brought forward to July. Principal photography began on 10 July 2023 in Marseille and took place there for seven weeks. The project was financially supported by the government film funding agency CNC, as well as by Canal+ and France Télévisions. The production costs were given as 3.5 million euros.

Release
The Balconettes was selected to be screened out of competition in the Midnight Screenings section at the 77th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 19 May 2024.

The film was originally set to be released theatrically in France by Tandem on 4 September 2024, but the release date was pushed back to 11 December 2024. International sales are handled by mk2 Films.

Critical response
David Ehrlich of IndieWire gave the film a 'B+' score, describing it as a "poisoned but delicious midnight snack of a second feature" for Merlant.

Leslie Felperin of The Hollywood Reporter lamented that the film is "less a bold sui generis experiment than a hot mess".

Guy Lodge of Variety likened the directorial energy channelled in the film to that of early Pedro Almodóvar.