Holy Motors
Directed by Leos Carax
- drama
- fantasy
The story
We follow 24 hours in the life of a being moving from life to life like a cold and solitary assassin moving from hit to hit. In each of these interwoven lives, the being possesses an entirely distinct identity: sometimes a man, sometimes a woman, sometimes youthful, sometimes old. By turns murderer, beggar, company chairman, monstrous creature, worker, family man.
What it’s like
Long, mobile takes that drift through Paris at night and by day, with a stretch-limousine gliding through sodium-orange streets, grimy underpasses, and a dim, empty cemetery under low grey light. The palette swings between saturated neon, washed-out digital grain, and sudden candlelit or velvety interiors, so each shift in the story feels like stepping into a new room. Accordion waltzes, a warbling old pop song, and long passages of near silence keep the mood wry and unsettled. Vibe: surreal, melancholy, deadpan, dreamlike. It suits a late night alone, a slow weekend with no particular plan, or a film-school watch that rewards attention. Pacing is unhurried and episodic, with the central figure sliding through many lives while staying oddly remote, a quiet exploration of performance, identity, and fatigue. Intensity is moderate: a few brief, stylized moments of violence and a staged killing, plus strange, eerie imagery, but no gore and little that feels cruel. Best for viewers who enjoy absurd, lyrical art cinema and don't need a tidy story.
More films like Holy Motors
Closest in mood, pacing and theme. Tell us why you loved Holy Motors and we’ll explain which ones fit you.
