Acid () is a 2023 French-language fantasy drama film directed by Just Philippot from a screenplay by Philippot and Yacine Badday. The film is a co-production between France and Belgium. It is an expansion of Philippot's 2018 short film of the same name.
The film premiered at the 76th Cannes Film Festival on 21 May 2023. It was released in France on 20 September 2023.
Synopsis
During a heat wave, strange clouds start pouring down acid rain, wreaking devastation and panic throughout France. In a world teetering on the edge, a girl and her divorced parents must join forces to confront and try to escape this climate catastrophe.
Cast
Guillaume Canet as Michal
Lætitia Dosch as Elise
Patience Munchenbach as Selma
Marie Jung as Deborah
Martin Verset as William
Production
Development
Acid was produced Yves Darondeau, Emmanuel Priou and Clément Renouvin for Bonne Pioche Cinéma and by Ardavan Safaee for Pathé Films. It was co-produced by France 3 Cinéma, Guillaume Canet's Caneo Films, Belgium's Umedia, and Logical Content Ventures.
Filming
Principal photography began on 7 March 2022, under the working title Eau Forte. Between 24 March and 7 April 2022, filming took place in Pecqueuse, Essonne.
Filming also took place in Belgium. Filming took place in Visé between 11 and 26 April 2022, with the Pont de Lanaye closed to facilitate the production. Filming also took place in fort d'Emines, Namur Province, and in Braine-le-Comte, Hainaut Province, including in the Bois de la Houssière on 26 and 27 April 2022. Filming concluded in the middle of the night of 10 May 2022.
Music
The music for the film was composed by Robin Coudert.
Release
The film was selected to be screened out of competition in the Midnights Screenings section at the 76th Cannes Film Festival, where it had its world premiere on 21 May 2023.
The film was theatrically released in France on 20 September 2023 by Pathé.
Reception
Acid received an average rating of 3.2 out of 5 stars on the French website AlloCiné, based on 36 reviews.
Reviewing the film following its Cannes premiere, Tim Grierson of Screen International recognized the film's mélange of genres: "Philippot combines aspects of the disaster film and the domestic drama, approaching each genre with understatement to deliver a modest study of personal and societal upheaval – and refusing to offer tidy resolutions on either front."