Elle (film)

Elle
Theatrical release poster
Directed byPaul Verhoeven
Screenplay byDavid Birke
Based onOh...
by Philippe Djian
Produced by
Starring
CinematographyStéphane Fontaine
Edited byJob ter Burg
Music byAnne Dudley
Production
companies
Distributed by
  • SBS Distribution (France)
  • MFA+ Filmdistribution (Germany)
Release dates
  • 21 May 2016 (2016-05-21) (Cannes)
  • 25 May 2016 (2016-05-25) (France)
  • 16 February 2017 (2017-02-16) (Germany)
Running time
130 minutes
Countries
  • France
  • Germany
LanguageFrench
Budget$9.1 million
Box office$12.7 million

Elle (French for 'she' / 'her') is a 2016 psychological thriller film directed by Paul Verhoeven from a screenplay by David Birke, based on the 2012 novel Oh... by Philippe Djian. The film stars Isabelle Huppert as a businesswoman who is raped in her home by a masked assailant.

The film was Verhoeven's first feature since 2006's Black Book, and his first in French. It premiered in competition for the Palme d'Or at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival where it received critical acclaim. Elle won the Golden Globe Award for Best Foreign Language Film and Critics' Choice Movie Award for Best Foreign Language Film; it was also selected as the French entry for the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film, but was not nominated. At the 42nd César Awards in France, the film received eleven nominations, and won Best Film. Huppert's performance was widely acclaimed, considered to be one of the finest of her career. She was nominated for the Academy Award for Best Actress, and won several Best Actress awards, including the Golden Globe and the César.