The Strange Ones

The Strange Ones

A love story by Jean Cocteau

1950 · 107 min · ★ 6.6 · Drama

Elisabeth and her brother Paul live isolated from much of the world after Paul is injured in a snowball fight. As a coping mechanism, the two conjure up a hermetic dream of their own making. Their relationship, however, isn't exactly wholesome. Jealousy and a malevolent undercurrent intrude on their fantasy when Elisabeth invites the strange Agathe to stay with them -- and Paul is immediately attracted to her.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Melville · Written by Jean-Pierre Melville

Your Rating

Where to Watch

Streaming

Criterion Channel

Cast

Make it a double feature

3h 22m together

The Strange Ones

Orpheus

Both from Jean-Pierre Melville.

More from Jean-Pierre MelvilleSee all →

Army of ShadowsArmy of Shadows · 1969
Army of Shadows
★ 7.91969
MovieDramaThriller
Betrayed by an informant, Philippe Gerbier finds himself trapped in a torturous Nazi prison camp. Though Gerbier escapes to rejoin the Resistance in occupied Marseilles, France, and exacts his revenge on the informant, he must continue a quiet, seemingly endless battle against the Nazis in an atmosphere of tension, paranoia and distrust.
Belmondo: The IncorrigibleBelmondo: The Incorrigible · 2022
Belmondo: The Incorrigible
★ 7.82022
MovieDocumentary
Charismatic and resourceful, seducer and daredevil, Jean-Paul Belmondo has always played his roles as he lived, at a thousand miles an hour. He had only one passion: to entertain the public with his smile, his naturalness, his energy, his stunts. But contrary to appearances, his destiny was full of pitfalls. This film lifts the veil on a founding childhood that allowed him to overcome many obstacles throughout his life thanks to the tutelary figures of his father and mother. Told from the inside with the help of his autobiography, interviews and unpublished archives, this epic story traces the career of this turbulent young actor who launched the New Wave in Breathless before becoming the popular Bebel, an indestructible and provocative vigilante. From film to film, this documentary paints an intimate portrait of a man who built himself up to reach the top: his triumphs but also his trials, his doubts, his secrets, his angers, his clowning, his disappointments or his personal dramas.
Le SamouraïLe Samouraï · 1967
Le Samouraï
★ 7.81967
MovieCrimeThriller
After carrying out a flawlessly planned hit, Jef Costello, a contract killer with samurai instincts, finds himself caught between a persistent police investigator and a ruthless employer, and not even his armor of fedora and trench coat can protect him.
Le Deuxième SouffleLe Deuxième Souffle · 1966
Le Deuxième Souffle
★ 7.71966
MovieActionDrama
A gangster escapes jail and quickly makes plans to continue his criminal ways elsewhere, but a determined inspector is closing in.
OrpheusOrpheus · 1950
Orpheus
★ 7.71950
MovieRomanceFantasy
A famous poet in postwar Paris, scorned by the Left Bank youth, is in love with both his wife Eurydice and a mysterious princess. Seeking inspiration, the poet becomes obsessed and follows the princess from the world of the living to the land of the dead.
Le Cercle RougeLe Cercle Rouge · 1970
Le Cercle Rouge
★ 7.61970
MovieCrimeDrama
When French criminal Corey gets released from prison, he resolves to never return. He is quickly pulled back into the underworld, however, after a chance encounter with escaped murderer Vogel. Along with former policeman and current alcoholic Jansen, they plot an intricate jewel heist. All the while, quirky Police Commissioner Mattei, who was the one to lose custody of Vogel, is determined to find him.
The Silence of the SeaThe Silence of the Sea · 1949
The Silence of the Sea
★ 7.51949
MovieDramaWar
In a small town in WWII France, a German officer is billeted in the house of an elderly man and his niece who resist the occupation by refusing to interact with him, even as he speaks to them candidly about his life and hopes for the future of France and Germany.
BreathlessBreathless · 1960
Breathless
★ 7.51960
MovieDramaCrime
A small-time thief steals a car and impulsively murders a motorcycle policeman. Wanted by the authorities, he attempts to persuade a girl to run away to Italy with him.
Le DoulosLe Doulos · 1962
Le Doulos
★ 7.41962
MovieDramaThriller
Enigmatic gangster Silien may or may not be responsible for informing on Faugel, who was just released from prison and is already involved in what should be a simple heist. By the end of this brutal, twisting, and multilayered policier, who will be left to trust?
Ghost Dog: The Way of the SamuraiGhost Dog: The Way of the Samurai · 1999
Ghost Dog: The Way of the Samurai
★ 7.41999
MovieCrimeDrama
A Black hitman who models after the samurai of old finds himself targeted for death by the mob.
Bob le FlambeurBob le Flambeur · 1956
Bob le Flambeur
★ 7.31956
MovieDramaAction
In Paris, Bob Montagne is practically synonymous with gambling -- and winning. He is kind, classy and well-liked by virtually everyone in town, including police inspector Ledru. However, when Bob's luck turns sour, he begins to lose friends and makes the most desperate gamble of his life: to rob the Deauville casino during Grand Prix weekend, when the vaults are full. Unfortunately, Bob soon learns that the game is rigged and the cops are on to him.
Léon Morin, PriestLéon Morin, Priest · 1961
Léon Morin, Priest
★ 7.11961
MovieDramaRomance
Barny, although a Marxist, is intrigued by the mysteries of religion. In confession, she teases a priest, Léon Morin, but he is a young and intelligent man and ready to discuss anything.
Sign of the LionSign of the Lion · 1962
Sign of the Lion
★ 7.01962
MovieDrama
An American in Paris lives by sponging off his working friends, and throws a party using borrowed money when his rich American aunt dies, believing firmly in his horoscope.
Le Combat dans l'îleLe Combat dans l'île · 1962
Le Combat dans l'île
★ 6.81962
MovieDramaRomance
The charismatic, surly son of a wealthy industrialist, Clément, leads a double life as a member of a right-wing extremist organization. When he’s ratted out after a failed assassination attempt on a prominent politician, Clément and his long-suffering wife Anne flee Paris to the idyllic country home of his childhood friend, pacifist print-maker Paul. As affection blossoms between Paul and Anne, the emotional, as well as political tensions, soar and eventually explode.
Un FlicUn Flic · 1972
Un Flic
★ 6.61972
MovieCrimeThriller
A Parisian police chief has an affair, but unbeknownst to him, the boyfriend of the woman he’s having an affair with is a bank robber planning a heist.
BluebeardBluebeard · 1963
Bluebeard
★ 6.41963
MovieDramaCrime
Paris, France, during the First World War. While thousands of soldiers die every day on the battlefields, Henri Landru, a seemingly respectable furniture dealer, married and father of four children, relentlessly feeds his own sinister factory of death.

More Like This

The WondersThe Wonders · 2014
The Wonders
★ 6.72014
MovieDrama
In the Tuscan countryside, a family of traditional honey farmers struggles to make ends meet. The household consists of only daughters—four of them—led by the eldest, Gelsomina, who takes on the responsibilities of the family. When a small boy is sent to stay with them for rehabilitation, their routine is disrupted. As financial troubles threaten their home, Gelsomina sees an opportunity in a reality TV contest searching for 'Italy’s Most Traditional Family.' Willing to expose their secluded life for the prize money, she clashes with her father’s rigid ways in a bid to secure their future.
The White SoundThe White Sound · 2001
The White Sound
★ 6.92001
MovieDrama
Lukas, a young schizophrenic man, has to deal with a new town, a new relationship, and the paranoia in his head.
A River Runs Through ItA River Runs Through It · 1992
A River Runs Through It
★ 7.01992
MovieDrama
The Maclean brothers, Paul and Norman, live a relatively idyllic life in rural Montana, spending much of their time fly fishing. The sons of a minister, the boys eventually part company when Norman moves east to attend college, leaving his rebellious brother to find trouble back home. When Norman finally returns, the siblings resume their fishing outings, and assess where they've been and where they're going.
The HoleThe Hole · 2001
The Hole
★ 6.22001
MovieCrimeDrama
Four teenagers at a British private school secretly uncover and explore the depths of a sealed underground hole created decades ago as a possible bomb shelter.
My Own Private IdahoMy Own Private Idaho · 1991
My Own Private Idaho
★ 7.01991
MovieDrama
In this loose adaptation of Shakespeare's "Henry IV," Mike Waters is a hustler afflicted with narcolepsy. Scott Favor is the rebellious son of a mayor. Together, the two travel from Portland, Oregon to Idaho and finally to the coast of Italy in a quest to find Mike's estranged mother. Along the way they turn tricks for money and drugs, eventually attracting the attention of a wealthy benefactor and sexual deviant.
BrotherBrother · 2000
Brother
★ 7.12000
MovieCrimeDrama
A Japanese Yakuza gangster's deadly existence in his homeland gets him exiled to Los Angeles, where he is taken in by his little brother and his brother's gang.
KluteKlute · 1971
Klute
★ 6.81971
MovieThrillerCrime
A high-priced call girl is forced to depend on a reluctant private eye when she is stalked by a psychopath.
PleasantvillePleasantville · 1998
Pleasantville
★ 7.31998
MovieFantasyComedy
Geeky teenager David and his popular twin sister, Jennifer, get sucked into the black-and-white world of a 1950s TV sitcom called "Pleasantville," and find a world where everything is peachy keen all the time. But when Jennifer's modern attitude disrupts Pleasantville's peaceful but boring routine, she literally brings color into its life.
DavidDavid · 1997
David
★ 6.71997
MovieAdventureDrama
A distinguished military leader whose reign was touched by great scandal, shocking betrayals and rousing victories. A simple shepherd boy chosen to be king, under the watchful eyes of prophet Samuel.
Wuthering HeightsWuthering Heights · 1939
Wuthering Heights
★ 7.21939
MovieDramaRomance
Young orphan Heathcliff is adopted by the wealthy Earnshaw family and moves into their estate, Wuthering Heights. Soon, the new resident falls for his compassionate foster sister, Cathy. The two share a remarkable bond that seems unbreakable until Cathy, feeling the pressure of social convention, suppresses her feelings and marries Edgar Linton, a man of means who befits her stature. Heathcliff vows to win her back.
BackdraftBackdraft · 1991
Backdraft
★ 6.71991
MovieDramaThriller
Two feuding siblings carrying on a heroic family tradition as Chicago firefighters. But when a puzzling series of arson attacks is reported, they are forced to set aside their differences to solve the mystery surrounding these crimes.
2:372:37 · 2006
2:37
★ 6.62006
MovieDrama
A contemporary, ensemble drama that tells the complex tale of six high school students whose lives are interwoven with situations that so many of today's youth are faced with. The story takes place during a normal school day. At precisely 2:37, a tragedy will occur affecting the lives of a group of students and their teachers.
Light of DayLight of Day · 1987
Light of Day
★ 5.51987
MovieMusicDrama
Cleveland siblings rise with a rock band while coping with personal problems.
Our Mother's HouseOur Mother's House · 1967
Our Mother's House
★ 7.21967
MovieDrama
Seven children bury their mother and hide her death - until their long-lost father returns.

Rate this film

Your ratings make Midnight smarter