--- title: "4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days" year: 2007 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days" fi1m_id: "4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days" imdb_id: "tt1032846" tmdb_id: 2009 wikidata_id: "Q238245" fi1m_score: 91 critics_score: 90 critics_reviews: 7 published: "2026-09-15" updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:29.416126+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days (2007) Directed by Cristian Mungiu · 1h 54m · Drama ## Identity 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days - **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days - **Type:** Film - **Fi1m ID:** 4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days - **IMDb ID:** tt1032846 - **TMDB ID:** 2009 - **Wikidata ID:** Q238245 - **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1032846/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/2009, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q238245 **Fi1m score: 91** · Critics 90 from 7 reviews *In a sentence:* We kept hoping someone would simply help, which ought not to have been such an extravagant wish > Cristian Mungiu makes the practical business of obtaining an illegal abortion almost unbearably tense. Anamaria Marinca holds our attention throughout; the pressure sometimes feels excessive, but we would still urge people to see it. ## Synopsis In Romania in 1987, Otilia (Anamaria Marinca) helps her roommate Găbiță (Laura Vasiliu) obtain an illegal abortion. Under Ceaușescu, the decision exposes both women to danger, and arranging it requires negotiations with people whose help they need. Otilia takes on the practical work, trying to keep the situation manageable while looking after her friend. The task puts their friendship under pressure and leaves them dependent on other people’s co-operation. Written and directed by Cristian Mungiu, the film follows the women through the emotional and logistical difficulties of seeking an abortion under an oppressive regime. ## Review *4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days* is a frightening film about trying to get something done when almost every practical step carries a risk. We would urge people to see it, with a clear warning that it is hard to sit through. Cristian Mungiu follows Otilia as she helps her roommate obtain an illegal abortion in Romania in 1987. The story is intimate, but the law determines what the women can ask for and whom they have to trust. Mungiu gets considerable suspense from that dependence, without making their distress feel like an excuse for a thriller. Anamaria Marinca makes Otilia’s resourcefulness believable because she never presents it as confidence. Her concentration suggests someone who must think carefully even when there is no time to think at all. We were frightened by the effort it took her simply to keep a conversation going. Marinca gives the practical business of asking for help the strain of a task that has to be done correctly, with no assurance that doing it correctly will be enough. Laura Vasiliu, as Găbiță, helps keep the friendship awkward and believable. Neither actor seems interested in making her character especially likeable, which is a relief in a film with so much at stake. Mungiu’s screenplay gives the dialogue the awkwardness and pressure of people needing something from one another. The women remain people whose immediate needs deserve attention, even when the subject invites everyone else to deliver a speech. Oleg Mutu’s long takes make it difficult to settle into the comfortable position of merely observing. We have time to study a face, then more time than we want to consider what might happen outside the frame. Dana Bunescu’s editing is equally important: the intervals between cuts make waiting an active part of the suspense. There are moments when a change of shot would let us relax, and the film keeps us waiting instead. The precision is impressive, though the technique is demanding enough to become a problem of its own. Mihaela Poenaru’s production design gives this pressure an ordinary setting, which makes it more disturbing. Nothing about the surroundings offers the comfortable excuse that such cruelty belongs somewhere separate from everyday life. Mungiu finds room for mundane absurdity and small acts of generosity, and these keep the people around the women from becoming a uniform procession of monsters. His attention to the constant bargaining also makes the political setting clear without requiring anyone to explain the entire country. The reservation concerns how firmly Mungiu controls our response. At times the prolonged attention to distress feels insistently severe, as though allowing us a moment’s breathing space would somehow be dishonest. We do not think the film needs quite that much pressure to make us understand, and its 114 minutes can feel punishing. Yet Marinca and Vasiliu keep our attention on what their characters need to do next, even when the direction seems determined to leave us exhausted. A social drama this severe can easily start treating its characters as evidence. Mungiu avoids that because we are kept close to Otilia’s practical concerns, and because Marinca makes her worth watching even when she has little freedom to act. We understand the politics through the strain of helping a friend. See it when you have the attention to give it, and no need for reassurance before bed. *Fi1m score 91, published 15 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The consensus is strongly positive, with praise centred on Cristian Mungiu’s controlled direction, the sustained tension of the long takes and Anamaria Marinca’s performance. Critics repeatedly describe the camerawork as essential to the pressure of the story, keeping ordinary negotiations and practical obstacles tense without forcing the drama. Marinca draws particular praise for her concentration and emotional depth. The reviews also value the film’s sympathy for its characters and its close attention to the cruelties of life under communist rule. The differences are largely matters of emphasis rather than disagreement, and the supplied reviews contain no outright dissent. Some focus on the thriller-like pacing; others stress female solidarity or political oppression. Reservations concern the experience of watching something so relentlessly grim. Eye for Film offers the clearest caveat, recommending it only to those prepared for its distressing effects and noting the unqualified condemnation of the regime’s policies. ## Straight answers **Is 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days worth watching?** *4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days* is worth watching, and we scored it 91, for anyone prepared to sit through a frightening, unrelenting account of obtaining an illegal abortion in Romania in 1987. Anamaria Marinca holds the film together as Otilia, the friend doing the practical work. Mungiu keeps the pressure on almost without pause, so choose an evening when you do not need reassurance before bed. **How long is 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and what is it rated?** *4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days* runs 1h 54m. It is a drama film. **Where can I watch 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days in the US?** *4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days* is streaming on Amazon Prime Video in the US, and it is also available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service. **How violent or frightening is 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days, and is it suitable for children?** *4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days* is a UK 15 and is not suitable for children; its subject is an illegal abortion and the danger and bargaining surrounding it. The fear comes less from violence than from sustained dread, long takes and the risk in every conversation. Adults and older teenagers who can take a severe, punishing drama are its audience; the squeamish should approach with care. **How does 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days compare to Vera Drake?** *4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days* is the harder and tenser of the two, following one dangerous day almost in real time, while [*Vera Drake*](https://film.one/film/vera-drake) is a gentler, patient family drama built around Imelda Staunton's cleaner. Mike Leigh is too protective of Vera's goodness; Mungiu allows neither of his women to be especially likeable. We think the Romanian film is the stronger, but Leigh's is the easier to sit through. **What should I watch after 4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days?** After *4 Months, 3 Weeks and 2 Days*, try [*Vera Drake*](https://film.one/film/vera-drake) (2004, Fi1m 84): Another unsentimental account of illegal abortion, with equal attention to care and class. Then [*Never Rarely Sometimes Always*](https://film.one/film/never-rarely-sometimes-always) (2020, Fi1m 84): Two young women navigate abortion access, with friendship doing the work institutions will not; and [*A Separation*](https://film.one/film/a-separation) (2011, Fi1m 93): Practical decisions become moral emergencies, and nobody gets an easy explanation. ### Reviews we read (14) - **RogerEbert.com**, Roger Ebert (4/4): The film is a powerful and stark visual accomplishment set in late-1980s Romania under Ceausescu, where a young woman helps her roommate obtain an illegal abortion. The critic singles out the masterful performances of Anamaria Marinca as the resourceful Otilia and the rigorous long-take style for praise. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days-2008) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (5/5): The review calls it the most striking and memorable film of Cannes, a grim yet terrifically made and sensitive portrayal of backstreet abortion under strict communist law. It singles out the intimate story's sting, the perspective play with off-stage drama, and the real-time tension in long takes. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/4-months-3-weeks-2-days) - **Empire**, Damon Wise (90/100, inferred): The critic calls the film superb and brilliantly made, noting its tense, kinetic and intelligent storytelling with universal appeal. They single out the gorgeous camerawork and the powerful final moment for particular praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/4-months-3-weeks-2-days-review/) - **The New York Times**, Manohla Dargis (90/100, inferred): This ferocious, unsentimental film marks the emergence of an important new talent in director Cristian Mungiu, offering a haunting intellectual and aesthetic achievement about an illegal abortion in Ceausescu-era Romania. The critic singles out the brilliantly directed camerawork that expresses consciousness itself and the sustained long shots for praise. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/25/movies/25mont.html) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (85/100, inferred): Mungiu has arrived at an honest if disturbing way to tell a story of sundering and invasion in 1987 Romania, where the camera roams like a hound amid crises. The critic singles out the sure pacing that makes the film feel like a thriller and the unwavering concentration of lead actress Anamaria Marinca for praise. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2008/01/28/monstrous-times) - **Film Comment**, Kristin M. Jones: The critic praises Mungiu's use of prolonged, unblinking long takes that build tension around the central illegal abortion story set in late-1980s Romania. She highlights the film's realistic details drawn from real-life experiences and its portrayal of the oppressive societal backdrop under Ceausescu. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/review-4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days-cristian-mungiu/) - **Screen Daily**: The critic describes a deceptively simple tale carrying a tremendous wallop that leads new Romanian cinema at Cannes, exploring character, friendship, responsibility and devotion under duress in Ceausescu-era Romania. It praises the remarkably controlled and unaffected lead performances and the use of long sequence shots. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days-4-luni-3-saptamini-si-2-zile/4032548.article) - **Sight and Sound**, Ben Walters: The critic applauds how the film mixes profound sympathy for its characters' ordeals with an eye for the grim absurdities of late-communist Romanian society. It highlights the technical tour de force of lengthy takes, the nerve-wracking dinner scene, and the balance of humane charting with knowing distance. [Read](http://old.bfi.org.uk/sightandsound/review/4146) - **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez: The critic highlights the film's urgent, ticking-bomb quality through concentrated long shots and heightened performances, noting how it transforms a desperate struggle into a stirring expression of female solidarity. It praises the canny deployment of red herrings and the allegory of struggles under a political machine. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw: The critic calls the film a brutal masterwork and a masterpiece of intimate desperation about an illegal abortion in 1980s Romania. They single out the lead performance by Anamaria Marinca for its emotional depth and the director's controlled long-take sequences. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2008/jan/11/worldcinema.drama) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Ray Bennett: The critic finds the film dark and gloomy yet observant and highly suspenseful, casting an unblinking eye on life in the last years of communism in Romania. It praises the exceptional performance by Anamaria Marinca and the balance of banal cruelty with simple generosity. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/4-months-3-weeks-2-2-158622/) - **Variety**, Jay Weissberg: This is a stunning achievement helmed with purity and honesty that captures not just the illegal abortion story but the constant negotiations for survival in the final days of the Soviet bloc. The critic singles out the long takes, controlled camera, and astonishing ear for natural dialogue for praise. [Read](https://variety.com/2007/film/awards/4-months-3-weeks-2-days-1200558756/) - **Eye for Film**, Jennie Kermode (80/100, inferred): The film is an incredibly powerful piece of cinema that takes hold of the audience and never lets go, forcing viewers through the characters' horrific experience step by step while raising questions about the treatment of women. It is grim throughout with no attempt to balance its condemnation of the regime's policies, and the critic can recommend it only to those prepared to be utterly depressed afterwards. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/4-months-3-weeks-2-days-film-review-by-jennie-kermode) - **Paste**, Paste Staff (80/100, inferred): The film powerfully depicts the emotional and logistical toll of obtaining an illegal abortion in 1980s Romania through the experiences of two roommates. Its strength lies in a sober, minimalist style of long handheld takes that confront the situation directly without evasion or stylization. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/cristian-mungiu/4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days) ## Details - **Director:** Cristian Mungiu - **Director:** Cristian Mungiu - **Screenplay:** Cristian Mungiu - **Cinematography:** Oleg Mutu - **Editor:** Dana Bunescu - **Production design:** Mihaela Poenaru - **Costume design:** Dana Istrate - **Producer:** Cristian Mungiu, Oleg Mutu - **Cast:** Anamaria Marinca as Otilia; Laura Vasiliu as Găbiță; Vlad Ivanov as Domnu' Bebe; Alexandru Potocean as Adi; Luminița Gheorghiu as Mrs. Radu; Adi Cărăuleanu as Mr Radu; Liliana Mocanu as Unirea Hotel receptionist; Doru Ana as Gas pump attendant - **Runtime:** 1h 54m - **Release (the US):** 10 October 2007 - **Genres:** Drama - **Also in:** [Palme d'Or winners](https://film.one/collections/palme-dor.md) (Winner, 2007) - **Budget:** $852,510 - **Box office:** $1 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UjS7v4AEYco ## Where to watch in the US - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $14.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $19.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-15.* Also available in: GB, IE, RO, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film 2008: Central Ohio Film Critics Association Award for Best Foreign Language Film (won) - International Submission to the Academy Awards 2008: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated) - Meeting Point Europe Award 2008: Meeting Point Europe Award (won) - Cannes Film Festival 2007: Palme d'Or (won) - European Film Award for Best Actress 2007: European Film Award for Best Actress (nominated) - European Film Award for Best Director 2007: European Film Award for Best Director (won) - European Film Award for Best Film 2007: European Film Award for Best Film (won) - European Film Award for Best Screenwriter 2007: European Film Award for Best Screenwriter (nominated) - Lux Prize 2007: Lux Prize (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Vera Drake* (2004), Fi1m 84: Another unsentimental account of illegal abortion, with equal attention to care and class. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/vera-drake.md) - *The Death of Mr Lazarescu* (2005): For the exhausting negotiations, ordinary indifference and grim humour of seeking help. - *Never Rarely Sometimes Always* (2020), Fi1m 84: Two young women navigate abortion access, with friendship doing the work institutions will not. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/never-rarely-sometimes-always.md) - *A Separation* (2011), Fi1m 93: Practical decisions become moral emergencies, and nobody gets an easy explanation. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/a-separation.md) - *The Ascent* (1977), Fi1m 88: For another demanding study of loyalty and responsibility under unbearable pressure. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-ascent.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/4-months-3-weeks-and-2-days