--- title: "Two Days, One Night" year: 2014 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/two-days-one-night" fi1m_score: 88 critics_score: 84 critics_reviews: 24 published: "2026-09-17T08:06:40.085865+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T08:06:49.287689+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." --- # Two Days, One Night (2014) Directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne · 1h 35m · MPA PG-13 · Drama **Fi1m score: 88** · Critics 84 from 24 reviews *In a sentence:* Keeping your job should not require this much doorbell ringing > Marion Cotillard makes a weekend campaign to save a factory job painfully absorbing. Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne build suspense from repeated conversations, though a few encounters feel arranged to cover every possible response. ## Synopsis After a factory vote puts her job at risk, Sandra (Marion Cotillard) has one weekend to persuade her colleagues to give up their bonuses so she can stay employed. The people around her include Manu (Fabrizio Rongione) and Juliette (Catherine Salée). Sandra goes door to door, taking a dispute about wages into her colleagues’ lives away from work. Depression makes it difficult to find the strength to repeat her request. Each conversation asks someone else to accept a financial loss, with no guarantee that enough of the others will do the same. ## Review *Two Days, One Night* makes a gripping drama out of a woman having to ask the same painful question over and over. Written and directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne and Luc Dardenne, it follows Sandra’s weekend effort to persuade her fellow factory workers to surrender their bonuses so she can keep her job. We recommend it warmly, with a reservation about how neatly some encounters fit the scheme. Its hold comes from making us care about the people who have reasons to say no. The choice imposed on these workers is ugly, and the film does not pretend that generosity is easy when money is short. Sandra needs a wage; her colleagues have financial pressures of their own. We felt angry that she had to make the case at all, because every appeal asks her to explain why her continued employment deserves someone else’s sacrifice. The weekend deadline keeps the conversations tense. Agreement matters, but so does the effort required to ask again after hearing an answer. Marion Cotillard makes Sandra’s depression central to the practical difficulty of the task. Her weariness and anxiety mean that speaking to another colleague is already a considerable effort, before money enters the conversation. We found ourselves dreading the next appeal because she has to repeat it while barely able to endure the previous one. The performance never suggests that determination will simply cure her. Even when Sandra presses on, the strain remains. Alain Marcoen’s camera keeps the lack of space around the characters apparent without insisting on it. Igor Gabriel’s production design makes those cramped surroundings credible as places where people have to manage on limited wages. The long takes leave us waiting with Sandra for an answer. There is little music to ease the discomfort. That restraint works because the uncertainty is already there in the conversation, and the actors make us watch closely for a response. Marie-Hélène Dozo’s editing makes the repeated encounters easy to follow, though it cannot entirely disguise their regularity. Each visit brings another response to the same question, and occasionally we become too aware of the script arranging a range of possible answers. A few colleagues seem to have been written mainly to supply an answer Sandra has not heard yet. The supporting actors give those brief parts enough feeling to keep this from becoming a serious weakness. They make hesitation and refusal understandable, even while the story keeps us close to Sandra. For a social-realist drama about work, this has an unusually clear source of suspense: we want the next person to say yes, and cannot dismiss their reasons for refusing. The political point comes through the difficulty of the request, without needing a speech to explain it. At 95 minutes, it has room to make the conversations uncomfortable without turning Sandra’s weekend into an endurance test for us. See it when there is time afterwards to talk about what agreeing to help would cost. *Fi1m score 88, published 17 September 2026.* ## What the critics say The reviews are uniformly positive, with praise clustering around Marion Cotillard’s portrayal of depression, exhaustion and determination. Most critics find her performance restrained and credible, giving Sandra’s weekend campaign to save her job an urgency that several compare to a thriller. The Dardennes’ naturalistic direction also earns broad approval for making economic pressure tangible without losing sympathy for the colleagues Sandra asks to sacrifice their bonuses. Critics repeatedly single out the combination of suspense, moral difficulty and concern for working people. The differences concern how successfully the repeated doorstep appeals sustain that tension, with enthusiasm ranging from warm approval to emphatic praise. Slant Magazine finds schematic elements that Cotillard’s performance helps overcome, while Eye for Film notes some contrived plotting. Collider offers the clearest reservation: it finds the repetition monotonous and the approach too stiff to encourage emotional involvement. That frustration is unusual among reviews that largely find the encounters gripping. ### Reviews we read (24) - **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (5/5/5): The Dardennes craft a shattering masterpiece that undercuts preconceptions while examining repetition, individualism and social diversity through a simple episodic quest. Cotillard delivers a monumental, subtle performance in this near-incomprehensible moral and political complexity. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/two-days-one-night) - **The AV Club**, A.A. Dowd (A): The Dardennes craft a humane, uplifting drama about economic struggle and personal resilience; Cotillard delivers an emotionally expressive lead performance that anchors the film's series of moral confrontations. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/marion-cotillard-is-a-weekend-warrior-in-the-beautiful-1798182279) - **The Guardian** (90/100, inferred): The Dardenne brothers have outdone themselves with this heartwrenching social-realist drama about a factory worker lobbying colleagues to save her job. Marion Cotillard delivers a subtly magnificent, authentic central performance that anchors the film's narrative tension and themes of solidarity. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2014/aug/21/two-days-one-night-review-marion-cotillard-dardenne) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (90/100, inferred): The film is a suspenseful, sobering account of a factory worker's frantic weekend campaign to save her job by persuading colleagues to forgo bonuses. Cotillard delivers one of the finest screen performances in years through her raw, unadorned portrayal of vulnerability and resolve. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2014/12/24/movies/two-days-one-night-from-jean-pierre-and-luc-dardenne.html) - **The Telegraph**, Robbie Collin (90/100, inferred): The Dardennes deliver deft social-realist drama with moral rigour that grips like a thriller. Cotillard is superb in an authentic portrayal of depression as the protagonist canvasses co-workers over a weekend to save her job. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/11048309/Two-Days-One-Night-review-Marion-Cotillard-is-superb.html) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (90/100, inferred): The Dardennes deliver one of their best films with searing relevance and compassion about doing the right thing under economic pressure. Cotillard gives a career-high performance as a mother fighting for her job and self-worth in this humane political drama. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/two-days-one-night) - **Variety**, Scott Foundas (90/100, inferred): The Dardennes maintain their signature verisimilitude while integrating a major star, delivering another richly observed working-class drama infused with ticking-clock suspense. Cotillard seamlessly disappears into the role, bringing subtle emotional depth as Sandra fights for dignity and solidarity. [Read](https://variety.com/2014/film/reviews/cannes-film-review-marion-cotillard-shines-in-two-days-one-night-1201186779/) - **Empire**, Kim Newman (85/100, inferred): The Dardennes deliver a credible portrait of victims in a cruel social system that doubles as gripping drama in the vein of 12 Angry Men. Cotillard gives an outstanding, deeply inhabited lead performance that makes the simple story stick with viewers. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/two-days-one-night-review/) - **Film Comment**, Max Nelson (85/100, inferred): The Dardennes deliver a radiant film with one of their best stories, following Sandra as she visits co-workers over a weekend to save her job. It has the open-endedness of a parable and the ambiguity of an ethical thought experiment. [Read](https://www.filmcomment.com/article/review-two-days-one-night-dardennes/) - **Sight and Sound**, Tony Rayns (85/100, inferred): The Dardenne brothers deliver a feelgood story of personal growth and social solidarity wrapped in naturalistic realism. Cotillard's committed performance as a woman fighting for her job and mental stability stands out amid the episodic weekend canvassing. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/two-days-one-night-review) - **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (80/100, inferred): The film celebrates solidarity and respect among co-workers through a tight script and Cotillard's extraordinary performance that makes every minute feel life-or-death. Strong ensemble acting and deceptively simple camerawork highlight characters' lack of space and money. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/two-days-one-night-film-review-thanks-to-an-extraordinary-performance-from-marion-cotillard-it-feels-like-a-lifeordeath-affair-9685002.html) - **Screen Daily** (80/100, inferred): The Dardennes' finely scripted issue movie throws workers' impossible choices into stark relief through a nuanced, compassionate portrait of a struggling community. Cotillard's raw performance as a depressed woman fighting to save her job makes it powerful and incisive. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/two-days-one-night/5072210.article) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, David Rooney (80/100, inferred): The Dardennes deliver another affecting drama about workplace injustice and human dignity, with Cotillard giving a piercing, emotionally transparent performance as a woman fighting to keep her job. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/general-news/two-days-one-night-deux-705835/) - **Slant Magazine**, Ed Gonzalez (75/100, inferred): The Dardennes continue their socialist-humanist explorations with a soul-stirring tale of solidarity and self-worth; Cotillard gives a nuanced, haunted performance that elevates the film's schematic elements. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/two-days-one-night/) - **Los Angeles Times**, Betsy Sharkey (70/100, inferred): The film functions as an unlikely thriller built around Sandra's high-stakes weekend mission to reclaim her job amid economic pressures. Cotillard gives one of her strongest performances by stripping away artifice to convey deep insecurity, weariness, and quiet determination. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-two-days-one-night-review-20150109-column.html) - **The New Yorker**, Anthony Lane (70/100, inferred): The Dardennes craft a taut, vote-hunting thriller from Sandra's door-to-door appeals, sustaining suspense despite the repetitive structure. Cotillard excels by fully embodying the character's anxiety and depletion, dropping all star glamour for a raw, committed turn. [Read](https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/01/05/good-fights-4) - **The Playlist**, The Playlist Staff (A): The Dardennes deliver a gripping social realist parable and character study centered on Cotillard’s riveting performance as a woman fighting to reclaim her job and dignity. It balances moral allegory, thriller elements, and human depth with an uplifting, perfectly judged ending. [Read](https://theplaylist.net/review-the-dardenne-brothers-two-days-one-night-starring-marion-cotillard-20141226/) - **Consequence** (85/100, inferred): The film offers an intense, intimate character study of depression through Cotillard's tour-de-force performance as Sandra, who pleads for her job over a weekend. The Dardennes create a hypnotic, relentless portrait of emotional struggle, sacrifice, and quiet nobility amid economic pressures. [Read](https://consequence.net/2014/12/film-review-two-days-one-night/) - **The Wrap** (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film a damning yet understated look at economic exploitation of the working class, praising the Dardennes' naturalistic style with long takes and minimal music. Cotillard delivers one of her most absorbing performances as the vulnerable yet determined protagonist. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/two-days-one-night-review-marion-cotillard-dardenne-brothers/) - **Paste**, Tim Grierson (8.4/10): The Dardennes craft another intimate, realist drama with strong suspense and humanity drawn from Sandra's encounters with coworkers. Cotillard delivers a restrained, emotionally fragile performance that anchors the film's exploration of economic hardship and moral choices. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/two-days-one-night-2014-tiff-review) - **Digital Spy**, Emma Dibdin (4/5): Marion Cotillard captures the despair and paralysis of depression with grace in this moving drama about a woman fighting to keep her job. It emerges as a psychologically rich and quietly uplifting modern-day morality play. [Read](https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a591553/two-days-one-night-review-marion-cotillard-in-moving-drama/) - **Eye for Film**, Richard Mowe (80/100, inferred): Sandra must persuade her co-workers over two days to sacrifice their bonuses to save her job after a factory vote. Cotillard delivers a bravura, introspective performance amid rich observation and building tension, though some plot elements feel contrived. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/two-days-one-night-2014-film-review-by-richard-mowe) - **HeyUGuys**, Jo-Ann Titmarsh (4/5): The Dardennes continue their focus on working-class struggles with Sandra (Marion Cotillard) desperately trying to save her job over one weekend by convincing colleagues to forgo bonuses. The film is moving and naturalistic, with Cotillard shining in every scene and strong support from the ensemble. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/cannes-2014-two-days-one-night-review/) - **Collider**, Perri Nemiroff (B): The core premise raises compelling questions about workplace ethics and personal stakes, but the repetitive, monotonous execution makes it hard to connect with the depressed protagonist or feel invested in her fight. Cotillard's performance is convincing yet the overall approach feels stiff and frustrating. [Read](https://collider.com/two-days-one-night-review/) ## Details - **Director:** Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne - **Director:** Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne - **Writer:** Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne - **Cinematography:** Alain Marcoen - **Editor:** Marie-Hélène Dozo - **Production design:** Igor Gabriel - **Costume design:** Maïra Ramedhan Levi - **Producer:** Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne, Denis Freyd - **Cast:** Marion Cotillard as Sandra; Fabrizio Rongione as Manu; Catherine Salée as Juliette; Pili Groyne as Estelle; Batiste Sornin as Mr. Dumont; Simon Caudry as Maxime; Lara Persain as Willy's wife; Alain Eloy as Willy - **Runtime:** 1h 35m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG-13 - **Release (the US):** 24 December 2014 - **Genres:** Drama - **Budget:** $7 million - **Box office:** $9 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ppwJIRqFE0 ## Where to watch in the US - AMC+: streaming - Amazon Prime Video: add-on - Apple TV: add-on, hd - The Roku Channel: add-on, hd - Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $4.99, hd - Apple TV: buy $7.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, DE, FR, GB, IE, IT, JP, MX, NL, NZ, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Academy Awards 2015: Best Actress (nominated) - César Award for Best Actress 2015: César Award for Best Actress (nominated) - International Submission to the Academy Awards 2015: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated) - Lumière Award for Best French-Language Film 2015: Lumière Award for Best French-Language Film (won) - European Film Award for Best Actress 2014: European Film Award for Best Actress (won) - European Film Award for Best Screenwriter 2014: European Film Award for Best Screenwriter (nominated) - European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film 2014: European Film Award – People's Choice Award for Best European Film (nominated) ## If you liked this - *Rosetta* (1999): Another worker’s desperate need for a job, with equal attention to physical exhaustion. - *Bicycle Thieves* (1948), Fi1m 92: A missing bicycle makes one family’s financial insecurity painfully easy to understand. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/bicycle-thieves.md) - *Wendy and Lucy* (2008): Small setbacks become serious threats for a woman with almost nothing spare. - *The Measure of a Man* (2015): A worker faces the moral cost of finally finding paid employment. - *Sorry We Missed You* (2019): A family’s working arrangements make a forceful case against the promise of independence. --- © 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/two-days-one-night