The Passengers of the Night

On an election night in 1981, Paris hums with new possibilities as crowds pour into the streets. Elisabeth, a wife whose marriage is breaking apart, must stand on her own for her two teenagers. She takes a late shift at a radio station, where the quiet of the night becomes a lifeline. When a wayward teenager named Talulah crosses her path, Elisabeth offers a place to stay, creating a fragile bond across age and circumstance. The film follows how this irregular alliance challenges and changes the daily rhythms of a family and their city, as hopes for a brighter future brush up against the realities of responsibility, memory, and human kindness. Mood balances warmth with tension as hours slip by.

Directed by Mikhaël Hers, the film adapts material from Maud Ameline and Mariette Désert and released in 2022. It places a Paris touched by political change at the center of a quiet intimate family drama with Gainsbourg in a role.

The film has been praised for its intimate portrayal of a mother and a troubled teen and for turning a late night radio studio into a safe harbor. Gainsbourg's performance is widely admired, and the film resonates with anyone who has faced abrupt life changes, in today's urban, uncertain world.

Critics note the film's restrained tone and focus on resilience, memory, and intergenerational bonds. The 1981 setting serves as a backdrop for personal renewal, while the narrative avoids melodrama in favor of quiet, honest portraits. Its measured pace lets relationships form and fracture in real time within a patient frame.

Box office figures show a modest worldwide gross around 1.5 million against a 4.3 million budget, reflecting a limited release. Its profile points to an art house audience rather than broad commercial appeal. The film found traction in select markets.