From influential director Just Jaeckin (Emmanuelle), a coming-of-age cult classic of the 1980s featuring a young Anne Parillaud (Luc Besson's Nikita)
Girls marks the return of legendary French filmmaker Just Jaeckin, the visionary behind Emmanuelle and The Story of O, with a rare and evocative coming-of-age drama that captures the restless energy and innocence of youth in early-1980s France. The film follows three teenage friends--Suzanne (Charlotte Walior), Annie (Zoé Chauveau), and Catherine (Anne Parillaud, later of La Femme Nikita)--as they navigate the emotional turbulence of adolescence, love, and self-discovery. Spending their nights in discos and cinemas chasing adventure and romance, they are joined by Suzanne's younger sister, Betty (Isabelle Mejias), who eagerly imitates their behavior, only to stumble into adult consequences she isn't yet prepared for.
Jaeckin, renowned for his lush visual style and nuanced portrayal of female characters, crafts Girls as a tender, melancholic reflection on growing up in a rapidly changing world. Anchored by Eric Stewart's (10cc) evocative pop soundtrack and imbued with the vibrant atmosphere of 1980s youth culture, the film blends sensuality, humor, and emotional realism in equal measure. Parillaud, in one of her earliest roles, radiates the raw charisma that would later define her international stardom.
For this definitive edition, Cult Epics presents Girls in a stunning 4K restoration from the original negative with HDR, available for the first time on UHD and Blu-ray. The release includes extensive bonus materials such as an audio commentary by film scholars Jeremy Richey and Peter Verstraten, a newly recorded interview with actress Isabelle Mejias, Jaeckin's final interview from 2022, and archival French television footage featuring the cast. Also included are the alternate German cut, theatrical trailers, and the insightful essay "Who Is Just Jaeckin?" by Richey, which situates the film within the director's distinctive cinematic legacy.
A forgotten gem rediscovered, Girls stands alongside Little Darlings and Foxes as one of the most authentic depictions of female adolescence on screen--a bittersweet ode to friendship, freedom, and the fragile beauty of first love.
Media
Bonus Materials
- 4K UHD BLU-RAY
- 4K Transfer (from the original negative) & Restoration + HDR
- Audio Commentary by Jeremy Richey and Peter Verstraten
- BLU-RAY
- 4K Transfer & Restoration
- Audio Commentary by Jeremy Richey
- Who is Just Jaeckin - Essay by Jeremy Richey
- Last Interview with director Just Jaeckin (2022)
- Interview with actress Isabelle Mejias (2025)
- Archival interview with Just Jaeckin, Anne Parrilaud, Zoé Chaveau, Charlotte Walior (TFI, 1982)
- Girls: The German Cut
- Trailers
