Sonatine (1984): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 1984, Sonatine is a drama film directed by Micheline Lanctôt, running about 91 minutes.

What it’s about. This poignant human drama is phrased as a "small sonata" in three movements -- a novel approach by director and writer Micheline Lactôt to tell the story of two teenage girls. In the first movement, Chantal (Pascale Bussieres) rides the same bus every day and slowly develops an infatuation with the bus driver. Their interactions are expressed through gestures and glances and facial expressions, but not words. Just as Chantal is getting old enough, and maybe courageous enough to actually say something to the driver, fate steps in and she loses her chance. In the second movement, Louisette (Marcia Pilote) hides out on a fishing boat and is discovered by a Bulgarian fisherman who treats her with kindness and consideration and they spend a special evening together -- without being able to speak a word in the other's language. In the third movement, Chantal and Louisette become friends, and as kindred spirits they share a sense of loss and hopelessness.

Who’s in it. Sonatine stars Pascale Bussières as Chantal, Marcia Pilote as Louisette, Kliment Denchev as Bulgarischer Matrose and Pierre Fauteux as Fernand, among others.

How it landed. With an audience score of 6.9/10, Sonatine has drawn a solid, mixed-to-positive response.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Sonatine page.

If you liked it. Fans of Sonatine tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.