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DramaBiography

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

Directed by Julian Schnabel · 2007 ·

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Answer Summary: Is The Diving Bell and the Butterfly worth watching?

The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) earns a 88% Celluloid Score — Recommended. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.Critics (94%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (85%).

Quick Verdict: What is the Celluloid Score for The Diving Bell and the Butterfly?

Calculated from 4 available inputs: Celluloid editorial rating, Metascore, Letterboxd and IMDb. Audience sentiment is shown separately and never changes the composite. See how we calculate scores.

88%
Celluloid Score Recommended

4-input transparent breakdown

94% Editorial Rating
85% Audience snapshot · excluded
92 Metascore
★★★★☆ Letterboxd 4.2
8 IMDb /10
Watch Trailer
Runtime
1h 52m
Cast
Mathieu Amalric , Emmanuelle Seigner , Marie-Josée Croze
Country
France
Language
French

Where to watch

Streaming availability varies by region — currently on U-NEXT in Japan. Check local listings for your region.

Rent: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Fandango at Home

Buy: Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play, Fandango at Home

Why this score?

  • Celluloid's editorial rating is exceptional (94/100).
  • General viewers mostly liked it (85%).
  • Metascore signals universal acclaim (92/100).
  • Letterboxd diarists rate it highly (4.2/5).
  • IMDb users score it 8/10.

Best for

  • Viewers who want a well-regarded drama, biography pick
  • Critics' darlings — stronger with reviewers than general viewers

Not ideal for

    Scores reflect data indexed at build time. Component sources are shown on this page; Celluloid Score is our composite, not a third-party trademark. Scoring policy

    Streaming availability, artwork and title metadata courtesy of TMDB. This product uses the TMDB API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDB.

    Is The Diving Bell and the Butterfly worth watching?

    Yes — The Diving Bell and the Butterfly earns a 88% Celluloid Score. Recommended — recommended by most critics and audiences.

    Celluloid Verdict

    Schnabel transforms paralysis into poetry through subjective camera and luminous empathy.

    Celluloid editorial verdict

    Critics (94%) were notably more enthusiastic than audiences (85%).

    What is The Diving Bell and the Butterfly about?

    Editor Jean-Dominique Bauby dictates his memoir by blinking one eye after a stroke leaves him with locked-in syndrome.

    Watch the Trailer

    Critic Reviews

    critic The Diving Bell and the Butterfly

    The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) Review: A French Classic

    Julian Schnabel's The Diving Bell and the Butterfly (2007) endures as a defining drama landmark from France, with scores that still shape how audiences discover cinema from the region.

    Essential viewing — a certified classic.

    Kaiser Khan Founder & Editor

    The Diving Bell and the Butterfly stills

    Official production imagery supplied through TMDB, kept with the movie instead of split into a thin gallery page.

    The Diving Bell and the Butterfly production still 1
    The Diving Bell and the Butterfly production still 2
    The Diving Bell and the Butterfly production still 3

    Images courtesy of TMDB. TMDB does not endorse or certify Celluloid.

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