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A directorial debut from Lauren Slama, A Second Life is a nuanced and careful character drama centering on a hearing-impaired American and a free-spirited tourist. The pair form an unlikely friendship amid the buzz of Paris during the Olympic Games in this charming tale of human connection. The movie stars Agathe Rouselle (Titane) and Alex Lawther (The French Dispatch) in the leading roles, with Jonas Bachan (The Book of Wonders) and Suzy Bemba (Poor Things) supporting. Beautifully acted with tremendous character development at the centre, A Second Life is a stunning exploration of finding the beauty in life.
Agathe Rouselle received much acclaim for her extremely layered performance in 2021’s Titane, and A Second Life manages to explore her range further. This time, her character is much more nuanced and quiet, not particularly happy with where she’s at in life, and simply trying to excel at her concierge job so she can renew her visa. We learn quite quickly that she’s pretty lonely, and until Lawther’s character comes into the equation, we question when her last positive interaction was. Where Rouselle is nuanced and hidden, Lawther is quite the opposite. The pair meet when Rouselle sets him up with an apartment for his stay, and it becomes quite apparent that the pair may not instantly see eye-to-eye. Happy-go-lucky, making friends with everyone he meets and bubbling with charisma and energy, his bubblegum pink hair matches what lies within. What he lacks in subtlety, he makes up for in determination, and before we know it, the pair has spent the entire day together and may be more similar than we once thought. Rouselle and Lawther both excel and command the screen with their delivery of this tight script.
A Second Life Delivers a Poignant Tale of Unexpected Friendship and Self-Discovery
A Second Life isn’t just a simple meet-cute; it’s much more important and special than that. Through delicate, well-written conversations, we soon learn that what the pair is developing is a slightly unconventional and surprising friendship. Themes of mental health, loneliness, and finding your place in the world bring them both together, quickly teaching them that there’s more to each other than meets the eye. With people she trusts, Rouselle’s character can be quite free-spirited and up for fun, and hidden under his mass of pink hair and outgoing nature, Lawther may be more troubled than we initially expected. They both receive fantastic arcs and stellar development, showing the layers to a person that we can uncover through time, trust, and simply living life. Picking each other up and putting each other back together, both in very different ways, their bond teaches them to slow down and enjoy life, and if there’s something you’re not enjoying, you have the ability to change it. It’s important to take a step back and look at what we have and what’s in front of us, as there’s plenty of beauty to be found. A Second Life teaches us this and more in its snappy but well utilised 77-minute run-time, with a commendably deep and engaging script.
It’s not just the performances and script that make A Second Life pop, but the filmmaking elements too. The cinematography is simply stunning, with bright colours and alluring imagery bringing even the most simplistic sequences to life. From the hustle and bustle of the Paris streets to the calming quiet of museums and galleries, every sequence is meticulously crafted aesthetically, with more than one stand-out shot. When it comes to our characters, the cinematography is incredibly intimate, delivering many close-up shots to bring us closer to them. It’s very immersive. The sound design is equally impressive, playing around with silence due to our lead character being hard of hearing. Similarly to Sound of Metal back in 2019, it forces its audience into uncomfortable silence and muffled mayhem to help us sympathize with our character, and it certainly works. It shows us how scary it can be in a busy city to be unable to hear what’s going on around you, but also the upside of this. These elements ensure it’s not just our characters that are seeing the beauty in life, but the audience too.
A Second Life may be a simple, dialogue-driven affair, but the right audience will definitely find something bright and beautiful about it. Through conversation and facial expression alone, we are gifted with incredible character development, backed even further by wonderful performances. A meditation on life, friendships, and how sometimes the beauty can be staring us right in the face, A Second Life ensures its important message is put forward with beautiful cinematography, playful sound design, and excellent utilization of its location and the noise that surrounds it.
Grade: B+
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A Second Life
A hearing-impaired American and a free-spirited tourist form an unlikely friendship amid the buzz of Paris during the Olympic games in this charming tale of human connection.
Release Date: June 6, 2025
Director: Laurent Slama
Cast: Agathe Rousselle , Alex Lawther , Inès Melab
