Philippe Lesage (Les Démons) returns with a vengeance with this bold, bifurcated coming-of-age tale about half-siblings Guillaume (Never Steady, Never Still’s Théodore Pellerin) and Charlotte (Noée Abita) and their respective life-altering experiences. While Guillaume takes his first liberating steps towards sexual actualization, Charlotte’s bids at hedonism result in wounding life lessons. At an age when every experience is formative, they learn the consequences of being steadfast in their resolve. Similarly, Lesage imparts a lesson to any viewer who may believe they’ve charted the precise trajectory of his film, vaulting us into a beautifully realized coda set in a summer camp and depicting a budding innocent romance between young Félix and Béatrice.

Lesage’s second autobiographical film about adolescence is nothing short of brilliant. Every scene is meticulously calibrated for drama and every moment is earned. Nicolas Canniccioni’s remarkable cinematography sees the camera engage in a sort of choreographed slow dance with the characters, according the audience a remarkably intimate proximity to these characters as they navigate their crucibles. While its leads experience unhinged lust and endure unexpected brutality, Genesis’ emotional palette grows all the more vibrant, allowing Lesage to craft a work both ingenious and authentic.

"A yearning, bruising vision of unpracticed adolescent desire."—Guy Lodge, Variety

"When you first fall in love, everything else around you seems to melt away… Lesage weaves this idea of full-on immediacy and a very blinkered view into the fabric of his storytelling, delivering a film that feels intensely alive and in the moment."—Boyd van Hoeij, Hollywood Reporter