Coup de Chance: Woody Allen’s Highest-Rated Film on Rotten Tomatoes in Over a Decade

Woody Allen’s latest film, Coup de Chance, finally broke the decade-old drought on review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes by scoring the highest score on Tomatometer, as compared to any of his films since 2013’s Blue Jasmine. Coup de Chance holds an approval rating of 82% on Rotten Tomatoes based on 68 reviews, with an average rating of 7.1/10. The website’s critics’ consensus reads, “Woody Allen’s 50th film, Coup de Chance, adds yet another creative rebound to the writer-director oeuvre with a charming thriller that makes up in wit what it lacks in surprises.”

Out of Woody Allen’s films released in the last 11 years, only the 2016 film Café Society, starring Jesse Eisenberg and Kristen Stewart, received positive reviews from the majority of critics, with a rating of 71% from 258 reviews. 

Renowned film critic Leonard Maltin wrote for the film, “Would anyone pay particular attention to a French import about love and deception without well-known stars if Woody Allen’s name weren’t attached to it? Perhaps not. But since this is his work — recognizably so —it’s worth seeing.”

Meanwhile,  Kyle Smith of the Wall Street Journal declared, “[Coupe de Chance is] Woody Allen’s best work in many years.” Manohla Dargis of The New York Times said:

“‘Coup de Chance,’ Woody Allen’s latest movie, looks and plays like many of his recent movies, only better; it sounds like them, too, except that it’s in French.”

David Stratton of The Australian wrote in his review:

“Coup de chance is the 50th film Allen has ­directed and one of his best. It was made in France and is, to all intents and purposes, a French movie.”

Glenn Kenny of RogerEbert.com said, “A tight and effective French-language thriller that is also, among other things, the world’s longest mother-in-law joke.”

Chris Vogner of Rolling Stone added, “Coup de Chance moves briskly, which means two things: the film is well-paced, rendered in mostly short, crisp scenes; and it tends to skim over the surface, using its characters to make philosophical points within a larger scheme.”

The film premiered at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on 4 September 2023.

Why is Woody Allen’s latest film being hailed by critics on Rotten Tomatoes?

Woody Allen’s 2023 film Coup de Chance (translated as ‘Stroke of Luck’) is a comedy-drama thriller starring Lou de Laâge, Valérie Lemercier, Melvil Poupaud, and Niels Schneider. The film follows the tale of a young married woman, Fanny Fournier (Lou de Laâge). Subsequently, she runs into an old school friend and is immediately smitten. The two friends grow increasingly close, eventually leading to infidelity and even a crime.  

The film’s critical success can be credited to Allen’s incredible directorial vision and a strong storyline penned by Allen himself. Moreover, the actors’ impeccable portrayal of the characters adds to the film’s success. 

Coup de Chance is now available on digital and VOD platforms, including Fandango at Home, YouTube, Google Play Movies & TV, and Amazon Prime Video.