Two Days, One Night (Deux Jours, Une Nuit)

Drama | French with English subtitles | 95 minutes

Info

In Seraing, an industrial town near Liege, Belgium, Sandra, a worker at the solar panel factory, returns to work after a medical leave only to learn she may lose her job. M. Dumont, the manager, has figured they could function with one less employee, so he offers each employee a 1,000 e-euro bonus (approximately $1,200.00) if they vote to make Sandra redundant. Sandra is devastated. With the help of fellow-employee Juliette, she convinces Dumont to hold another vote. Sandra claims that the factory foreman, Jean-Marc, intimidated the workers to vote against her. Dumont agrees to hold another vote Monday morning. Sandra now has the weekend, two days and one night, to visit the sixteen workers and convince each to forego the bonus and vote to let her remain on the job. Not easy. Most of the workers need the money badly and are reluctant to forfeit the bonus. But Sandra is persistent. Monday morning another vote is taken, eight for Sandra and eight for the bonus. A tie, which means that the first vote, against Sandra, will remain. Dumont asks Sandra to come to his office. He is very impressed that Sandra was able to get eight employees to support her. He asks her to remain on the job because he doesn’t expect to renew the contract of one of the workers. Sandra is repelled by this and refuses to stay if it means someone else would be fired. She walks out of the office brimming with a newfound confidence.

Cast

Marion Cotillard (Sandra Bya) / Catherine Salée (Juliette) / Batiste Sornin (Dumont) / Olivier Gourmet (Jean-Marc)

Why Stream This Film?

Two Days, One Night does not paint a pretty picture of how brutally the manager of a factory is planning to dispose one of his workers. But the Dardenne brothers do manage to eke out a degree of humanity and compassion from many of the workers. Acting as the tortured worker of the manager’s manipulation, Marion Cotillard delivers an unforgettable performance.

Rotten Tomatoes Score (Critics Consensus): 97%
Metacritic Score: 89