X14

Liz, thirty-something, lives in her appartement in the Paris suburbs with her cat and her robot butler. Somewhere between a peaceful Golddorak and a protective creature from Studio Ghibli, with a punky Mohican and two blue LED eyes, X14 looks after the home. He is a music-lover, affectionate and a tad jealous. She is tall and thin, with diaphanous skin and a limpid gaze. She is living with an artificial heart and waiting, rather hopelessly, for a transplant. A cyborg princess with a (real) heart problem. In mini shorts, black tights and a hoodie, an electronic arsenal of batteries strapped to her torso, like Lara Croft by day and Fantômette by night, the badass heroine goes on one Tinder date after another without much enthusiasm and copes with life as best she can.

Directed by Delphine Kreuter, X14 leans on a strong ensemble — Lucie Curé, François Ardouvin, Denis Lavant — to carry a story that balances spectacle with character.

The film landed with audiences for its craft and performances, and remains one of the most talked-about drama titles of 2022.