Festivals: Stereo Girls (2025) by Caroline Deruas Peano: When Two Voices Share One Dream, Then Loss Splits the Chorus
- dailyentertainment95
- Sep 14
- 6 min read
Pop Dreams and a Silent Heartbreak
Stereo Girls (original French title Les Immortelles) is a heartfelt coming-of-age drama directed and co-written by Caroline Deruas Peano. Set in 1992 in the sun-drenched South of France, the story follows Charlotte and Liza, inseparable 17-year-old best friends who dream of forming a pop band and leaving their sleepy hometown for the excitement of Paris. Their days are filled with music rehearsals, fantasies of fame, and moments of pure, youthful recklessness. But when Liza begins to suffer mysterious health issues—memory lapses and a sudden collapse—the story turns from lighthearted pop fantasy into a moving exploration of mortality, identity, and the bittersweet transition to adulthood. At just 80 minutes, the film is brisk but emotionally layered, taking the audience from a joyful first act full of energy to a haunting and poetic second half.
Why to Recommend Movie: Notes of Hope in a Minor Key
Powerful portrayal of adolescent friendship — Charlotte and Liza’s relationship feels authentic and textured, capturing the unique intimacy of teenage friendships that can feel more like family. You watch them share secrets, compete, fight, and dream together — it’s a friendship that is alive on screen. Their bond makes the later tragedy hit even harder, because the audience has been allowed to grow as attached to them as they are to each other.
Mix of pop culture & poetic tragedy — The use of early 90s synth-pop and period detail fills the film with youthful energy, but the tonal shift to a darker, more introspective narrative creates an emotionally charged contrast. The music becomes more than entertainment — it becomes a symbol of hope and a way of holding on to what is slipping away.
Sensitive handling of grief & identity — Rather than simplifying the impact of illness and loss, the film explores Charlotte’s complex reaction: guilt, anger, loneliness, and a slow acceptance that her dream must evolve. The narrative allows her space to grow, which gives the audience an emotional payoff by the end.
Stylish visual and narrative design — Caroline Deruas Peano uses inventive cinematic language — dreamlike shots, fantasy sequences, and subtle visual symbolism — to show Charlotte’s interior world. The visuals shift as Charlotte’s life changes, mirroring her emotional descent and eventual strength.
Personal resonance & authenticity — Deruas Peano has shared that the film is inspired by her own experience of losing a close friend as a teenager, giving the story an emotional honesty that feels palpable in every frame. This personal connection gives the film its raw, bittersweet tone and explains its emotional precision.
Together, these qualities make Stereo Girls a film that stays with you — a story of youth’s fragile beauty, shattered illusions, and the courage to keep singing even when the harmony is gone.
Where to watch (industry professionals): https://pro.festivalscope.com/film/stereo-girls
Link Review: https://cineuropa.org/en/newsdetail/482460/
About movie: https://celluloid-dreams.com/films/les-immortelles/
What is the Trend Followed: Nostalgia, Loss & the Teenage Imagination
The film reflects a growing cinematic trend that uses nostalgic settings, music, and aesthetics to examine adolescence as a mix of joy and vulnerability. Rather than just presenting carefree youth, these films introduce tragedy, forcing young protagonists to confront mortality and re-shape their identities. The 80s/90s setting taps into a cultural appetite for retro atmospheres, using music and pop culture references not only as background but as emotional anchors. This aligns with a wave of teen dramas that blend coming-of-age energy with existential questions, much like Aftersun or The Worst Ones, creating experiences that are both tender and haunting.
Director’s Vision: Diving into Adolescent Turbulence
Caroline Deruas Peano wanted the audience to live adolescence from the inside, not watch it from the outside. She has said she wanted viewers to feel the speed, the illusions, and the intensity of being 17.
The film’s structure mirrors the arc of memory: light and musical at first, before tragedy brings silence and reflection. This shift is designed to immerse the audience in the shock Charlotte feels.
Music plays a central role in the direction, not just as soundtrack but as an emotional map of the characters’ hopes and fears. Even the absence of music later in the film carries emotional weight, marking the point at which Charlotte must rediscover her own voice.
Themes: Dreams, Mortality, Identity, and the Weight of Loss
Dreams built together — The girls’ band is more than a hobby; it is the embodiment of their shared identity. When one is gone, the surviving friend must ask who she is without the other half.
Facing mortality young — The film doesn’t shy away from showing how destabilizing it is for young people to confront death and illness. It explores how quickly innocence can be replaced by fear.
Memory and identity — As Liza’s memory fades, Charlotte must work harder to keep their memories intact, making the act of remembering a form of resistance.
Friendship as survival — The story suggests that friendship is one of the most formative forces of youth, capable of shaping who we become long after the friendship is over.
Key Success Factors: What Makes Stereo Girls Resonate
Casting & performances — Léna Garrel (Charlotte) and Louiza Aura (Liza) deliver emotionally rich performances, shifting effortlessly from lighthearted teen antics to devastating emotional weight.
Balanced tone & pacing — The film moves from poppy joy to meditative grief smoothly, letting the audience feel the contrast and sit in both emotions.
Emotional honesty — The narrative doesn’t offer false hope or melodrama. It respects the complexity of its characters’ emotions, making the ending cathartic rather than purely tragic.
Cinematic craft — Period detail, costume design, and cinematography all work together to transport viewers to early-90s France. The film’s visual language becomes a character in its own right, guiding us through Charlotte’s internal transformation.
Awards & Nominations: Recognized Promise
Stereo Girls opened the International Critics’ Week at Venice 2025, one of the most prestigious spots for emerging voices in world cinema. Its festival reception suggests it will continue to play widely on the festival circuit, possibly securing further nominations for its screenplay and lead performances as awards season develops.
Critics Reception: Nostalgic, Beautiful, Heartbreaking
Critics have praised its two-part structure, with the first half a joyous burst of youth and the second half a meditative work about grief and memory.
Many highlight how Caroline Deruas Peano avoids cliché, creating a work that feels personal and grounded rather than melodramatic.
Some reviews note that its emotional punch sneaks up on viewers, lulling them with music and fun before breaking their hearts.
Overall, critical response has been warm, calling it a standout coming-of-age film with a haunting emotional payoff.
Reviews: Sweet, Tearful, and True
Audiences at Venice described the film as “quietly devastating,” praising its blend of humor, nostalgia, and heartbreak.
Some viewers noted that the middle section feels deliberately slowed, creating a space for grief to settle in — something that resonated deeply for those who have experienced loss.
Praise was consistent for its soundtrack and visuals, which feel integral to the storytelling rather than decorative.
Overall: Reviews place Stereo Girls as a film that is both beautiful and emotionally challenging, one that will connect with audiences looking for a thoughtful story about friendship and loss.
Release Date on Streaming
While streaming platforms have yet to announce a date, the film is expected to appear on European VOD services and specialty streaming platforms in early 2026 following its festival run and limited theatrical release.
Theatrical Release
The film premiered at Venice International Critics’ Week 2025 before rolling out in select French cinemas. It is scheduled to play in other European territories later this year, with possible limited theatrical runs in North America for awards qualification.
Movie Trend: Adolescence Meets Tragedy in Melody
Stereo Girls fits into a recent movement of teen dramas that embrace music and nostalgia as narrative anchors while exploring mortality and grief. This is part of a cinematic moment where coming-of-age films don’t shy away from sadness, but instead use it to deepen the depiction of youth.
Social Trend: Grappling with Youthful Loss and Hope
The film echoes social conversations around adolescent mental health, grief, and resilience. It shows how young people process tragedy through art, friendship, and community — a theme that resonates in today’s climate where youth are more openly discussing emotional struggles.
Final Verdict: A Melancholy Melody You Won’t Forget
Stereo Girls is a beautifully bittersweet film that captures both the joy and fragility of youth. It will make you smile, ache, and reflect on the friends and dreams that shaped you. This is a film that stays with you long after it ends — the kind of coming-of-age story that doesn’t just show you adolescence, but makes you feel it.
Comments