Girls: 2 Disc Edition – Cult Epics (UHD/Blu-ray Combo)

Theatrical Release Date: Canada/France/West Germany, 1980
Director: Just Jaeckin
Writers: Just Jaeckin, Géza von Radványi, Jean-Luc Voulfow
Cast: Anne Parillaud, Zoé Chauveau, Charlotte Walior, Isabelle Mejias, Christophe Bourseiller, László Szabó

Release Date: May 12th, 2026
Approximate Running Time: 94 Minutes 39 Seconds
Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1 Widescreen / 2160 Progressive / HEVC / H.265 / HDR10
Rating: NR
Sound: DTS-HD Mono French
Subtitles: English
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $49.95

"Three teenage friends--Suzanne (Charlotte Walior), Annie (Zoé Chauveau), and Catherine (Anne Parillaud, later of La Femme Nikita)--as they navigate the emotional turbulence of adolescence, love, and self-discovery. Spending their nights in discos and cinemas chasing adventure and romance, they are joined by Suzanne's younger sister, Betty (Isabelle Mejias), who eagerly imitates their behavior, only to stumble into adult consequences she isn't yet prepared for." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 4.5/5 (4K UHD), 4.25/5 (Blu-ray)

Here’s the information provided about this release's transfer, "4K Transfer from the original negative."

Girls Comes on a 66 GB dual layer 4K UHD.

Disc Size: 62 GB

Feature: 61.1 GB

The source looks excellent, free of any source imperfections. Flesh tones look correct, colors are nicely saturated, image clarity, black levels, and compression are solid, and the image retains an organic look. That said, there are some moments where grain looks thicker than others.

Girls comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 43.1 GB

Feature: 22.4 GB

This Blu-ray uses the same master that is used for the 4K UHD disc.

Audio: 4.5/5

This release comes with one audio option, a DTS-HD mono mix in French with removable English subtitles. The audio sounds clean, clear, and balanced, and ambient sounds are well-represented.

Extras:

Extras on the 4K UHD disc include an audio commentary with Jeremy Richey and Peter Verstraten.

Extras on the Blu-ray disc include a video essay by Jeremy Richey titled Who is Just Jaeckin (18 minutes 23 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an archival TV interview with director Just Jaeckin, and actresses Anne Parrilaud, Zoé Chaveau, and Charlotte Walior (4 minutes 39 seconds, Dolby Digital mono French with removable English subtitles), Last Interview with Just Jaeckin (16 minutes 54 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), an interview with actress Isabelle Mejias (20 minutes 48 seconds, Dolby Digital stereo English, no subtitles), scenes exclusive to the German cut of Girls, which recasts Claus Obalski in the role of Jérôme (25 minutes 59 seconds, Dolby Digital mono German, no subtitles), and an audio commentary with Jeremy Richey and Peter Verstraten.

Other extras on the Blu-ray disc include trailers for The Island Closet to Heaven, The Debut, My Nights with Susan, Sandra, Olga & Julie, and The Key.

Other extras include a slipcover (limited to the first pressing).

Summary:

Just Jaeckin made a conscious effort to create a few films that were not like his two greatest successes, Emmanuelle and The Story of O. The first two films, Madame Claude and The Last Romantic Lover, arguably showcase Just Jaeckin's strengths as a filmmaker. The third film from this era, Girls, tells a coming-of-age story about four mischievous teenage girls who seek fun while often neglecting their responsibilities.

If someone were to watch Girls without knowing that Just Jaeckin directed it, Girls only shares a connection with his other works through the playful humor that is characteristic of his filmography. What immediately captivates viewers about Girl is its vibrant energy; it is brimming with youthful exuberance. Additionally, what distinguishes Girl is the way Just Jaeckin’s direction skillfully navigates the more sensitive moments experienced by the four young girls.

As strong as Just Jaeckin’s direction and the story are, a film is only as good as its cast, and Girls has an exceptional one. The four girls are perfectly cast, and two of them, Charlotte Walior and Isabelle Mejias (Julie Darling), are making their film debuts. The most notable cast member is Anne Parillaud, who would go on to star in the iconic role of Nikita from La Femme Nikita. The rest of the cast is populated by strong performances that complement the four leads and their characters' stories.

The opening setup does a superb job fleshing out the four main characters. The narrative is always engaging, and it does an excellent job building momentum as the four girls' risky behavior finally catches up to them, and a poignant finale of self-reflection serves as a perfect coda for the four girls' story. One standout aspect of Girls is its exceptional soundtrack, composed by Duncan Mackay and Eric Stewart of the rock band 10cc. Their iconic song "I’m Not in Love" features prominently in the series. Overall, Girls is a well-crafted melodrama where everything seamlessly comes together.

Girls gets an excellent release from Cult Epics that comes with a solid audio/video presentation and a wealth of insightful extras. Highly recommended.

Note about the 4K screenshots: It is not possible to make Dolby Vision or HDR10 screenshots that faithfully match the experience of watching a film in motion on a TV. Instead of not having any screenshots, all of the 4K screenshots are m2ts taken with a MPC-HC player and lossless PNGs.

 

Written by Michael Den Boer