Summer of 85 (2021) Characters, Setting & Themes Explained

Summer of 85 is set along the Normandy coast in northern France. The film features the region's picturesque coastal villages and beaches, using the scenic backdrop to contrast with the emotional intensity of the story. Normandy's charming environment serves as both a literal setting and a symbolic counterpoint to the characters' turbulent relationship.

• normandy coast
• french coast
• setting
• location
• beaches

The film is set in the summer of 1985, during a period marked by shifting social norms and increasing openness about identity and relationships among young people. The 1985 setting captures a specific cultural moment when teenagers were navigating love and friendship amid changing attitudes toward sexuality and self-expression.

• 1985
• time period
• 1980s
• summer
• era

Alexis Robin is a 16-year-old boy who becomes involved in a passionate summer romance. He is portrayed as deeply fascinated by existential themes, particularly death, which reflects his emotional complexity and introspection. Throughout the story, Alexis experiences intense first love, betrayal, and profound grief, ultimately finding healing through writing as he processes his loss and personal growth.

• alexis
• protagonist
• teenager
• character
• felix lefebvre

David Gorman is an 18-year-old adventurer who enters Alexis's life and sweeps him into a summer of freedom and romance. Charismatic and magnetic, David represents the excitement and danger of young love. His character grapples with restlessness, infidelity, and ultimately faces a tragic fate that profoundly impacts Alexis and drives much of the film's emotional weight.

• david
• love interest
• character
• benjamin voisin

The movie centers on two interconnected themes: love and loss, and the coming-of-age journey. It portrays the intensity of young first love alongside the devastating pain of betrayal and death. The coming-of-age element shows Alexis navigating identity, emotional turmoil, and the harsh realities of growing up, with formative experiences shaping his understanding of love, friendship, and personal growth.

• themes
• love
• loss
• coming of age
• adolescence
• growth

Summer of 85 depicts young love as both exhilarating and devastating. The film shows how the intensity of a first relationship can feel all-consuming, blending freedom, passion, and discovery. However, it also portrays the vulnerability of young hearts, how quickly joy can turn to sorrow when relationships end through betrayal or loss, leaving lasting emotional scars.

• young love
• first love
• romance
• passion
• teenage relationship

The Normandy coast provides a visually stunning yet emotionally complex backdrop. Its tranquil seaside villages and beaches create an idyllic summer atmosphere that heightens the contrast between the initial romance and the subsequent tragedy. The setting's association with both beauty and history adds depth, making the characters' emotional journey feel more poignant against such a picturesque yet layered landscape.

• normandy
• coast
• setting
• symbology
• contrast

Alexis and David's relationship is a whirlwind summer romance that evolves into an intense, transformative experience for both characters. David introduces Alexis to freedom, art, and passionate love, while Alexis represents someone David can connect with deeply. Their relationship is marked by excitement, emotional intimacy, but also complications including David's infidelity and the power imbalance due to their age difference.

• alexis
• david
• relationship
• romance
• love
• dynamic

Summer of 85 handles grief with raw emotional honesty, showing how the sudden loss of someone cherished impacts every aspect of a young person's life. The film follows Alexis as he grapples with profound sorrow, guilt, and the overwhelming nature of mourning. His journey toward healing through writing demonstrates how creative expression can become a therapeutic outlet for processing traumatic loss.

• grief
• mourning
• loss
• death
• sadness
• healing

The ending is bittersweet rather than purely bleak. While Alexis experiences deep sorrow from his loss, the film concludes with him finding a therapeutic outlet through writing, creating the very story the audience has watched. This suggests a path toward healing and growth, indicating that even amid profound grief, young people can find ways to process their pain and move forward.

• ending
• conclusion
• bittersweet
• healing
• resolution

The title references both the literal time period, summer 1985, and the transformative nature of that specific summer for Alexis. The number 85 anchors the story in a particular cultural moment while emphasizing that this was a singular, defining season in the characters' lives. The title captures how this brief but intense period would shape them forever.

• title
• summer 1985
• meaning
• naming
• significance