Cold Showers

Mickael is seventeen, captain of his school's judo team and preparing for his final exams. His family has chronic money problems, severe enough that hot water at home is a luxury they cannot count on. His life otherwise runs on judo and his girlfriend Vanessa, until Clément arrives in town, a new training partner whose wealthy father becomes a sponsor of the team. The contrast between the two boys' circumstances pushes Mickael toward a decision to open his relationship and bring Clément into it, setting off a series of consequences for everyone involved.

Cold Showers, released in France in 2005 under the original title Douches froides, is a drama running 102 minutes. It was directed by Antony Cordier, who wrote the screenplay with Julie Peyr; Sebastien Lemercier produced. The film was Cordier's first feature, followed chronologically by Four Lovers in 2010 and The Party's Over! in 2025. Johan Libéreau plays Mickael, with Salomé Stévenin as Vanessa and Pierre Perrier as Clément; Florence Thomassin, Claire Nebout and Aurélien Recoing appear in supporting roles.

On IMDb the film holds a rating of 6 out of 10 from around 2,500 votes, while on TMDB it stands at 5.4 out of 10 from a much smaller base of 55 votes. The wider IMDb sample points to moderate, mixed appreciation rather than enthusiasm.