{{short description|2019 film by Benedict Andrews}} {{Use mdy dates|date=October 2021}} {{Infobox film | name = Seberg | image = Seberg poster.jpeg | alt = | caption = Theatrical release poster | director = Benedict Andrews | producer = {{Plainlist| * Marina Acton * Fred Berger * Kate Garwood * Stephen Hopkins * Brian Kavanaugh-Jones * Bradley Pilz * Alan Ritchson }} | writer = {{Plainlist| * Joe Shrapnel * Anna Waterhouse }} | based_on = | starring = {{Plainlist| * Kristen Stewart * Jack O'Connell * Margaret Qualley * Zazie Beetz * Vince Vaughn * Anthony Mackie }}<!--PER POSTER BILLING BLOCK--> | music = Jed Kurzel | cinematography = Rachel Morrison | editing = Pamela Martin | studio = {{Plainlist| * Automatik Entertainment * Bradley Pilz Productions * Phreaker Films * Ingenious Media * Totally Commercial Films }} | distributor = {{Plainlist| * Amazon Studios (United States) * Universal Pictures (United Kingdom) }} | released = {{Film date|2019|8|30|Venice|2019|12|13|United States|2020|1|10|United Kingdom}} | runtime = 102 minutes<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.labiennale.org/en/cinema/2019/out-competition/seberg|title=Biannele Cinema 2019 - Seberg|website=Venice Film Festival|accessdate=August 13, 2019|date=July 19, 2019}}</ref> | country = {{Plainlist| * United States * United Kingdom }} | language = English | budget = $8 million<ref>{{cite report|title=Film and Television Tax Credit Program Program 2.0|url=http://film.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2.0-CFC-Approved-Projects-List-07.29.19.pdf|publisher=California Film Commission|page=1|date=July 29, 2019|accessdate=August 26, 2019|archive-date=August 14, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190814175926/http://film.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/2.0-CFC-Approved-Projects-List-07.29.19.pdf|url-status=dead}}</ref> | gross = $1,265,119<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.boxofficemojo.com/release/rl2584446465/?ref_=bo_rs_table_25|title=Seberg (2020)|website=Box Office Mojo|accessdate=March 29, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.the-numbers.com/movie/Seberg-(2019)#tab=box-office|title=Seberg (2019)|website=The Numbers|accessdate=March 3, 2025}}</ref> }}
'''''Seberg''''' is a 2019 political thriller film directed by Benedict Andrews, from a screenplay by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse based on the life of Jean Seberg. It stars Kristen Stewart, Jack O'Connell, Margaret Qualley, Zazie Beetz, Anthony Mackie, and Vince Vaughn.
It had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival on August 30, 2019. It was released in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2020, by Universal Pictures and in North America on February 21, 2020, by Amazon Studios, after an awards-qualifying run on December 13, 2019.
==Plot== <!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summary should be between 400 to 700 words. --> Jean Seberg, an American actress known for playing the female lead in Jean-Luc Godard's film ''Breathless'', bids her husband, Romain Gary, and child farewell in Paris before leaving for Los Angeles. On the jet flight in first class, she witnesses a Black activist insisting on sitting in first class and offering to pay for the seats. The activist demands preferential treatment for Malcolm X's widow, claiming she should be treated like "royalty"; Seberg appears to be attracted to the passenger, who introduces himself as Hakim Jamal, a member of the Black Panther Party (BPP).
Upon landing in the U.S., Seberg notices a group of Black activists protesting at the airport, indicating their displeasure with the treatment Jamal and his traveling companions received on the flight. She joins them and raises her fist in a Black power salute in solidarity. Unbeknownst to her, undercover FBI agents, including Jack Solomon, are at the airport. Solomon suggests the FBI shadow her activities while she is in the U.S. and arranges to have her phone conversations tapped due to her perceived association with the Black Power movement.
After telling Jamal she knows the incident on the plane was staged to get her attention, Seberg begins a sexual relationship with him, despite both of them being married. The FBI's surveillance program COINTELPRO begins to target Seberg, recording her and Jamal having sex and playing it to Jamal's wife, Dorothy, over the phone.
Jamal ends things with Seberg after Dorothy confronts him, leaving Seberg devastated. She becomes increasingly suspicious, fearing her daily life is being monitored. Solomon anonymously calls Seberg to warn her to sever her ties with the movement.
Seberg becomes pregnant by an unknown person. Continuing their surveillance and harassment of her for years, COINTELPRO agents create a rumor that the baby was fathered by a member of the BPP and feed it to the media. Seberg attempts suicide, which leads to the miscarriage of her unborn daughter. The combination of her daughter's death and the FBI's smear campaign about the child's paternity send her into a deep depression.
Seberg announces she would sue the publication that published the rumor. Solomon, wanting to come clean, shows her the FBI file on her at a bar, confirming her suspicions.
After the encounter, the real-life Seberg is explained to have moved back to Paris while still supporting the BPP and died in 1979 due to a probable suicide.
==Cast== {{Cast listing| * Kristen Stewart as Jean Seberg * Jack O'Connell as Jack Solomon * Anthony Mackie as Hakim Jamal * Margaret Qualley as Linette Solomon * Colm Meaney as Frank Ellroy * Zazie Beetz as Dorothy Jamal * Vince Vaughn as Carl Kowalski * Yvan Attal as Romain Gary * Gabriel Sky as Diego Gary * Stephen Root as Walt Breckman * Cornelius Smith Jr. as Ray Robertson * Jade Pettyjohn as Jenny Kowalski * Ser'Darius Blain as Louis Lewis * James Jordan as Roy Maddow }}
==Production== In March 2018, it was announced Kristen Stewart, Jack O'Connell, Anthony Mackie, Margaret Qualley and Colm Meaney had joined the cast of the film, then titled ''Against All Enemies''. Benedict Andrews would direct the film from a screenplay by Joe Shrapnel and Anna Waterhouse. Fred Berger, Brian Kavanaugh-Jones, Kate Garwood, Stephen Hopkins, Bradley Pilz, would produce the film under their Automatik and Bradley Pilz Productions banners, respectively.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/03/kristen-stewart-jean-seberg-movie-against-all-enemies-cast-1202337767/|title=Kristen Stewart To Play Icon Jean Seberg In Political Thriller 'Against All Enemies'; Jack O'Connell, Anthony Mackie Also Star|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Nancy|last=Tartaglione|date=March 14, 2018|accessdate=June 10, 2018}}</ref> In April 2018, Zazie Beetz joined the cast of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://variety.com/2018/film/news/zazie-beetz-kristen-stewart-jean-seberg-against-all-enemies-1202741387/|title=Zazie Beetz Eyes Jean Seberg Film 'Against All Enemies' Starring Kristen Stewart (EXCLUSIVE)|website=Variety|first=Justin|last=Kroll|date=April 2, 2018|accessdate=June 10, 2018}}</ref> In May 2018, Vince Vaughn, Yvan Attal and Stephen Root joined the cast of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/05/vince-vaughn-cast-against-all-enemies-movie-kristen-stewart-jean-seberg-cannes-1202385993/|title=Vince Vaughn & More Join Kristen Stewart In Jean Seberg Thriller 'Against All Enemies' – Cannes|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Nancy|last=Tartaglione|date=May 9, 2018|accessdate=June 10, 2018}}</ref> In June 2018, Cornelius Smith Jr. and Jade Pettyjohn joined the cast of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/06/scandal-cornelius-smith-jr-against-all-enemies-movie-1202413057/|title='Scandal' Alum Cornelius Smith Jr. Cast In 'Against All Enemies'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Amanda|last=N'Duka|date=June 19, 2018}}</ref> In July 2018, Ser'Darius Blain joined the cast of the film.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2018/07/serdarius-blain-against-all-enemies-chris-oshea-modern-persuasion-carlos-leal-the-last-thing-he-wanted-1202433434/|title=Ser'Darius Blain Cast In 'Against All Enemies'; Chris O'Shea Joins 'Modern Persuasion'; Carlos Leal In 'The Last Thing He Wanted'|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Amanda|last=N'Duka|date=July 25, 2018|accessdate=July 25, 2018}}</ref>
Principal production started on June 30, 2018, in Los Angeles.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://mangopurincom.tumblr.com/post/173951838830/according-to-prodweek-against-all-enemies-will|title=Against All Enemies|website=Production Weekly|accessdate=June 10, 2018}}{{Dead link|date=December 2025 |bot=InternetArchiveBot }}</ref> Production concluded on August 2, 2018.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/BmBHpMLH1jm/ |archive-url=https://ghostarchive.org/iarchive/s/instagram/BmBHpMLH1jm |archive-date=December 24, 2021 |url-access=registration|title=That's a wrap on #againstallenemies. So much gratitude to my incredible camera crew featuring one and only @englishsly and @moneypennyyyyy and a bunch of other cats who are too cool for IG. 🤞we made something we all can be proud of. As often in Hollywood, there are filming flaws. In the airplane, we see the inside of a Jumbo jet. The 747 came into aviation 10 years later than the time period in this film. The 707 filmed from the outside is correct.|website=Instagram|first=Rachel|last=Morrison|date=August 2, 2018|accessdate=August 2, 2018}}{{cbignore}}</ref>
==Release== Amazon Studios acquired distribution rights to ''Against All Enemies'' in February 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/berlin-amazon-nabs-kristen-stewart-as-jean-seberg-thriller-1184517|title=Berlin: Amazon Nabs Kristen Stewart as Jean Seberg in Thriller 'Against All Enemies' (Exclusive)|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Tatiana|last=Siegel|date=February 8, 2019|accessdate=February 8, 2019}}</ref> The film was retitled ''Seberg'', and had its world premiere out of competition at the Venice Film Festival on August 30, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/venice-film-festival-unveils-lineup-1226894|title=Venice Film Festival Unveils Lineup (Updating Live)|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Ariston|last=Anderson|date=July 25, 2019|accessdate=July 25, 2019}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.indiewire.com/2019/07/seberg-first-look-kristen-stewart-venice-1202160908/|title='Seberg' First Look Unveils Kristen Stewart as 'Breathless' Actress and French New Wave Icon Jean Seberg|last=Sharf|first=Zack|work=IndieWire|date=July 25, 2019|accessdate=June 26, 2020}}</ref> Universal Pictures distributed the film in select international territories outside of America.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.screendaily.com/news/universal-buys-select-international-territories-on-kristen-stewart-venice-title-seberg-exclusive/5141805.article|title=Universal buys select international territories on Kristen Stewart Venice title 'Seberg' (exclusive)|website=Screen International|date=August 7, 2019|accessdate=November 13, 2019}}</ref> It also screened at the Toronto International Film Festival on September 7, 2019.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/aeronauts-burnt-orange-heresy-join-tiff-2019-lineup-1231031|title='The Aeronauts,' 'Burnt Orange Heresy' Added to Toronto Film Fest Lineup|website=The Hollywood Reporter|first=Etan|last=Vlessing|date=August 13, 2019|accessdate=August 13, 2019}}</ref> The film was released in the United States on December 13, 2019, in an Oscar qualifying run, before being released on February 21, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/12/kristen-stewart-seberg-february-opening-1202807896/|title=Kristen Stewart Pic 'Seberg' To Roll Out In February Following Oscar Qualifying Run|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|date=December 12, 2019|accessdate=January 11, 2020}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://deadline.com/2019/09/kristen-stewart-amazon-studios-pic-seberg-opening-day-1202745987/|title=Kristen Stewart Amazon Studios Pic 'Seberg' Stakes Release Date In Awards Season|website=Deadline Hollywood|first=Anthony|last=D'Alessandro|date=September 26, 2019|accessdate=September 26, 2019}}</ref> and in the United Kingdom on January 10, 2020.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.launchingfilms.com/release-schedule?filmSearch=seberg|title=Seberg|website=Launching Films|accessdate=November 13, 2019}}</ref>
==Reception== ===Critical response=== On review aggregation website Rotten Tomatoes, the film holds an approval rating of 36% based on {{RT data|count}} reviews, with an average rating of {{RT data|average}}. The site's critical consensus reads, "''Seberg''{{'}}s frustratingly superficial treatment of a fascinating true story does a disservice to its subject—and Kristen Stewart's performance in the central role."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/seberg|title=Seberg (2019)|website=Rotten Tomatoes|publisher=Fandango|access-date=June 9, 2025}}</ref> On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 54 out of 100, based on 28 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.metacritic.com/movie/seberg|title=Seberg Reviews|website=Metacritic|accessdate=October 27, 2021}}</ref>
''Time''<nowiki>'</nowiki>s annual best performances of the year list by Stephanie Zacharek listed Stewart as the tenth best performance of 2019.<ref>{{cite magazine|url=https://time.com/5737198/best-movie-performances-2019/|title=The 10 Best Movie Performances of 2019|magazine=Time|first=Stephanie|last=Zacharek|date=November 26, 2019|accessdate=November 28, 2019|archive-date=November 28, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20191128063406/https://time.com/5737198/best-movie-performances-2019/|url-status=dead}}</ref>
=== Accolades === {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders sortable" ! scope="col" |Award ! scope="col" |Date of ceremony ! scope="col" |Category ! scope="col" |Recipient(s) ! scope="col" |Result ! class="unsortable" scope="col" |{{Abbr|Ref.|Reference}} |- |Alliance of Women Film Journalists |2020 |Actress Most in Need of a New Agent |Kristen Stewart | {{nom}} | |- |Camerimage |November 16, 2019 |Best Directorial Debut |Benedict Andrews | {{nom}} | |- |San Sebastián International Film Festival |2020 |City of Donostia Audience Award |Benedict Andrews | {{nom}} | |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * {{IMDb title|1780967}} * {{Rotten Tomatoes|seberg}} * {{Metacritic film}}
Category:2019 films Category:American biographical films Category:British biographical films Category:American political thriller films Category:Films about the Federal Bureau of Investigation Category:Films shot in Los Angeles Category:Films set in Los Angeles Category:Films produced by Stephen Hopkins Category:Biographical films about actors Category:Films about Hollywood, Los Angeles Category:Cultural depictions of actors Category:Amazon MGM Studios films Category:Universal Pictures films Category:2019 biographical films Category:Films scored by Jed Kurzel Category:2019 English-language films Category:2019 American films Category:2019 British films Category:English-language biographical films Category:Films about political repression Category:Films about the Black Panther Party Category:English-language political thriller films