Overview: Three girls: Susanne, Annie and Catherine have just finished high school, going out every night to meet boys in discos and cinemas. Susanne’s younger sister, Betty, often joins them and copies their behavior, and believes everything they say. Soon she ends up with projectionist George - although she doesn’t take the pill yet.

From influential director Just Jaeckin (Emmanuelle), a coming-of-age cult classic of the 1980s featuring a young Anne Parillaud (Luc Besson’s Nikita) and a soundtrack by Eric Stewart (10cc). Cult Epics presents Girls in a new 4K restoration and with new bonus features.

4K UHD Blu-ray Verdict: Much like Jungle Olympics (Lisberger, 1980), Girls — by the late director Just Jaeckin, arguably the most significant French director of erotic cinema that there ever was — off the bat scores points (for me, personally) with a soundtrack featuring members of the band 10cc. I mean, this score alone lends the film — itself a product of the New Romantic Wave of the wondrous 80’s — the necessary contemporary flair, which is also reflected in its thematic content, presenting itself as romantic in a manner entirely true to the genre: Eroticism.

But what Jaeckin does with this platform is simply now stage it as a harmless and youth-friendly cinematic experience and thus the emotions of the young female protagonists take center stage — rather than their sexual escapades, as would have been the case, perhaps just five years earlier. Although the film is a German-Canadian-French co-production, its impressionistic lightheartedness makes it a thoroughly French film, trust me on that, and that is what makes this film such a beautiful visual meal for all the senses.

As for what to expect, well, Just Jaeckin’s Girls (1980) is an eighties European coming-of-age cult drama focusing on four teenage friends exploring sexuality and disco culture. Featuring an early role by Anne Parillaud, the film is very much a stylish yet lightweight version of euro-swill; ergo, a deliciously dreamy coming-of-age story that has now been lovingly restored 4K by Cult Epics.

Interestingly, Jeremy Richey had the great privilege of contributing to this Cult Epics 4K UHD and Blu-ray in the form of an audio commentary, a video essay on Just, which came up with the interview questions for Isabelle Mejias and assembled the alternate German scenes.

“This is the most extensive work I’ve ever got to contribute to a release and I am so happy it is for such a rare film from one of my favorite filmmakers,” Richey admits. “GIRLS was one of Jaeckin’s personal favorites and immediately after this film is when he reunited with Sylvia Kristel for LADY CHATTERLEY’S LOVER.”

“This 4K restoration is stunning and GIRLS is a wonderful coming of age film, featuring an incredible soundtrack from 10CC’s Eric Stewart! This was such a cool project to work on. Viva Just Jaeckin!”

Oh, and just a polite heads up, please don’t be too warned off by the rating that was originally attached to this film as that, to my mind, dates back to the dark ages — a time when two or three fleeting glimpses of bare breasts were enough to warrant such a classification. By today’s standards, this would clearly be rated 12+, were it not for the rape scene near the end — though even that isn’t particularly explicit.

Bonus Features:
4K Transfer & Restoration
Audio Commentary by Jeremy Richey
Who is Just Jaeckin - Essay by Jeremy Richey
Last Interview with director Just Jaeckin (2022)
Interview with actress Isabelle Mejias (2025)
Archival interview with Just Jaeckin, Anne Parrilaud, Zoé Chaveau, Charlotte Walior (TFI, 1982)
Girls: The German cut
Theatrical Trailers
Double-sided Sleeve

Official Movie Trailer

Official Purchase Link