By the Sea (2015) is an intimate romantic drama set in the mid-1970s, following an American couple who travel to a quiet seaside town in France in an attempt to heal their fractured marriage. Roland, a writer struggling with creative and emotional stagnation, and Vanessa, a former dancer burdened by grief and emotional withdrawal, arrive hoping that distance from their past will restore their connection.

As they settle into the coastal village, the couple becomes quietly entangled in the lives of the local residents and a young newlywed pair whose intimacy contrasts sharply with their own emotional distance. Through these interactions, unresolved pain, unspoken resentment, and long-suppressed trauma gradually surface, forcing Roland and Vanessa to confront the reality of their relationship.

At its core, By the Sea is a meditation on loss, intimacy, and emotional isolation. Told with a slow, contemplative rhythm and understated dialogue, the film examines how love can endure strain yet remain fragile, offering a somber and reflective portrait of a marriage suspended between connection and collapse.