A joinery instructor at a rehab center refuses to take a new teen as his apprentice, but then begins to follow the boy through the hallways and streets.
From metacritic.com
There's no way we're missing the live recreation of two Norman Lear classics, the dark wit of Phoebe Waller-Bridge, and the terror of "The Hot Zone."
Related News
-
The best films of the decade
02 January 2010 | Roger Ebert's Blog
User Lists
Related lists from IMDb users
Share this Rating
Title: The Son (2002)
Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? Use the HTML below.
10 wins & 12 nominations.
See more awards »
Learn more
More Like This
L'enfant (The Child)
(2005)
Crime
|
Drama
|
Romance
Directors:
Jean-Pierre Dardenne,
Luc Dardenne
Stars:
Jérémie Renier,
Déborah François,
Jérémie Segard
La Promesse
(1996)
Drama
Directors:
Jean-Pierre Dardenne,
Luc Dardenne
Stars:
Jérémie Renier,
Olivier Gourmet,
Assita Ouedraogo
The Silence of Lorna
(2008)
Drama
Directors:
Jean-Pierre Dardenne,
Luc Dardenne
Stars:
Arta Dobroshi,
Jérémie Renier,
Fabrizio Rongione
Rosetta
(1999)
Drama
Directors:
Jean-Pierre Dardenne,
Luc Dardenne
Stars:
Émilie Dequenne,
Fabrizio Rongione,
Anne Yernaux
The Kid with a Bike
(2011)
Drama
Directors:
Jean-Pierre Dardenne,
Luc Dardenne
Stars:
Thomas Doret,
Cécile de France,
Jérémie Renier
Je pense à vous
(1992)
Drama
Directors:
Jean-Pierre Dardenne,
Luc Dardenne
Stars:
Robin Renucci,
Fabienne Babe,
Tolsty
Two Days, One Night
(2014)
Drama
Directors:
Jean-Pierre Dardenne,
Luc Dardenne
Stars:
Marion Cotillard,
Fabrizio Rongione,
Catherine Salée
The Unknown Girl
(2016)
Crime
|
Drama
|
Mystery
Directors:
Jean-Pierre Dardenne,
Luc Dardenne
Stars:
Adèle Haenel,
Olivier Bonnaud,
Jérémie Renier
Edit
Cast
| Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
| Olivier Gourmet | ... | Olivier | |
 |
Morgan Marinne | ... | Francis |
|
|
Isabella Soupart | ... | Magali |
|
|
Nassim Hassaïni | ... | Omar |
|
|
Kevin Leroy | ... | Raoul |
|
|
Félicien Pitsaer | ... | Steve |
|
|
Rémy Renaud | ... | Philippo (as Remy Renaud) |
|
|
Annette Closset | ... | La Directrice du Centre |
|
|
Fabian Marnette | ... | Rino |
| Pierre Nisse | ... | Apprenti Soudeur 1 | |
|
|
Stephan Barbason | ... | Apprenti Soudeur 2 |
|
|
David Manna | ... | Apprenti Soudeur 3 |
|
|
Abdellah Amarjouf | ... | Apprenti Soudeur 4 |
|
|
Jimmy Deloof | ... | Dany |
|
|
Anne Gerard | ... | La Mère de Dany (as Gérard Anne) |
Edit
Plot Summary
|
Add Synopsis
Storyline
Olivier - meticulous, careful, even-handed - teaches carpentry at a vocational school in Liège. He's asked to take on Francis, 16, a new student. He declines the request then begins to watch, even spy on, the new lad. Olivier knows something. Later that day, he's visited by Magali, his ex-wife, who tells him that she's remarrying and is pregnant. Olivier seems to follow instinctive responses: "why today?" he demands of Magali; he continues to follow Francis; he changes his mind about enrolling the youth. What's the history between the two? After that becomes clear, what is it Olivier will do? Is this precise and measured carpenter in control of himself? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
Taglines:
Nerve-wracking Suspense! See more »Certificate:
See all certifications »Parents Guide:
View content advisory »
Edit
Edit
See more on IMDbPro »
See full technical specs »
Details
Language:
FrenchRelease Date:
9 October 2002 (Belgium) See more »Also Known As:
El hijo See more »Edit
Box Office
Opening Weekend USA:
$585, 30 May 2003, Limited ReleaseGross USA:
$65,571, 19 October 2003Company Credits
Production Co:
Archipel 35, Les Films du Fleuve, Radio Télévision Belge Francophone (RTBF) See more »
Show more on
IMDbPro »
Technical Specs
Runtime:
Sound Mix:
Dolby DigitalColor:
ColorAspect Ratio:
1.66 : 1
Edit
Did You Know?
Trivia
Partly inspired by the Jamie Bulger murder, a case that shocked England in 1993 when a two year old toddler was murdered by two 10-year-old boys. See more »Frequently Asked Questions
This FAQ is empty. Add the first question.Contribute to This Page
On IMDb Freedive, you can catch Hollywood hits and popular TV series at no cost. Select any poster below to play the movie, totally free!
Explore popular and recently added TV series available to stream now with Prime Video.
The acting in The Son was top notch.
Very demanding nuances were expected from the actors, especially in a movie thats so stripped of a leading musical score and filmed at such a deliberately halted pace. Thus must say the two male leads has successfully delivered performances which torched my views on what constitutes "good acting".
Overall, The Son piqued my interest enough to want to hunt down other Dardenne Bros pics. Being new to their works, the extremely voyueristic shots in this film revealed previously undetectable character depths, with such humanistic intuition, it was uncannily astonishing.
Pity the dizzying cinematography made me all tipsy(my seat was very much infront). The film could arguably have done with some judicious trimming as well. But that may be due to my comparatively lower tolerance for such glacial paced works. But agree with you'all that the abrupt end achieved the right note of hopefulness. Its openness was a very nice touch indeed.
To be fair, I think I would need more time to digest this film on tv. It is my belief that the wozzy nature of "handheld" flicks often play better in an intimate home setting than in a cinema, especially when viewed from unfavourable theatre vantage points like mine.
An acquired taste though The Son has been, I acknowledge its a very prized find. It at least has succeeded pointing me in a whole new direction of film appreciation.