The Child

The Child

Directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne

Produced by Les Films du Fleuve, SCOPE Invest

200596 min7.1 / 10

A bleak, intimate portrait of poverty and moral compromise, centered on a mother's desperate struggle to protect her child from a partner's criminal indifference.

A poor young Belgian mother wants her petty thief of a boyfriend to be gainfully employed to raise their newborn child, but he has other ideas.

Questions people ask

  • Is The Child sad? Yes, very. More sad than 96% of films.

  • Is The Child one of a kind? Barely. Less singular than 85% of films.

  • Does The Child end with hope? Barely. Less hopeful than 78% of films.

  • Is The Child easy watching? Not especially. Less comforting than 74% of films.

  • Is The Child violent? Not especially. Less violent than 62% of films.

  • Is The Child scary? Not especially. Less frightening than 58% of films.

These describe how the film comes across, measured across the whole film and compared with other well-known films. They are not a content list — nothing here was counted or checked scene by scene, so for age-suitability or specific content use a classification board or a dedicated content-warning service.

56/ 100

Cinnamon Score

How much this film gives you that nothing else will, and whether it delivers.

Familiar shape, done well.

Rarity21

How unlike any other film this one feels

Surprise87

How much more it delivers than it promises

Love72

How much audiences actually like it

The highest scores in the catalogue →

Ensemble

Everything like The Child, and what each one shares →

Like The Child

Nearest across the full emotional profile.

Same Mood as The Child

Nearest on what's most distinctive about this one.

Like The Child, But Darker

Similar, pushed toward heavier and more intense.

Like The Child, But Lighter

Similar, pushed toward warmer and easier.

Like The Child, But Less Popular

Same territory, far fewer people have seen it.

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