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.
Acting
Jérémie Renier's terrifying vacancy—sociopath or just broken?
Direction
Dardennes' signature handheld urgency, breathlessly following Bruno.
Writing
No villains, no heroes—just systems crushing people.
Director
Luc Dardenne
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
The Dardennes wrote the role specifically for Jérémie Renier, whom they'd discovered as a child actor in 'La Promesse' (1996).
The film won the Palme d'Or at Cannes, making the Dardennes one of only seven directors to win twice—cementing their status as Belgium's cinematic conscience.
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