A 31-year-old man-baby, a stripper named Sister, and family therapy gone feral — Dutch cinema at its weirdest.
Abel has never left home (literally). After failing with doctors and psychiatrists, Abel's father Victor brings home Christine, a friend, in an attempt to teach Abel basic social skills. But Victor's wife Duif accuses him of having an affair, and in the ensuing row Abel is thrown out into the street. But help is at hand when he runs into kind-hearted stripper Zus - whose show Victor is obsessed with…
Direction
Van Warmerdam's precise, cruel comic timing
Production
Claustrophobic sets that feel like a dysfunctional dollhouse
Acting
Van Warmerdam's physical performance as eternal man-child
Director
Alex van Warmerdam
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Van Warmerdam emerged from Dutch absurdist theater tradition; Abel helped establish the Netherlands' black comedy voice internationally before 'Borgman' made him cult-famous.
Van Warmerdam cast himself as lead because he couldn't find an actor willing to look this pathetic for 100 minutes.
NL
