The Child
Seen it?2005 | 96 min | Drama
Sunday Safe BetWhy it’s a Sunday Safe Bet
Critics loved it (84% on Rotten Tomatoes), though it had almost no lasting buzz and soft box office. A safe bet when you want something reliable.
Based on critics, audiences, awards, box office and buzz. Details below.Is it for you?
- Who'll love it
- Made for anyone who loves a strong drama. Critics rate it higher than audiences do, so it rewards patience more than it chases thrills.
- The mood
- Thoughtful and character-driven.
- The pace
- Takes its time with its characters, at 1 hr 36 min.
- What might put you off
- Rated R: expect drug use.
- It's in French, so expect subtitles (or a dub).
- Audiences were cooler on it than critics.
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.
How it earned its rating
- CriticsVery strong
84% on Rotten Tomatoes, 87 on Metacritic
- AudiencesSolid
7.1 out of 10
- AwardsSolid
Won 1 Cannes award: Cannes Film Festival: Palme d'Or. Plus 9 other awards.
- Box office & staying powerBelow par
$6 million worldwide; still draws a steady audience long after release
- Buzz & cultural impactWeak
About 23K people sought it out in the past year
Trailer
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Cast & crew
Directed by Luc Dardenne, Jean-Pierre Dardenne
- Jérémie RenierBruno
- Déborah FrançoisSonia
- Olivier GourmetPolicier
- Jérémie SegardSteve
- Stéphane BissotLa receleuse
- François OlivierRemy
- Mireille BaillyMère de Bruno
- Fabrizio RongioneJeune Bandit
- Anne GerardCommerçante
- Bernard MarbaixCommerçante