a son movie review

‘A Son’ Film Review: Tunisian Family Drama Quietly Devastates

Mehdi Barsaoui’s revelatory debut feature announces the emergence of a major new talent in the international filmmaking arena

A stunning debut and a piercing experience, Mehdi Barsaoui’s Tunisian drama “A Son” stands soundly on its own while recollecting the work of acclaimed auteurs like Iranian director Asghar Farhadi.

Both filmmakers explore the morality of a scenario from every side, testing our assumptions and resisting the urge to cast characters as simple heroes or villains. Unlike the Oscar-nominated Farhadi, Barsaoui (who also wrote the screenplay) has never made a feature before. Were this his fifth film, it would be an impressive accomplishment. As his first, it’s remarkable.

The story begins in 2011 with an outdoor party thrown by Fares (Sami Bouajila, “Days of Glory”) for his wife, Meriem (Najla Ben Abdallah). The couple and their friends are so happy, and the park setting so beautiful, that we can’t help feeling an ominous shadow hovering in the distance. Although the partygoers are bathed in light, the rumbles of Middle Eastern politics and a recent Tunisian revolution surround their bubble. Indeed, as the family is driving through the scenic landscape of Tataouine (yes, the one that inspired George Lucas), they get caught in a terrifying rebel gunfight that critically injures their 10-year-old son, Aziz (Youssef Khemiri).

Another life-changing shock is waiting for them at the hospital, delivered with apologetic discomfort by Dr. Dhaoui (Noomen Hamda). Aziz needs a liver transplant to survive, and according to Tunisian law, only blood relatives can freely donate an organ. But somehow, neither parent is a match.

From this fraught discovery, all the adults — Fares and Meriem, but also Dr Dhaoui and Mr. Chokri (Slah Msadek), a black-market organ donor — retreat into their own storylines. Barsaoui doesn’t handle this the way most filmmakers might, by separating them, giving us back story, or following their individual paths. Instead he handles each thread as lightly as possible, braiding them in and out so we can see how the slightest actions and emotions of one person indelibly impact the rest.

The other main character, referred to repeatedly, is “the law.” Free will is molded, distorted, and often destroyed by the faceless humans who decide how their fellow citizens will live, under both legal obligation and social mores. Fares is as unlucky as Meriem, but even as her son may be dying, she has to carry the added burdens of judgment, dismissal and double standards. Bouajila, one of France’s most celebrated actors, won a César for his layered performance. But Ben Abdallah, who is little-known outside her native Tunisia, is equally outstanding.

Very often, the heavier the material, the heavier the hand that shapes it. “A Son” is unusual in how much is left unsaid and yet clearly understood. The crushing impacts of politics, patriarchy, religion and culture are ever-present but rarely acknowledged. Notions of liberalism and modernity, particularly in the Middle East, are anatomized without conclusion. A jarring plotline straight out of a horror movie is told through quick glances that shift before we’ve even caught our breath.

Antoine Héberlé’s camera watches Fares, Meriem, and Aziz more and more closely, even as they pull, and are pulled, further away from each other. Shot in anamorphic, with long, silent scenes backed only by Amin Bouhafa’s haunting score, there is not a spare word or wasted image in the 92-minute running time. It should be said that this is not an easy watch, by any means. But it would be fair to call it a revelatory one.

“A Son” opens in New York and Chicago Dec. 10 and Los Angeles Dec. 17.

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Eye For Film >> Movies >> A Son (2019) Film Review

Reviewed by: Amber Wilkinson

Editor's note: I've done my best to avoid spoilers in the following review, but I have had to allude to second-act events in order for it to make any sense. Proceed at your own risk

Tangled family affairs become increasingly politically and morally loaded as this assured and gripping debut feature from Mehdi Barsaoui progresses. It is the law of movies that when a family are enjoying themselves in a car, it is almost always heralds disaster - and that holds true here, as a moment of joyful singing along to Gregorius by Si Lemhaf by middle-class couple Fares (Sami Bouajila) and Meriem (Najla Ben Abdallah) and their 11-year-old son Aziz (Youssef Khemiri) is shattered by a bullet. There are similarities to Asghar Farhadi in the subtle way Barsaoui explores the emotional fallout in the family as a bloodied trip to the emergency rooms ends with Aziz in intensive care requiring a liver transplant and a family secret being revealed but he has his own distinctive voice.

To say too much more about the plot would be to spoil what is both a sharply observed drama with a tightly worked thriller element, as we learn that organ transplantation in Tunisia is easier said than achieved and heavily reliant on immediate family members. Fares finds himself faced with the choice of paying for the privilege of his son's survival on the black market. The implication is that, in the wake of the 2011 Tunisian revolution, Aziz can be a beneficiary of the neighbouring war in Libya, although the truth will turn out to be considerably darker than that - although it is another of element of the film where Barsaoui opts for subtle horror over melodramatics. He also lets small details speak volumes, from children's legs in a dorm room to the way one child glugs down a cup of water as though it's the first he has drunk in a week.

There is a lot going on here on both a family and a political level, but Barsaoui sensibly avoids spelling things out letter by letter. Where other directors might have zoomed in on the conflict that springs up between Fares and Meriem, he takes a different route. First, he allows the tension build to almost unbearable levels as we watch the couple's intimacy, knowing it is about to be shattered, and then he allows the revelations to play out behind a closed door, bathing us, instead, in its aftermath as Meriem stews in stress and Fares becomes increasingly unpredictable.

Barsaoui and his cinematographer Antoine Héberlé use the space between the couple to great effect, so that they are shot at close quarters repeatedly in the opening half hour of the film and, as their relationship begins to crack open, they become more isolated in the frame, at opposite sides of the hospital waiting room. Sound design is also used sparingly but to good effect, with flies, for example, buzzing menacingly in one desert shot. Politics and patriarchy are held up to scrutiny but Barsaoui makes the film resonate by keeping the focus on the couple's shared love of their son and the implications this has that go beyond a simple husband and wife dynamic.

Director: Mehdi Barsaoui

Writer: Mehdi Barsaoui

Starring: Sami Bouajila, Najla Ben Abdallah

Runtime: 95 minutes

Country: Qatar, Lebanon, France, Tunisia

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By Ray Lobo | November 10, 2021

The saying “You may not be interested in war, but war is interested in you” rings true in Tunisian director Mehdi Barsaoui’s gripping drama,  A Son . Fares (Sami Bouajila) and his wife Meriem (Najla Ben Abdallah) are part of the affluent chattering upper-middle-class. As such, the closest the couple comes to politics are dirty jokes exchanged at parties relating to an impending Islamist takeover of Tunisia, as well as tidbits on the news about neighboring Libya’s civil war.

This clean separation between the couple’s domestic life and the outside world is erased one day while driving close to Tunisia’s border with Libya. Along with their young son, Aziz (Youssef Khemiri), the couple is caught by an ambush of bullets fired by terrorists. Aziz is wounded in the attack and is rushed to a hospital where Fares and Meriem are informed that their young son is in urgent need of a liver transplant. Unfortunately, neither parent is an organ donor candidate for their son due to legal and medical reasons.

“… neither parent is an organ donor candidate for their son…”

At this point,  A Son  shifts the tension in the direction of the family in crisis. As the clock ticks, the couple’s son gets closer to death, and secrets from their past emerge. We witness the unraveling of a family and a romantic relationship as the obstacles in finding a matching donor mount. But, Fares is approached by a mysterious man offering him an under-the-table solution involving organs from Libya.

Barsaoui does a magnificent job as both director and writer. He crafts a narrative that oscillates between the macro and the micro, the political and the domestic. The tension he conjures in both spheres is phenomenal as viewers feel the double weight of possible impending tragedy. The entire project could not be pulled off if it were not for the performances by Bouajila and Abdallah. Both actors convey a deep love for their son. The anxiety aroused by the potential death of their son is palpable and heartwrenching.

North Africa is a complex region. We are aware of Libya’s difficulties both during the Gaddafi years and throughout the post-Gaddafi era. Tunisia sparked off what eventually became The Arab Spring. Post-Arab Spring, the country has had its fair share of political turmoil. Movies like  A Son  bring to audiences the complexity, the tragedies, the humor, and the humanity of the people of the region. Mehdi Barsaoui also makes it clear that boundaries are never as impermeable as we think. Libya’s problems become Tunisia’s and vice-versa. Politics, war, and corruption are phenomena that are very difficult to isolate and put in a bin. They inevitably spill over into our domestic lives.

A Son (2021)

Directed and Written: Mehdi Barsaoui

Starring: Sami Bouajila, Najla Ben Abdallah, Youssef Khemiri, etc.

Movie score: 7.5/10

"…makes it clear that boundaries are never as impermeable as we think."

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Movie review: A Son is 'an intensely powerful film'

Toby Woollaston

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The idylls of a family holiday are transformed into a screaming nightmare in Tunisian writer/director Mehdi Barsaoui's debut feature film. Photo / Supplied

Review: A Son Director: Mehdi Barsaoui Cast: Sami Bouajila, Najla Ben Abdallah, Youssef Khemiri Running time: 96 mins Screening: In select cinemas now Censor: M, Violence & offensive language Language: Arabic, French, with English subtitles Verdict: A quietly powerful triumph from a fresh voice in Arab cinema. Reviewer: Toby Woollaston

The idylls of a family holiday are transformed into a screaming nightmare in Tunisian writer/director Mehdi Barsaoui's debut feature. His delicately crafted but intensely powerful film is as much a family drama as it is a high-pitched primal cry and wastes little time planting you smack-bang in the middle of this heart-rending tale.

It is set in Tunisia, where married couple Fares (Sami Bouajila) and Meriem (Najla Ben Abdallah), along with their 11-year-old son, are on holiday when they unwittingly stumble into an Islamic-terrorist ambush that leaves their son fighting for his life and in desperate need of a liver transplant. With time running out, the couple desperately look for a donor, but their search leads them down moral crossroads and uncovers dark secrets that threaten to derail both their marriage and their son's life.

Belying his lack of experience as director, Barsaoui appears to be in total control of his craft and deftly weaves plenty of subtextual commentary into the fabric of this compelling drama. Most notably, patriarchy within an Arab-world context is explored as the couple's progressive ideals lock horns with Tunisia's "archaic" laws. It's a touchy subject to breach, but Barsaoui skilfully juggles this along with a minefield of other issues with minimal fuss and a pin-sharp tone.

It's a style that appears to be straight out of the Asghar Farhadi film-book (A Separation, Everybody Knows) and A Son's wonderfully focused form is similarly achieved, utilising little in the way of flamboyant cinematic embellishments; the musical score is sparse but effective, the cinematography is understated but beautiful, and the screenplay never succumbs to needless histrionics. Barsaoui (who definitely seems to be a talent worth keeping an eye on) appears to know exactly how to use subtlety to his advantage and is aided by two fantastic leads, who offer solid performances. Bouajila, in particular, cuts the pained figure of a man desperately in search of where his loyalties lie. But Barsaoui's even-handed script is careful not to lose sight of Meriem, a strong female character, who stands to lose not only her son but her husband as well.

A Son is an exciting and understatedly complex debut from a fresh voice in Arab cinema and is a movie that deserves your attention.

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“Can I be honest with you?” This is a doctor speaking, from an early scene of the tepid horror psychodrama “Son,” so you know that good news is not coming. Sure enough, the doctor takes off his glasses—never a good sign—and says: “We don’t know what this is.” I mean, we do, but he doesn’t: “Son” concerns what’s really going on with sickly David ( Luke David Blumm ) and his single mom Laura ( Andi Matichak ), the latter of whom escaped a religious cult eight years ago, and now may or may not be psychologically unstable.

David is understandably the focus of Laura’s instability, since he, an eight-year-old, was born right around when Laura escaped the above-mentioned cult. Also (and here’s where I’m obliged to throw in a NECESSARY SPOILER warning): David may or may not be a vampire. At least, that’s what his biological symptoms and generic behavior suggest, between gastrointestinal bleeding and festering skin rashes. David’s health only improves after he eats human flesh, so there’s that, too.

But there isn’t much of a mystery about what’s really going on in “Son.” Instead, so much of the movie is a pat is-she-or-isn’t-she crazy narrative about Laura, a single woman who may have made up a past trauma to explain sexual trauma that’s occasionally mentioned, but never seriously considered. Writer/director Ivan Kavanagh (“The Canal”) uses vampirism, or something similar, to reduce personal grief to a few trite emotional symbols. Unfortunately, the sins of David’s absent father and unreliable mother are barely addressed every time this kid either hemorrhages or drinks blood.

That bloodshed, as plentiful as it may be, is only so compelling given that most of “Son” is a doom-laden chase movie: on the run from the law, Laura must find a cure for her son before he (really, they) must kill again. The rest of the movie otherwise boils down to a horror trope bingo, including seedy motels, an homage to “ The Shining ” (remember the bathroom in room 237?), a violently horny pimp, a skittish (and very clammy) family member, and more.

There’s even a pair of temperamentally opposed cops, one who’s hard on Laura’s story, and another who’s kinda sweet on her. As nice cop Paul, Hirsch stands in for a lot of what’s left out of “Son,” namely a distinct personality. He squints and sighs with such a pained expression that one can’t help but wonder what his character’s deal is, and why it’s not in the movie.

Also missing from the movie: Laura’s cult, who are mostly absent beyond a few (genuinely creepy) glimpses of its plain-dressed members. That sort of crucial omission is presumably the movie’s point, since “Son” is about the gaps in Laura’s knowledge, and how they serve to protect her from the awful truth about her past. Still, these major elisions might be more compelling if, say, the cartoons that David watches post-feeding were more evocative. Or what if David’s demon father were represented beyond a few sentences? Maybe Paul’s research could tell him something more than an unbelievable “she made it all up,” to quote one psychiatrist? Something like that?

“Son” appears to be about Paul’s blind faith, the kind that’s required of anyone who wants to have a meaningful relationship with a traumatized loved one. So if you don’t see something, that doesn’t mean it’s not there. For example: Laura’s sexual trauma is hinted at throughout, but through the lens of horror movie Americana, like a sexually explicit cartoon drawn on the cover of her motel bible, or a carefully obscured monster who, standing right behind Laura, may or may not exist. Blood is clearly visible throughout “Son,” but it doesn’t say much. Kavanagh constantly tries to overwhelm viewers until we submit to his movie’s gas-lit logic, because while psychological trauma may be invisible, arterial spray gets on everything.

You can't watch “Son” without feeling a little sick to your stomach, especially given Kavanagh’s fascination with David’s condition. Blumm squeals ("It hurts. It hurts, mom! I need help!"), curses (“Get me some f**ing food, you b***h!”), and giggles like, uh, a monster. None of which is new horror movie behavior, but that’s exactly why “Son” never earns our sympathies. It’s easy to make audiences squirm in their seats when pushing buttons is your goal, but that’s not exactly praiseworthy when your movie’s also ostensibly about what can’t be seen. Ambiguity, like gore, isn’t meaningful unto itself, nor are the movie’s solid but unremarkable performances deep enough to warrant viewers’ emotional investment. So while you’re welcome to react to “Son” however you like, you needn’t feel compelled to puzzle over its schematic violence, implied or otherwise.

Now playing in theaters and available on digital platforms.

Simon Abrams

Simon Abrams is a native New Yorker and freelance film critic whose work has been featured in  The New York Times ,  Vanity Fair ,  The Village Voice,  and elsewhere.

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‘A Son’ Film Review: Tunisian Family Drama Quietly Devastates

• Oops! Something went wrong. Please try again later. More content below

A stunning debut and a piercing experience, Mehdi Barsaoui ’s Tunisian drama “A Son” stands soundly on its own while recollecting the work of acclaimed auteurs like Iranian director Asghar Farhadi .

Both filmmakers explore the morality of a scenario from every side, testing our assumptions and resisting the urge to cast characters as simple heroes or villains. Unlike the Oscar-nominated Farhadi, Barsaoui (who also wrote the screenplay) has never made a feature before. Were this his fifth film, it would be an impressive accomplishment. As his first, it’s remarkable.

The story begins in 2011 with an outdoor party thrown by Fares ( Sami Bouajila , “Days of Glory”) for his wife, Meriem ( Najla Ben Abdallah ). The couple and their friends are so happy, and the park setting so beautiful, that we can’t help feeling an ominous shadow hovering in the distance. Although the partygoers are bathed in light, the rumbles of Middle Eastern politics and a recent Tunisian revolution surround their bubble. Indeed, as the family is driving through the scenic landscape of Tataouine (yes, the one that inspired George Lucas), they get caught in a terrifying rebel gunfight that critically injures their 10-year-old son, Aziz (Youssef Khemiri).

Another life-changing shock is waiting for them at the hospital, delivered with apologetic discomfort by Dr. Dhaoui (Noomen Hamda). Aziz needs a liver transplant to survive, and according to Tunisian law, only blood relatives can freely donate an organ. But somehow, neither parent is a match.

From this fraught discovery, all the adults — Fares and Meriem, but also Dr Dhaoui and Mr. Chokri (Slah Msadek), a black-market organ donor — retreat into their own storylines. Barsaoui doesn’t handle this the way most filmmakers might, by separating them, giving us back story, or following their individual paths. Instead he handles each thread as lightly as possible, braiding them in and out so we can see how the slightest actions and emotions of one person indelibly impact the rest.

The other main character, referred to repeatedly, is “the law.” Free will is molded, distorted, and often destroyed by the faceless humans who decide how their fellow citizens will live, under both legal obligation and social mores. Fares is as unlucky as Meriem, but even as her son may be dying, she has to carry the added burdens of judgment, dismissal and double standards. Bouajila, one of France’s most celebrated actors, won a César for his layered performance. But Ben Abdallah, who is little-known outside her native Tunisia, is equally outstanding.

Very often, the heavier the material, the heavier the hand that shapes it. “A Son” is unusual in how much is left unsaid and yet clearly understood. The crushing impacts of politics, patriarchy, religion and culture are ever-present but rarely acknowledged. Notions of liberalism and modernity, particularly in the Middle East, are anatomized without conclusion. A jarring plotline straight out of a horror movie is told through quick glances that shift before we’ve even caught our breath.

Antoine Héberlé’s camera watches Fares, Meriem, and Aziz more and more closely, even as they pull, and are pulled, further away from each other. Shot in anamorphic, with long, silent scenes backed only by Amin Bouhafa’s haunting score, there is not a spare word or wasted image in the 92-minute running time. It should be said that this is not an easy watch, by any means. But it would be fair to call it a revelatory one.

“A Son” opens in New York and Chicago Dec. 10 and Los Angeles Dec. 17.

Home / Entertainment / Movie review: A Son

Movie review: A Son

• Glennys Marsdon
• Entertainment

A Son  is a simple story about a family’s race against time to save the life of their only son. The ethical twist and turns they must travel down make this movie a definite to watch.

The story begins with the seemingly idyllic image of the perfect family. Ben Fares Youssef (Sami Bouajila) and his wife Meriem (Najla Ben Adallah) answer their son Aziz’s (Youssef Khemiri) demand to sing his favourite song one more time, as they drive down the dusty roads of Tunisia to their weekend holiday destination.

Mid song they stumble onto the edge of a terrorist attach. Accelerating backwards all seems well until they realise Aziz has been hit by a stray bullet.

Covered in blood, Meriem cradles her son in the backseat as Fares races to the nearest hospital. There they find out Aziz has a punctured liver and will need a transplant.

Blood tests reveal Meriem cannot be the donor due to a high likelihood of organ rejection. In a somewhat predictable story line, the blood tests also reveal that Fares is not the biological father, something that comes as a surprise to Meriem. When and how should this news be broken to Fares and how will he react?

As Aziz’s condition deteriorates Fares becomes more insistent about donating. But Islamic law forbids organ donation outside the family unit. Meriem must tell her secret and put herself at the risk of going to jail for adultery. With a long waiting list for organ donations the biological father must be found.

Life is thrown into chaos, as the couple grapples with traditional values of what it means to be a father and the responsibilities of a wife in an Arab-world context.

What happens next, amid the rapidly diminishing time frame, will keep viewers intrigued.  A Son  is a very clever, tight directorial debut for Mehdi Barsaoui, supported by superb acting by the leads. I’ll definitely be looking out for more work by Barsaoui.

Anyone who has ever had to divulge a secret will know the anguish of ‘when to tell’. A blink and you’ll miss it scene in the movie is a clever reminder that someones best day can be another persons worst.

For more information go to  Luna cinemas

Rating 7.5 out of 10.

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Movie Review: A Son

A Son is a simple story about a family’s race against time to save the life of their only son. The ethical twist and turns they must travel down make this movie a definite to watch.

The story begins with the seemingly idyllic image of the perfect family. Ben Fares Youssef (Sami Bouajila) and his wife Meriem (Najla Ben Adallah) answer their son Aziz’s (Youssef Khemiri) demand to sing his favourite song one more time, as they drive down the dusty roads of Tunisia to their weekend holiday destination.

Mid song they stumble onto the edge of a terrorist attach. Accelerating backwards all seems well until they realise Aziz has been hit by a stray bullet.

Covered in blood, Meriem cradles her son in the backseat as Fares races to the nearest hospital. There they find out Aziz has a punctured liver and will need a transplant.

Blood tests reveal Meriem cannot be the donor due to a high likelihood of organ rejection. In a somewhat predictable story line, the blood tests also reveal that Fares is not the biological father, something that comes as a surprise to Meriem. When and how should this news be broken to Fares and how will he react?

As Aziz’s condition deteriorates Fares becomes more insistent about donating. But Islamic law forbids organ donation outside the family unit. Meriem must tell her secret and put herself at the risk of going to jail for adultery. With a long waiting list for organ donations the biological father must be found.

Life is thrown into chaos, as the couple grapples with traditional values of what it means to be a father and the responsibilities of a wife in an Arab-world context.

What happens next, amid the rapidly diminishing time frame, will keep viewers intrigued. A Son is a very clever, tight directorial debut for Mehdi Barsaoui, supported by superb acting by the leads.

As I sat on glued to the screen my heart rate rising I pondered:

• Anyone who has ever had to divulge a secret will know the anguish of ‘when to tell’;
• A blink and you’ll miss it scene in the movie is a clever reminder that someones best day can be another persons worst;
• I’ll definitely be looking out for more work by Barsaoui

For more information go to Luna cinemas

• overall 7.5
• User Ratings ( 0 Votes) 0

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The second season of House of the Dragon roars to life with explosive energy, and the emphasis is one more. More scheming, more danger, more sex, more fire and more blood, as two sides of the House Targaryen play the game of thrones, and much will burn in their wake.

While Rhaenyra struggles to come to terms with her son’s murder, in King’s Landing, Alicent grows concerned that Aegon’s Small Council may lead them to an all-out war.

The first season of House of the Dragon was an unprecedented success for HBO Max and brought a renewed sense of energy and dynamism to the land of Westeros and the world of Ice and Fire after a lacklustre final season of Game of Thrones . Now showrunner Ryan Condal takes the reigns for Season Two, and winter is now upon the lands of Westeros as two warring factions, The Greens and the The Blacks, make their claim for the Iron Throne. Building on the momentum of Season One’s shock ending, Condal and his team move at pace as we move into Season Two and its first episode, ‘A Son for a Son’ . Audiences are introduced to a larger and more lavish scale, and you’ll want an even larger screen to witness this next chapter in House of the Dragon upon.

Episode One, ‘A Son for a Son’ focuses on picking up immediately after the events of ‘The Black Queen’ , and we see the lines being fortified and chess pieces being moved. For both sides to win this war, alliances will be needed, and the forging begins right away. One such alliance that is of such immense value is the strength of the North, and in the opening moments, we travel to open the stronghold of Winterfell and come to witness the young Cregan Stark (Tom Taylor), who travels to the Wall with Prince Jacaerys Velaryon (Harry Collett), and explains to him the dangers of the North and what lies beyond it. This interaction not only showcases the vast lore of Westeros, which will have long-time fans of the series salivating but also highlights the dangers of things to come in this series.

First blood has also been spilt in this baying war that will grow to be the ‘Dance of the Dragons’, and in ‘A Son for a Son’ we see the ramifications of the death of Prince Lucerys Velaryon (Elliot Grihault) at the hands of Prince Aemond Targaryen (Ewan Mitchell). While Queen Rhaenyra Targaryen (Emma D’Arcy) grieves for her son in anguish and despair, we see the ramifications of Aemond’s actions reflect back on Olivia Cooke’s Alicent Hightower, The Dowager Queen, and it’s clear that she is beginning to lose grip on her sons, the King Aegon II Targaryen (Tom Glynn-Carney) and Prince Aemond. Her voice being diminished on the Council is not Alicent’s only problem, but we also see her torrid affair with Fabien Frankel’s Ser Criston Cole heat up. Nothing is off limits in this series, and this secret relationship will have dire consequences for both of them.

Coming into their own this season are both King Aegon II Targaryen, played by Tom Glynn-Carney, and Prince Aemond Targaryen, played by Ewan Mitchell. While loyal to their house, each could not be more different than the other. Glynn-Carney is particularly aloof, hedonistic and utterly degenerate in his portrayal of King Aegon II, who, while enjoying the great trappings of his absolute power, is utterly spineless and pathetic in both thought and action, and his showiness is sure to lead to ruin. On the other side is Mitchell’s Prince Aemond, the vengeful, almost psychopathic young prince, who is willing to go to any lengths to show how much of a great warrior he is and is well-balanced with. chip on both shoulders, his brand of terror will soon be let loose, and all will suffer for it.

Emerging from the shadows in ‘A Son for a Son’ is Matt Smith’s Prince Daemon Targaryen. Smith’s Daemon was far and away, the scene stealer of Season One of House of the Dragon , and his aggression and intensity make him make a dangerous choice in ‘ A Son for a Son’ that will send a shiver down your spine. Using his vast knowledge of the city and his thirst for blood, Daemon devises a plan that is in keeping with the devilish mind of Richard III, and this is very much a ‘Princes in the Tower’ moment that will leave audiences in severe shock and silence. It’s this one moment in the culminating moments of this new season of House of the Dragon that spins the series into an almost horror genre moment, and its chilling conclusion will leave all audience members in a hush and showcases just how scary this new season is about to become.

Blood is drawn in Season Two of House of the Dragon , and it matches a moment of pure horror that will shape the coming narrative in a dark and dangerous new way. We’re only at the beginning of the Dance of the Dragons, but the fire will rage, and all of Westeros will burn!

Season Two of House of the Dragon is now streaming on Neon and SKY TV.

Image: SKY TV

‘House of the Dragon’ – ‘The Burning Mill’ – Review

‘House of the Dragon’ – ‘Rhaenyra the Cruel’ – Review

‘The Boys’ – ‘We’ll Keep The Red Flag Flying Here’ – Review

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The Son review: Hugh Jackman drama is ugly, ridiculous and inexplicably terrible

Laura dern, vanessa kirby and anthony hopkins co-star in florian zeller’s baffling follow-up to the oscar-winning ‘the father’, article bookmarked.

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The Son is an ugly, blaring question mark of a film, and inexplicably terrible considering the talent involved. Decades of research and armies of scientists might need to be deployed to figure out what happened here. It’s adapted from the second entry in a “spiritual trilogy” of plays by author and playwright Florian Zeller , alongside The Father and The Mother , each dealing with families assailed by disorders and illnesses. Two years ago, Zeller adapted The Father into a film – it proved to be a delicate and deceptively simple portrait of dementia that featured some of Anthony Hopkins ’s finest work as an actor, and won him an Oscar. History will not repeat itself with this one.

The film deals with Nicholas (Zen McGrath), the depressed teenage son of wealthy and divorced parents, Peter ( Hugh Jackman ) and Kate ( Laura Dern ). He’s been profoundly unsettled by their separation, and hasn’t been to school in a month. Peter left Kate to marry the younger Beth (Vanessa Kirby), and the couple now have an infant son. Nicholas asks to move in with them. What at first seems like a positive step soon crumbles into his further self-destruction. The adults notice the scars on his arms. He conceals more and more from them. They then spend the rest of the film demanding that Nicholas explain what’s wrong with him, all while he displays the most overt symptoms of a major depressive disorder.

Beyond the cool touch of Ben Smithard’s camerawork and Hopkins’s small role as Peter’s father, The Son shares nothing in common with The Father or its sensitivities. Zeller and co-writer Christopher Hampton – who’s translated many of Zeller’s French plays into English – write about depression as if it were something they spotted on safari once. A far-away curiosity. A bit of exoticism.

It’s wildly implausible that three adults – even if they’re distracted, upper-class types who could conceivably neglect their children – would have never heard of depression or how it manifests. Peter, Laura, and Beth are presented as flawed if sympathetic figures, yet their cluelessness is laughable. Sometimes it veers on the offensive. They talk of Nicholas – who McGrath plays plainly and unimaginatively as twitchy, monotone, and perpetually on the verge of tears – like he’s a demonic presence in their home, with some untraceable darkness in his eyes that only they can see. It’s a one-note depiction of a complex but common illness, and entirely devoid of empathy.

McGrath’s performance may be stilted but, really, so is everyone’s – even if Dern can steal away a few moments of vulnerability in the largely contextless role of a distressed mother. Jackman reads as exaggeratingly chipper in Peter’s lighter moments, then turns into a real, over-played pietà of a tragic hero when things turn dark.

There are no ill intentions behind The Son , but sometimes stories are so badly judged and naive in their execution that they turn ugly. That becomes especially clear when Zeller’s film reaches its conclusion, one telegraphed so early and with such gracelessness that it’s borderline parodic. Why no one involved clocked its ridiculousness is the real mystery here.

Dir: Florian Zeller. Starring: Hugh Jackman, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Zen McGrath, Anthony Hopkins. 15, 123 minutes.

‘The Son’ is in cinemas from Friday 17 February

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A dangerous son, common sense media reviewers.

Challenging doc puts human face on juvenile mental illness.

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

Brings attention to the number of people suffering

The parents exhibit perseverance and patience in t

A boy violently hits his sister and pulls his moth

"f--k;" "g--damn;" "son of a bitch."

A mother is shown smoking.

Parents need to know A Dangerous Son is an intense documentary about three families with sons who have severe psychiatric disorders. These conditions often cause them to exhibit very aggressive behaviors, and it's clear that the mental healthcare system isn't equipped to treat them successfully. This…

Positive Messages

Brings attention to the number of people suffering from mental disorders and to the failings of the mental healthcare system in the U.S.

Positive Role Models

The parents exhibit perseverance and patience in the face of intense personal hardship. Social service workers display compassion, understanding and a commitment to service.

Violence & Scariness

A boy violently hits his sister and pulls his mother’s hair; the spate of recent school shootings is discussed and used as a point of reference; the boys threaten to kill themselves and others.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Violence & Scariness in your kid's entertainment guide.

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Language in your kid's entertainment guide.

Drinking, Drugs & Smoking

Did you know you can flag iffy content? Adjust limits for Drinking, Drugs & Smoking in your kid's entertainment guide.

Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know A Dangerous Son is an intense documentary about three families with sons who have severe psychiatric disorders. These conditions often cause them to exhibit very aggressive behaviors, and it's clear that the mental healthcare system isn't equipped to treat them successfully. This brutally honest doc is sometimes hard to watch; there are some disturbing sequences showing one of the boys hitting his mother and younger sister and some rough language as his anger manifests in verbal outbursts. To stay in the loop on more movies like this, you can sign up for weekly Family Movie Night emails .

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• Parents say (1)

Based on 1 parent review

Important doco but needs a warning at the start.

What's the story.

A DANGEROUS SON introduces three diverse boys and their families. Ethan is ten and is first seen unrelentingly hitting his sister in the back seat of the minivan as his mom tries to calm him down. We can just make out what he's saying over his sister's sobs. He violently declares, "I'm upset!" Then we meet Vontae, a lanky 12-year old in South Central LA whose mother admits he's not good at expressing himself with spoken words, and then says she finds violent letters he's written about killing himself or someone else. And finally we meet William, an teen with autism who's about to find out that his parents have decided to put him in a residential treatment facility. As we follow each boy's family as they take the different steps available to each of them depending on the resources of the state they happen to live in, the filmmakers highlight the failings of the current mental healthcare system. The film works to raise awareness of how the system isn't set up to respond to the needs of these boys, all of whom need dedicated, long-term treatment.

Is It Any Good?

This documentary is an emotional, eye-opening documentary that will make viewers feel sad, disturbed, and frustrated. Through the personal experiences of the three families who are the subject of this documentary, the filmmakers seek the bring attention to the inadequacies of the mental health system in this country, particularly when it comes to minors who display aggressive behavior. It also wants to disabuse viewers of the idea that parents are responsible for the psychological disorders of their children. We certainly sympathize with the mothers of these boys as they reach out for professional assistance and struggle to provide some sense of normalcy and safety to the lives of their other children. Yet, it's hard to not question some of their parenting choices as we see them allow their aggressive and violent sons to play first person shooter video games or run around with realistic toy pistols. A Dangerous Son may challenge your current perceptions of the victims of mental illness and the medical establishment. It's not a comfortable viewing experience, but one that's ultimately worthwhile because of its ability to shake you up and admittedly, wake you up.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

Families can talk about mental health. Why is it as important as physical health? How do you know when someone is dealing with a mental health issue?

A Dangerous Son wants to raise awareness about the issue of mental illness and the lack of services available to regular families. How does this documentary make you feel? What emotion do you think the filmmakers want you to experience? Why?

Movie Details

• In theaters : May 7, 2018
• On DVD or streaming : November 13, 2018
• Director : Liz Garbus
• Inclusion Information : Female directors
• Studio : HBO
• Genre : Documentary
• Run time : 86 minutes
• MPAA rating : NR
• Last updated : October 8, 2022

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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Watch The Son with a subscription on Netflix, rent on Fandango at Home, Prime Video, or buy on Fandango at Home, Prime Video.

What to Know

Despite reliably solid work from Laura Dern and Hugh Jackman, The Son remains mired in off-puttingly aggressive melodrama.

The Son does a fairly admirable job of handling some tough subject matter, although the way the characters are written may take some viewers out of the story.

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• Despite having a star-studded cast and a $100 million budget, the film was panned for its corny and misguided storyline.

Eddie Murphy recalls the harshest review he received of his 2002 flop The Adventures of Pluto Nash . Murphy took a break from family films to team with City Slickers director Ron Underwood for Pluto Nash , a $100 million sci-fi/comedy, co-starring Rosario Dawson, Randy Quaid and John Cleese. Despite the movie’s heavyweight talent and enormous budget, critics abhorred the effort, as reflected in the film’s 5% fresh rating on Rotten Tomatoes, while audiences stayed away in droves, resulting in a $7 million worldwide gross, and a reputation as one of the biggest-ever box office bombs .

Every critic in the world took their shot at The Adventures of Pluto Nash when it came out, but Murphy recalls one review that stood out as being the harshest of all, in an adorable anecdote he related recently to the New York Times . Check out his remarks below:

What’s challenging is when you’re in a movie and the movie ain’t [expletive]. That’s challenging: when you’re sitting in the screening room and you see the first print of “Pluto Nash.” I remember the first time we watched “Pluto Nash,” I had my son Myles with me. He was probably about 8. Myles is sitting there with me, and the movie’s all soft. Then at the end, it goes silent, and my little baby son goes, “Corny.” That was challenging. [Laughs.] Even the baby knows it’s corny.

Where Does Pluto Nash Rank Among Eddie Murphy Critical Flops

Myles Murphy was not alone in expressing disdain for The Adventures of Pluto Nash , a bizarre and misguided PG-13 sci-fi/comedy starring the elder Murphy as the owner of a nightclub on the moon in the year 2087. Corniness is perhaps the least of the movie’s problems, the bigger issue being Murphy’s own performance, which feels completely checked-out.

Given Pluto Nash ’s reputation as one of the worst movies ever, it’s no surprise to see it ranking near the bottom of Murphy’s filmography on Rotten Tomatoes. But it’s not the worst Murphy film ever, according to the review aggregator. That honor goes to 2012’s A Thousand Words , Murphy’s failed attempt at a Jim Carrey-style high-concept comedy, which holds the rare distinction of sporting a 0% fresh rating.

Pluto Nash was in development from 1983, with Harrison Ford at one time rumored to star

Murphy has indeed experienced more than his share of critical bombs over the course of his long career, and currently has 18 movies with 40%-and-below fresh ratings on Rotten Tomatoes, including The Adventures of Pluto Nash at 5%. Murphy’s newest film, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F , awaits its own RT fate, but at least the film won’t have to worry about bad box office publicity, as it’s set to be released exclusively on Netflix.

Source: New York Times

The Adventures Of Pluto Nash (2002)

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‘a family affair’ review: nicole kidman and zac efron in a netflix rom-com that charms despite missteps.

The Richard LaGravenese-directed film centers on a widowed middle-aged writer having an affair with a younger movie star — who happens to be her daughter's boss.

By Angie Han

Television Critic

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Throughout A Family Affair , daughter Zara ( Joey King ) and mom Brooke ( Nicole Kidman ) argue over just what kind of a man Chris Cole ( Zac Efron ) is. To Zara, he’s a self-absorbed movie star boss who oscillates between unreasonable demands and threats of firing. For Brooke, he’s an attentive lover, the first man to reawaken her to the possibility of romance since the death of Zara’s father, Charlie.

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The first Chris we meet is the obnoxious one. Onscreen, he’s the Marvel-style hero of a terrible-sounding franchise called Icarus Rush ; offscreen, he’s a vain man-child pitching hissy fits at Zara. He calls her at odd hours to send her looking for protein powder, and makes her assemble gift baskets for his dogs with her own money. He runs through girlfriends like tissues, then sends her to pick up his stuff from their houses. He strings her along with the promise of an assistant producer credit, but continually insists she’s not “ready” to do much more than pick up his dry cleaning. None of these gags are especially fresh — Chris is simply every spoiled Hollywood stereotype rolled into one. But screenwriter Carrie Solomon comes at them with the wry fondness of an insider who knows just how ridiculous her industry can be.

All this Hollywood satire is merely set-up for the real plot of A Family Affair , which kicks in once Chris invites himself over to the home Zara shares with her mother. While waiting for her to show, he and Brooke get to talking over tequila shots. The next thing either of them know, Brooke is ripping open the very t-shirt that Chris, only the day before, had screamed at Zara for not treating more gently.

At first, the hook-up is played for laughs. Chris remains his ditzy self, wooing Brooke from lines with his own movies. (“This time I mean it,” he insists when she teasingly calls him out on it.) Zara is so startled to find her mother in bed with her employer that she goes full slapstick, choking on a grape and knocking herself unconscious. Fumbling to explain, Brooke accidentally invokes the same excuse Zara gave her for getting a forbidden eyebrow piercing as a teen: “It made sense at the time when the guy was putting it in.”

In fact, A Family Affair barely leans into the fairy tale of dating a rich and sexy A-lister. In contrast to The Idea of You , with which it shares a superficially similar premise, the film is largely unconcerned with the specific perks or challenges of dating while famous. Brooke is unfamiliar with Chris’ career, and she does not need him to whisk her away on vacations or bring her to fancy galas; she’s done well enough already to have her own cliffside mansion and closet full of designer dresses. Though Chris can’t so much as go for a grocery run without getting swarmed, the couple do not discuss what it might mean to go public with their relationship — and they never have to, since it somehow never happens. The biggest threat to their connection is Zara’s disapproval, not the gap in age and social standing.

Parallels are drawn between Brooke lovingly tending to Zara’s every need through a difficult childhood and Zara catering to Chris’ now. I’d point out that those situations are not remotely the same, and in fact have no business being in the same conversation — just as A Family Affair ‘s Hollywood material and its drama feel at times like they’ve come from two completely different films. But the lines are delivered with such heartfelt tenderness that for a moment, you might be moved in spite of yourself.

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What sets off Zara’s downward spiral is her job resignation, and the spontaneous romance that sparks between Chris and Brooke — the former, a lonely man worshipped but not understood by millions, the latter, jadedly single since the death of Zara’s dad more than a decade ago. Seemingly acting out of protective instincts for her mother — after all, she’s seen what a despicable womanizer Chris can be — Zara complains constantly that her mom is dating her ex-boss, dismissing both Brooke and Genie in their respective needs from her. Brooke thankfully finds the encouragement she doesn’t get from her daughter through a lovely relationship with her legendary editor Leila (Kathy Bates, effortlessly grounding the film), who also happens to be her mother-in-law.

In charting the growing closeness of Chris and Brooke, LaGravenese’s direction is oddly rigid and dull. Across the magical studio lots they stroll through and the private meals they have away from prying eyes, you almost beg the film to loosen up a little and let the beautiful leads organically relax into its rhythm. Instead, “A Family Affair” insists on staccato beats and synthetic visuals. It’s surprising that famed Robert Zemeckis collaborator Don Burgess is behind the film’s shallow, one-note cinematography. Indeed, “A Family Affair” looks so lifeless that you wonder whether it’s being purposely uncinematic, out to fulfill the prophecy of the catch-all phrase “content.”

The production design also leaves a lot to be desired: While Brooke’s idyllic home (the cryptic location of which so doesn’t look like L.A., by the way) is supposed to give off a lived-in Nancy Myers vibe with its fancy kitchen and serenely furnished living spaces, it looks like a showroom at best. Same goes for the Hallmark-card mountain lodge where the film’s main quartet spends Christmas. You’ve probably seen sitcoms with more authentic interiors.

In the end, everything falls into place much as one would expect. Friendships are restored (though poor Genie still gets the short end of the stick), love finds a way, and careers take off. Some of the film’s inside-baseball jokes about a town obsessed with soulless sequels and multiverses fortunately land. But the biggest joke seems to be on “A Family Affair” itself, for wasting Efron’s underrated talents and Kidman’s peerless range so clumsily.

Reviewed online, June 26, 2024. Running time: 111 MIN.

• Production: A Netflix release of a Roth/Kirschenbaum Films production. Producers: Joe Roth, Jeff Kirschenbaum. Executive producers: Alyssa Altman, Michelle Morrissey, Carrie Solomon.
• Crew: Director: Richard LaGravenese. Screenplay: Carrie Solomon. Camera: Don Burgess. Editor: Melissa Bretherton. Music: Siddhartha Khosla.
• With: Nicole Kidman, Zac Efron, Joey King, Liza Koshy, Kathy Bates.

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News Analysis

Russia Sends Waves of Troops to the Front in a Brutal Style of Fighting

More than 1,000 Russian soldiers in Ukraine were killed or wounded on average each day in May, according to NATO and Western military officials.

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By Julian E. Barnes ,  Eric Schmitt and Marc Santora

Julian E. Barnes and Eric Schmitt reported from Washington, and Marc Santora from Kyiv, Ukraine.

May was a particularly deadly month for the Russian army in Ukraine, with an average of more than 1,000 of its soldiers injured or killed each day, according to U.S., British and other Western intelligence agencies.

But despite its losses, Russia is recruiting 25,000 to 30,000 new soldiers a month — roughly as many as are exiting the battlefield, U.S. officials said. That has allowed its army to keep sending wave after wave of troops at Ukrainian defenses, hoping to overwhelm them and break through the trench lines.

It is a style of warfare that Russian soldiers have likened to being put into a meat grinder, with commanding officers seemingly oblivious to the fact that they are sending infantry soldiers to die.

At times, this approach has proved effective, bringing the Russian army victories in Avdiivka and Bakhmut in eastern Ukraine. But Ukrainian and Western officials say the tactics were less successful this spring, as Russia tried to take land near the city of Kharkiv.

American officials said that Russia achieved a critical objective of President Vladimir V. Putin, creating a buffer zone along the border to make it more difficult for the Ukrainians to strike into the country.

But the drive did not threaten Kharkiv and was ultimately stopped by Ukrainian defenses, according to Western officials.

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