The Son (2022)
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A man struggles to navigate his complicated relationship with his estranged stepson while grappling with his own past.
The story
Peter Miller is recently married to his second wife, Beth, and is raising their newborn son Theo. When his ex-wife, Kate, arrives with their 17-year-old son, Nicholas, who is struggling with depression and has dropped out of school, Peter agrees to house the boy. Although Peter barely knows Nicholas, he hopes to be a better father than his own father, Anthony, who was often absent and cruel. As Peter attempts to bond with Nicholas, he must navigate the complexities of their shared history and the emotional weight of his own past while trying to provide a stable environment for the troubled teenager.
Full plot (contains spoilers)
Peter Miller is recently married to his second wife, Beth, and is raising their newborn son Theo. His ex-wife, Kate, unexpectedly shows up and says their 17-year-old son, Nicholas, is depressed and has dropped out of school. Although Peter barely knows Nicholas, he agrees to house him. Peter has a strained relationship with his own father, Anthony, but hopes to be a better father to Nicholas than his own father was to him. Despite trying to bond with Nicholas, Peter refuses to acknowledge that he has deeply wounded the boy by cheating on Kate. When Nicholas attempts suicide and is placed in an in-patient treatment facility, Peter belatedly grasps his responsibility for the situation. A week later, Peter and Kate bring Nicholas home after he expresses regret for his actions. While his parents discuss how things seem better, Nicholas tragically shoots himself. Three years later, a guilt-ridden Peter fantasizes about what Nicholas's life could have been like if he had lived, breaking down emotionally as Beth comforts him.
- First release year
- 2022
- Runtime (minutes)
- 123
- Production countries
- France; United Kingdom; United States
- Original languages
- English
- Directors
- Florian Zeller
- Writers
- Florian Zeller · screenplay; Christopher Hampton · screenplay
- Cast and characters
- Hugh Jackman · Peter Miller; Laura Dern · Beth; Vanessa Kirby; Zen McGrath; Hugh Quarshie; Anthony Hopkins · Anthony
- Genres
- drama
- Themes
- fatherhood; trauma; guilt; mental health
- Tone and mood
- melodramatic
- Setting
- A contemporary domestic setting, including a home where the characters live.
- Premise and plot tags
- family drama; based on a play
- Source material / true-story basis
- Zeller's 2018 stage play
- Content notes
- suicide
- Reception
- The film received mixed reviews from critics, though Hugh Jackman's performance received praise.
- Reported review scores
- Rotten Tomatoes · score: 28% · review count: 183; Metacritic · score: 45 · scale: 100 · review count: 46
- Awards and nominations
- Best Actor · Golden Globe Awards · 80th · nomination; Best Actor · Satellite Awards · 27th · nom_nomination
- Production trivia
- The film features a score by Hans Zimmer.; The film was based on a 2018 stage play by Florian Zeller.
Film metadata comes from the open sources listed in Credits & Contact. Catalogue details may be incomplete.
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