This film is being screened as part of the 2022 BFI London Film Festival. You can find all of our coverage of the festival here.
Florian Zeller has brought his work back to the big screen with The Son: a raw and honest depiction of mental health issues in young people and the impact it has on those around them.
★★★✰✰
Zeller has made a name for himself in the world of entertainment, most recently with the release of his widely acclaimed film The Father back in 2020. His most recent project, The Son details a 17-year-old boy struggling with a wide range of mental health problems – ranging from anxiety and depression, to issues such as suicidal tendencies. These issues are tricky to portray and tackle in a sensitive light, but Zeller has approached the subject so sensitively, yet so honestly, making it an absolutely fantastic yet heartwrenching watch.
The film stars Zen McGrath as Nicholas, and his parents are portrayed by Hugh Jackman (as Peter) and Laura Dern (as Kate). The story follows Nicholas battling a number of mental issues, whilst also shining a light on the impacts that the situation is having on his parents. Peter and Kate get divorced after Peter leaves his wife for another woman, whom he has a child with, so the family is tense and hurt from all angles.
McGrath’s performance is absolutely outstanding. The way in which he combines teenage awkwardness, innocence and struggle into one perfect portrayal was great to see. He isn’t overly hysterical, which is common when playing a character struggling mentally, as it is so difficult to portray. Instead, he focuses more on emotion, which gives his performance a very convincing feel. Hugh Jackman in particular also gives a very heartfelt performance of a father struggling to balance his career with his family that is split into 2.
Laura Dern performs similarly, however the film has its main focus on the father-son relationship, whilst also trying to involve Kate here and there. Unfortunately this meant that the film felt slightly jolted in some parts – almost with a lack of specific purpose. Despite this, Laura’s performance was genuine when she was given the opportunity.
Although the film’s focus is on Nicholas and his mental health struggles, it felt at times that this shifted into being mainly about Peter, and how this is affecting him. We see him in very intimate moments, such as arguing with his partner, discussions with his ex-wife, revisiting his past and, of course, trying to save his son.
Although this is an interesting perspective, it doesn’t feel right considering the theme. There is so much focus on how Peter is able to juggle all of the elements in his life, whilst dealing with his son’s issues, which at times gives off the impression that his son’s mental illness is purely a burden, rather than terribly sad and frustrating.
Zeller does deal well with portraying the issue of true mental illness here, though. Throughout the film, Nicholas is often asked what is wrong with him, or if something has happened at school that he does not want to speak about. But Nicholas shows that there has not been a groundbreaking or horrific thing that has happened to him – He is just unwell. The idea that people can suffer mentally without having had anything specific happen is something that needs to be spoken about more, to break mental health cliches and stigmas. This unique element makes the film stand out from any other portrayal of mental illness in film out there today.
Although this cast is full of amazingly talented actors, the script at some points feels a little bit weak in places. The theme itself means that the film is bound to strike an emotional chord with the audience, but the dialogue lacks depth at some points: arguments are finished quite swiftly and there often feels like there isn’t enough time given to specific conversations, which means that the sole purpose is not explored enough.
Hugh Jackman, Zen McGrath and Laura Dern ultimately perform very well in this tragic story, and their rapport is fantastic. The film is so incredibly sad, but is a step in the right direction of portrayal of mental health in film, despite its flaws.
The Verdict
Overall, The Son is a heart wrenching and raw depiction of mental illness, and the effects it can have on the family, as well as the individual suffering. It is emotional, open and honest, making it a film that will most definitely open up conversations and hopefully destigmatise mental health issues and what they look like.
Words by Connie Burke
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