NOWHERE

A lack of originality is compensated by decent performances and an authentic visual style in Flemish drama Nowhere.

A man still struggling with the traumatic loss of his daughter takes in a young drifter and helps him to find the mother who abandoned him at birth in Nowhere, a Flemish movie that hasn't got an ounce of originality in it but luckily compensates this with decent performances and an authentic visual style.

To be fair, the picture's narrative hews a bit too close to your average TV-movie of the week and the dialogue annoyingly spells out metaphors and emotions, while conflicts are often resolved in a heartbeat, their dramatic potential severely underutilised. Yet somehow Nowhere still draws you into the tale of two wounded men who find a connection in their grief for a lost family member.

This is partly due to the suitably moody directing style of Peter Monsaert, who follows the protagonists closely with his camera finds a nice narrative rhythm, and partly due to veteran actor Koen De Bouw and newcomer Noa Tambwe Kabati, who have excellent on-screen chemistry. Their scenes alone make Nowhere worth the watch.

release: 2022

director: Peter Monsaert

starring: Koen De Bouw, Noa Tambwe Kabati, Ruth Becquaert, Sebastien Dewaele