Children--2020s (film subject)
2021
September 03, 2021 -- The Innocents [De uskyldige] (Vogt), film -- Rakel Lenora Fløttum, Alva Brynsmo Ramstad & Sam Ashraf -- A masterfully tense, deeply unsettling Norwegian supernatural thriller that stands as a modern psychological masterpiece. The film features an incredibly tightly knit, exceptional ensemble of child actors who dominate the screen during a bright Nordic summer. When a group of preteens secretly discover they possess powerful telekinetic and telepathic abilities while away from the watchful eyes of their parents, the narrative spirals into a chilling, neorealistic battle of wills, capturing a raw, brilliant look at the dark moral boundaries of childhood innocence.
September 11, 2021 -- The Hidden Child [Il bambino nascosto] (Andò), film -- Giuseppe Pirozzi -- A tense, poignant, and highly acclaimed Italian crime drama that served as the grand closing film of the 78th Venice Film Festival. Ten-year-old Giuseppe Pirozzi delivers an exceptionally raw, fierce, and emotionally layered performance as Ciro, a street-smart boy from a Camorra-affiliated family who is forced to go on the run after a reckless robbery. Pirozzi brilliantly captures the defensive armor and silent trauma of a child caught in a dangerous criminal underbelly, anchoring a deeply moving story of mutual redemption as his character builds an unexpected, life-altering bond of trust while being shielded by an isolated, elderly piano professor (Silvio Orlando).
November 19, 2021 -- C'mon C'mon (Mills), film -- Woody Norman -- A beautifully intimate, black-and-white American drama that won widespread critical praise for its emotional honesty. Nine-year-old British actor Woody Norman turns in a spectacular, tour-de-force performance as Jesse, an eccentric, deeply sensitive, and imaginative young boy who is temporarily placed in the care of his traveling radio journalist uncle (Joaquin Phoenix). Norman completely commands the screen with flawless accent work and a wonderfully organic, unforced delivery, charting a raw and deeply moving look at how an adult and a child learn to truly listen to one another's fears and wonders.
2022
May 18, 2022 -- The Quiet Girl [An Cailín Ciúin] (Bairéad), film -- Catherine Clinch -- A luminous, quietly devastating Irish masterpiece that made history as an Oscar-nominated feature. In her astonishing screen debut, young Catherine Clinch provides a masterclass in restrained, deeply soul-stirring acting as Cáit, a neglected, silent nine-year-old girl from an overcrowded household who is sent away to spend the summer with distant relatives in rural Ireland. Clinch completely carries the film's profound emotional weight with her expressive eyes and gentle demeanor, capturing a beautiful, slow awakening as her character experiences genuine parental warmth and a tragic domestic secret for the very first time.
==== 2023 ====May 17, 2023 -- Monster [Kaibutsu] (Kore-eda), film -- Sōya Kurokawa & Hinata Hiiragi -- A breathtaking, multi-perspective Japanese masterpiece that won the Best Screenplay award at the 76th Cannes Film Festival. Returning to his hallmark thematic focus on youth, director Hirokazu Kore-eda relies entirely on the spectacular performances of young actors Sōya Kurokawa (Minato) and Hinata Hiiragi (Yori). Adopting a complex, Rashomon-style structural narrative, the film peels back layers of a school bullying accusation to reveal a delicate, heartbreakingly tender bond of friendship and early adolescent identity between the two boys. Kurokawa and Hiiragi command the screen with a raw, sublime emotional intelligence that beautifully carries the weight of the film's dedicated score by the late Ryuichi Sakamoto.
May 21, 2023 -- Anatomy of a Fall [Anatomie d'une chute] (Triet), film -- Milo Machado-Graner -- A towering French legal thriller and courtroom drama that captured the prestigious Palme d'Or at Cannes and won the Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay. Thirteen-year-old Milo Machado-Graner delivers a tour-de-force, career-defining performance as Daniel, the visually impaired son of a writer (Sandra Hüller) accused of murdering her husband. Machado-Graner completely dominates the film's second half, anchoring intense courtroom interrogations with extraordinary precision, musical talent, and raw vulnerability. His breathtaking performance as a blind witness forced to choose between doubt and belief earned him widespread international acclaim and numerous breakthrough performer awards.
May 23, 2023 -- The Zone of Interest (Glazer), film -- Johann Karthaus, Livia Chona & the child ensemble -- A deeply devastating, multi-Academy Award-winning historical Holocaust drama that won the Grand Prix at Cannes. While the film meticulously tracks the chillingly mundane, detached domestic paradise built by Auschwitz commandant Rudolf Höss and his wife Hedwig (Sandra Hüller) right next door to the death camp, the young ensemble of child actors—led by Johann Karthaus as Claus—provides a haunting, neorealistic focus. The children's playfulness, sudden sleepwalking anxieties, and interactions with toys or ashes in the river serve as a quiet, bone-chilling psychological investigation into how easily the human capacity for evil and compartmentalization is passed down to the next generation.
2024
January 29, 2024 -- Dìdi (Wang), film -- Izaac Wang -- A critically adored, vibrant, and deeply authentic coming-of-age comedy-drama that won the Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival. Fourteen-year-old Izaac Wang turns in a spectacular, deeply vulnerable performance as Chris Wang, a Taiwanese-American teenager navigating the awkward social minefield of the late 2000s internet era just weeks before starting high school. Wang completely dominates the screen, capturing a raw, chaotic blend of adolescent insecurity, suburban rebellion, and a heartwarming, tumultuous relationship with his immigrant mother (Joan Chen).
September 04, 2024 -- Blitz (McQueen), film -- Elliott Heffernan -- A powerful, sweeping historical wartime drama directed by Steve McQueen that served as the grand opening film of the BFI London Film Festival. In a remarkable screen debut, young Elliott Heffernan delivers a tour-de-force, emotionally charging performance as George, a 9-year-old boy evacuated from London during the terrors of the Blitz. Refusing to stay away from home, George embarks on a perilous, high-stakes journey across the bombed English countryside to reunite with his mother (Saoirse Ronan), anchoring the entire weight of the film with his expressive eyes and fierce, silent resilience.
2025
March 13, 2025 -- Adolescence (Graham/Lewis), TV miniseries -- Owen Cooper -- A monumental British psychological crime drama that made history as a masterpiece of television. Selected from over 500 auditions, newcomer Owen Cooper gives a heart-wrenching, tour-de-force performance as Jamie Miller, a 13-year-old boy thrust into a legal nightmare when he is accused of murder. Filmed in a continuous-take format, Cooper delivers what critics hailed as one of the greatest acting debuts ever recorded, displaying a staggering emotional range that won him the Primetime Emmy Award, a BAFTA, and a Golden Globe, making him the youngest male actor ever to achieve such a clean sweep.
June 20, 2025 -- 28 Years Later (Boyle), film -- Alfie Williams -- A highly anticipated, post-apocalyptic horror thriller that serves as a visceral continuation of the classic franchise. Twelve-year-old breakout actor Alfie Williams delivers an exceptionally raw, intense, and gritty performance as Spike, the resilient young son of a survivor (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) navigating a dystopian United Kingdom infested by the Rage Virus. Williams brings an astonishing physical dedication to the screen, capturing the grim reality of a child forced to skip childhood entirely to learn the brutal, high-stakes mechanics of front-line survival.
2026
February 13, 2026 -- Wuthering Heights (Fennell), film -- Owen Cooper -- A dark, atmospheric, and highly stylized gothic reimagining of Emily Brontë's literary classic directed by Emerald Fennell. Following his historic television breakthrough, young Owen Cooper stars as the Young Heathcliff during the film's crucial introductory act. Cooper commands the screen with a brooding, fiercely quiet intensity, portraying the profound alienation, silent trauma, and early romantic obsession of a young foundling brought to the Yorkshire moors, seamlessly bridging the gap to the character's older years.
April 30, 2026 -- The Magic Faraway Tree (Gregor), film -- The Child Ensemble -- A whimsical, lavishly produced British fantasy adaptation based on Enid Blyton's classic book series. While supported by a starry adult cast including Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy, the film relies entirely on the pure, imaginative energy of its child ensemble cast. The young actors deliver delightfully natural, charming performances as siblings who move to the remote English countryside and discover a magical portal tree inhabited by eccentric beings, providing a cozy, nostalgic anchor that grounds the high-tech visual effects in sincere family heart.