English summary

Well-acted psychological family drama with a faintly absurd undertone: how far will a family go to maintain its equilibrium? An apparently happy family plans to hold a family dinner in the garden of their villa. The 32-year-old Cédric still lives with his parents and his strange, inappropriate behaviour has been a source of worry for years. There’s his strange, obsessive hobbies, for instance. During dinner it is announced that his sister is expecting a baby. As waves of pure happiness ripple through the family, Cédric asks whether she can still get an abortion. In the decidedly chilly atmosphere that follows, old wounds and antagonisms surface. As the catalyst in the family, Cédric expertly exposes the cracks in the family’s relationships. When everything goes hideously wrong, both love and cruelty come to the fore.

The film makes such an impact because the director deliberately omits to give any explanation for or diagnosis of Cédric’s inappropriate behaviour. This makes the story harrowing and oppressive and refers back to the title. This strong debut by the Brussels director Antoine Cuypers can also be read as a plea for social misfits and the right to be ‘different’.