Top 6 Movies to Watch with Your Dad

We have heard from the intimate reflections of a housewife in our Mother’s Day feature – what about the stories of dads? Though ever so present in our lives, the personal, private lives of our fathers often remain a mystery to us, who only see them as strong, reliable (sometimes secretive) dads before we see them as the men they are beyond fatherhood.

As family dynamics evolve over the decades, the role of a father has also experienced many changes. To explore the complexities behind fatherhood this Father’s Day, Team CinemaWorld has specially picked 6 movies that depict their many struggles and triumphs.

A SON (2019)

France/Tunisia/Lebanon/Qatar

A Son was one of the contenders at CinemaWorld’s first Singapore film screening event after a 5-year hiatus – Against All Odds: A Mystery Film Screening. Though it lost the majority’s vote, A Son is now available on CinemaWorld.

During what was meant to be a fun, family holiday in Tunisia, 10-year-old son Aziz is shot during a terrorist ambush that leaves his parents, Fares and Meriem, distraught. At the hospital where Aziz is in desperate need of a liver transplant, however, the family discovers a long-buried secret that threatens to tear them apart.

More than an intimate tale about a family wrought by personal and social crises, Mehdi M. Barsaoui’s debut feature simultaneously facilitates as a sociopolitical commentary that blurs family with nation. 

 

BRADO (2022)

Italy

Critically acclaimed and multi-award winning (Cannes, Golden Globe Italy) director Kim Rossi Stuart’s Brado is a touching yet powerful story between an estranged father-son duo, who  find themselves reunited when the father needs help running the family ranch after an injury. As they train a rebellious horse for a cross-country race, the pair attempt to mend their fractured relationship. 

A change from the contemporary Italian filmscape, Brado features a western film aesthetic with inspirations for its character from antiheroes of American frontier cinema. Showcasing a series of beautiful night-time sequences paired with acoustic guitar and violin-based music, Brado is an artistically unique film that is sure to appeal to all audiences. 

 

MAN AND A BABY (2017)

Finland

In this Finnish blockbuster comedy, Antti finds himself left alone with his newborn baby after the biological mother, Pia, walks out on them after deciding that motherhood is not for her. The clueless single dad must do his best to navigate a "women's world" as he cares for his child.

Witty in its approach to the difficulties of fatherhood, Man and a Baby is bound to make you laugh while shedding light on the common ways dads may struggle to fit in when they take on traditionally maternal roles of parenthood. 

 

THREE TIMES NOTHING (2022)

France

When three homeless men strike the lottery, their hopes for a better chance at life are quickly crushed when retrieving their winnings seems impossible. 

Brindille (played by Canadian actor Antoine Bertrand) is one of the three men in this touching French comedy, struggling to get up on his own two feet. His desperation to succeed is soon revealed to be driven by his love for his daughter, whom he had abandoned years ago after being thrown into debt. 

Through bouts of bittersweet laughter and tears, the 2022 French comedy Three Times Nothing unveils the hidden but prevalent social injustices faced by individuals living on the margins. 

 

SLEEPLESS NIGHT (2011)

France/Belgium/Luxembourg

Vincent’s cover is blown — the criminal underworld discovers that he is a cop when he and his partner are caught stealing cocaine from a powerful drug dealer. In retaliation, they abduct Vincent’s son, threatening to kill him if Vincent does not hand over the loot. 

“Like a classic Jackie Chan martial arts movie…” (Roger Ebert), Sleepless Night is a French thriller classic remade countless times, even in Hollywood and Bollywood. Get caught up in the high octane action with Vincent speeding down the streets of Paris, gambling against time and his son’s life.

 

THE SALVATION OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT (2021)

Germany

The Salvation of the World as We Know It follows 18-year-old Paul (Emilio Sakraya) who on his path of self-discovery as he navigates life in a psychiatric center after a suicide attempt. His father, Hardy (Til Schweiger) is faced with his own challenges as he tries to support his son’s recovery.

This heartfelt 2021 German comedy-drama explores the effects on mental illness on both the individual and their loved ones. In a bitter-sweet tug-of-war between familial love and difficulties of caring for a child with a mental illness, Hardy needs to confront the realities of having a bipolar son.

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Spend some time with your dad and catch one (or more) of the films on CinemaWorld today!

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