The Childhood of a Leader

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The Childhood of a Leader

2016

1h 55m

Mystery & Thriller

History

Drama

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Popcornmeter

90%

Tomatometer

67 Reviews

54%

Popcornmeter

1,000+ Ratings

The childhood of a post-World War I leader.

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Critics Consensus

The Childhood of a Leader mirrors the rise of fascism in post-WWI Europe with a well-acted, confidently crafted look at one young man's unsettling coming of age.

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Alexandra Heller-Nicholas

The Blue Lenses

08/25/2018

While a more allegorical approach may have provided a shallower sense of satisfaction, it is the deliberate ambiguities of Childhood of a Leader that house its lasting, more enduring and inescapably disturbing impact.

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David Stratton

The Australian

03/17/2017

2.5/5

The problem with the film is that it promises more than it delivers.

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Kate Muir

The Times (UK)

10/10/2016

4/5

The Childhood of a Leader signals a fascinating new talent in art cinema: the actor Brady Corbet.

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Q.V. Hough

Vague Visages

02/20/2022

The Childhood of a Leader may not behold a traditional narrative, yet Corbet's auterist style creates a memorable visceral effect.

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Tony Black

Cultural Conversation

01/31/2021

3/5

One almost senses after watching Brady Corbet's film that to ignore its warnings could be to our peril.

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Dustin Chang

ScreenAnarchy

07/17/2020

The Childhood of a Leader owes big to its young star Tom Sweet. As a wide eyed, bratty kid, his brave performance alone will cause a string of nature vs nurture debates...

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Beks C

@beks22 Mar 8

Perfect, nuanced performances by the entire cast. The cinematography and editing choices are brilliant. Incredible performance by a child actor (Tom Sweet).

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Nicola B

@Nikkyb Dec 2

Absolutely extraordinary. Subtlety that plays on the imagination.

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Tina B

@RT29694664 02/01/2025

I wonder at what point during the filming, did any of the crew think, " this is absolute pretensious nonsense" The kis walks around the house, learning French sometimes. They talk French and English in the dark, then it ends. Terrible. Good grief

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Dani G

@RT81139271 03/24/2024

Classic example of a movie with good production design and good production values in general, but a very little engaging story.

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Gareth v

@geewah 06/22/2023

The story of how an entitled boy turns into a facist. Despite having a number of flat spots the story is compelling enough.

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Jerod S

@jeroduptown 01/29/2022

This kid's childhood sucks - but the movie sucks even worse. I get it, its a deep dive drama into the psyche of a fascist leader. Also doubles as a sleeping pill.

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The Childhood of a Leader: Trailer 1

2:04

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Synopsis

The childhood of a post-World War I leader.

Director: Brady Corbet
Producer: Chris Coen, Brady Corbet, Helena Danielsson, Antoine de Clermont-Tonnerre
Screenwriter: Brady Corbet
Distributor: IFC Films
Production Co: Filmteam, Hepp Film, Bow and Arrow Entertainment
Genre: Mystery & Thriller, History, Drama
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jul 22, 2016, Limited
Release Date (Streaming): Nov 22, 2016
Runtime: 1h 55m
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital