Playground

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Wayne K School is, for many of us, a mundane and unremarkable part of our lives that we go through simply because we have to. For others, it’s a living Hell. Playground is a combination of the 2, with the dull routine of classwork and timetables mixed in with the anxiety of mingling with fellow students, who either make it clear that they’re not your friend, or simply pretend to be when it suits them. Filming events from the low angle brings us as close to the action and mentality of the child characters as possible, and despite their lack of acting experience the kids playing Nora & Abel are incredible. They’re not cutesy tots there to dispense life lessons or act like adults, they’re actual kids who can be nasty, closed off and antagonistic. For much of the film we barely even see the bullies close up. They’re either shot at a distance, or their mocking voices are off screen. It’s not important what they look like. What matters is what they say and do and the impact it has. Our leads go through various stages of bullying, such as denial, withdrawal and eventually lashing out, and the story reflects the real-world tendency of the bullied to become the bully, because it gives them even the slightest feeling of strength and superiority. Its does feel longer than its 72 minutes runtime as the repetition of events borders on tedium, but the reason it works is that it doesn’t sugarcoat or overly embellish. It tells a very universal story that we can all either relate to or easily recognise, and its sparse dialogue and lack of music makes it all the more stark and realistic. Not a film for everyone, but one that’s not easily forgotten. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 05/13/25 Full Review Sandy H Shot entirely from the point of view of the six year old sister, the film attains its power from the ability of the audience to see her learn the cruelty of the school yard and the inaccessibility of the adults, no matter how sympathetic they are. In its quiet way, PLAYGROUND reveals how power relationships shape and isolate human beings. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/24/24 Full Review Cody H This film shows the beauty of simplicity in story writing, nonetheless covered in a coating of an intense deep rollercoaster of thoughts and emotions. Many can relate to its topic of bullying. Where lay the boundaries of friendship, loyalty, protection, siblingship. A story that feels realistic and understandable in every way. The entire film is happening at just one location, the playground (school). The amazing acting and realistic dialogue make it feel like you are watching a documentary instead of a feature film. A well deserved Oscar! Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 09/01/24 Full Review Jim P I am an ex-teacher in 🇬🇧, and I have to say…. Superb! Bravo!! Rated 4.5/5 Stars •  Rated 4.5 out of 5 stars 07/18/24 Full Review elana k I just got tired of looking at the adorable child's face. Rated 2.5/5 Stars •  Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars 12/30/23 Full Review Jason R I think this is our first Belgian film - in fact it even might be our first Belgian anything! I know this exists but that's as far as it goes for me - I'm assuming at least some of it is set in a playground. Yup - a playground is definitely involved. We basically follow Nora around as she starts school - unsure at first, but slowly gaining confidence and friends as she finds her feet. Unfortunately, her older brother Abel isn't having a great time of it with bullies and Nora's sense of injustice is fired up. But her best efforts to fix things, unsurprisingly, don't have the desired effect. It's all far too believable and at times you do despair, but it does manage to come up with a good ending which doesn't tie things up nicely but does offer some hope. The film REALLY focuses on Nora so it's going to live or die on Maya Vanderbeque's performance and, as The Guardian says, she is indeed brilliant in this - it would be an impressive performance at any age and she absolutely nails it. Günter Duret is also good as Abel (her brother) in a pretty unflattering role, with him and Maya displaying many aspects of a sibling relationship well. Also worth of a mention are Karim Leklou as her dad (who Wikipedia tells me is named Finnegan for no obvious reason) and Laura Verlinden as Mme Agnes (her teacher) who portray different aspects of adult helplessness - but my major take away was that her dad really should have taught her to tie her laces before she went to school! The film captures the randomness and unfairness of bullying accurately and the (sometimes unintentional) cruelty of children, but also the innocence and joy of play. It's also absolutely heartbreaking at times - from the perspective of the children, the parents and the teachers because there's obviously no easy answer to these things. And, as The Guardian says, it is indeed a short, intense film - 72 minutes! The film's direction (Laura Wandel, with her debut) is well thought out with most of the film taking place at Nora's level which is very effective (we either only see the waistline of adults or they have to bend down to join the shot) and the use of sound is also impressive with random school noises contrasting well with some very effective silence or whispers. It's also interesting that French title is "a world" because it really gives you impression that school is Nora's world. I really liked this film - it's well put together and really pulls at your emotions with a stunning central performance (and there's no absolutely no danger of it outstaying its welcome). So it's a strong recommendation from me - at time of writing it's available to rent in all the usual places. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 11/28/23 Full Review Read all reviews

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