MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for The Misfortunates

The Misfortunates

2009 · 108 min

A bittersweet, boozy trawl through a chaotic family, funny and tender but shadowed by the pull of repeating the past.

Genres
Drama, Comedy
Overview
13-year-old Gunther Strobbe grows up surrounded by alcohol, trash and his completely useless father and uncles. Slowly but surely, he's being prepared for the same hapless life. Can he defy his destiny?

Your rating is saved. See your suggestions, or find titles like this one below.

Rate it, and Mesmero finds titles that feel like it. You do not need an account.

Search YouTube for a trailer

Add to a list: The Misfortunates

You have no lists yet. Name one, and this title goes into it.

All your lists

In the USNot loaded yet.
Genres
Drama, Comedy
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • melancholicstrength 2 of 3
  • warmstrength 2 of 3
  • absurdstrength 2 of 3
  • darkstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
measured, 2 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • family
  • addiction
  • coming-of-age
  • parenthood
  • class
Places
  • small town
  • home
Era
period
Audience
adult
Form
  • nonlinear
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language strong
  • Violence mild
  • Sex strong
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action2
Horror1
Humour7
Realism8
Romance3
Tension3
Darkness6
Complexity5
Emotional weight7

More like this

Titles like The Misfortunates

TV series

Shameless

2011–2021

A chaotic, funny, and heartbreaking look at a family scraping by, mixing outrageous schemes with genuine warmth and grit.

Warm, absurd · about family and addiction

Via
  • warm
  • absurd
  • family
  • addiction
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Seasons
11
Details
ShamelessHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Boy

2010

A bittersweet, funny, and tender coming-of-age story with quirky charm and heartfelt moments.

Melancholic, warm · about family and coming-of-age · nonlinear

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • coming-of-age
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
88 min
Details
BoyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Beautiful Boy

2018

A raw, heartbreaking plunge into a family's struggle with addiction, anchored by powerful performances and a relentless emotional pull.

Same director: Felix van Groeningen · Melancholic · about family and addiction · nonlinear

Also
Same director: Felix van Groeningen
Via
  • melancholic
  • family
  • addiction
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
121 min
Details
Beautiful BoyHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Confirmation

2016

A gentle, bittersweet weekend journey that finds quiet humor and heart in a father-son search.

Melancholic, warm · about family and coming-of-age

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • coming-of-age
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
101 min
Details
The ConfirmationHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Father's Day

2026

A bittersweet, quietly funny look at damaged people trying to connect, mixing wry humour with genuine emotional ache.

Melancholic · about family and addiction

Via
  • melancholic
  • family
  • addiction
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Details
Father's DayHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Wildflower

2023

A bittersweet, warm-hearted coming-of-age story that balances family chaos with genuine affection and a touch of heartache.

Melancholic, warm · about family and coming-of-age · nonlinear

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • coming-of-age
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
105 min
Details
WildflowerHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The First Beautiful Thing

2010

A bittersweet, sun-dappled memory piece that drifts between laughter and regret, leaving a lingering ache of family love.

Melancholic, warm · about family and parenthood · nonlinear

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • parenthood
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
122 min
Details
The First Beautiful ThingHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Gaspard at the Wedding

2018

A wry, tender family comedy that ambles through awkward reunions and zoo animals toward a bittersweet letting-go.

Melancholic, warm · about family and coming-of-age

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • coming-of-age
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
103 min
Details
Gaspard at the WeddingHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

All About Me

2018

A gentle, bittersweet coming-of-age portrait that balances childhood comedy with quiet grief, leaving you moved rather than shaken.

Melancholic, warm · about family and coming-of-age

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • coming-of-age
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
100 min
Details
All About MeHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Club Kid

2026

A messy, funny-sad character study about a man forced to grow up, mixing party-scene chaos with tender father-son moments.

About family and addiction

Via
  • family
  • addiction
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
121 min
Details
Club KidHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Parents

2020

A wry, unsettling family portrait that blurs fact and fiction, leaving you amused and uneasy in equal measure.

Melancholic, absurd · about family and coming-of-age · nonlinear

Via
  • melancholic
  • absurd
  • family
  • coming-of-age
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
96 min
Details
ParentsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Wah-Wah

2005

A bittersweet, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age story with sharp wit and raw emotion, set against a fading colonial backdrop.

Melancholic, warm · about family and addiction · nonlinear

Via
  • melancholic
  • warm
  • family
  • addiction
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
120 min
Details
Wah-WahHidden from your suggestions.

Cast

Where to watch in the US

Change country

We have not loaded where to watch in the US for this title yet. Check again in a day or two.

Streaming data from JustWatch.TMDB

Details

Genres
drama, comedy
Directed by
Felix van Groeningen
Written by
Christophe Dirickx, Dimitri Verhulst, Felix van Groeningen
Starring
Kenneth Vanbaeden, Valentijn Dhaenens, Koen De Graeve, Wouter Hendrickx, Johan Heldenbergh, Bert Haelvoet, Gilda De Bal, Natali Broods
Music
Jef Neve
Cinematography
Ruben Impens
Runtime
108 min
Country
Belgium, Netherlands
Languages
Dutch

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata

Something wrong on this page? Tell us.