MesmeroWatch list, 0 saved

Movie
Poster for The Stolen Children

The Stolen Children

1992 · 116 min

A quiet, heartbreaking journey through Italy that slowly builds a fragile bond between a lonely man and two damaged children.

Overview
Antonio, a policeman (carabiniere), has an order to take two children (Rosetta and her brother Luciano) from Milan to Sicily to an orphanage. Their mother has been arrested for forcing Rosetta (11 years old) to work as a prostitute. First the relation between Antonio and the children is tough, but it relaxes so they become temporary friends.
Rent or buy in the UK
  • Amazon Video
  • YouTube
More options Data from JustWatch
In your watch list

How it feels

Written by AI. It can be wrong.

Tone
  • melancholicstrength 3 of 3
  • earneststrength 2 of 3
  • tensestrength 1 of 3
  • warmstrength 1 of 3
Pacing
slow-burn, 1 of 4, from slow-burn to relentless
Attention
engaged, 3 of 4, from background-friendly to demanding
Themes
  • isolation
  • family
  • trauma
  • class
  • redemption
Places
  • road trip
  • big city
  • countryside
Era
contemporary
Audience
adult
Form
  • nonlinear
Content intensity
  • Gore none
  • Language mild
  • Violence mild
  • Sex mild
All scales, 0 to 10
Scales, 0 to 10
ScaleValue0 to 10
Action1
Horror0
Humour2
Realism9
Romance0
Tension4
Darkness7
Complexity6
Emotional weight8

More like this

Titles like The Stolen Children

Movie

Nobody Knows

2004

A quietly devastating immersion into childhood neglect, where everyday details accumulate into heartbreak.

Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about isolation and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • isolation
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
141 min
Details In your watch list
Nobody KnowsHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Italian

2005

A quietly gripping, heartfelt journey through a harsh world, anchored by a child's determined hope.

Melancholic, earnest · about isolation and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • isolation
  • family
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
90 min
Details In your watch list
The ItalianHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Paris, Texas

1984

A quiet, wandering journey through loss and half-remembered love that slowly opens into aching tenderness and regret.

Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about isolation and family · nonlinear

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • isolation
  • family
  • nonlinear
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
145 min
Details In your watch list
Paris, TexasHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Children's Train

2024

A tender, bittersweet coming-of-age story steeped in postwar poverty, carried by small heartbreaks and quiet acts of love.

Melancholic, earnest · about family and class

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • family
  • class
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
106 min
Details In your watch list
The Children's TrainHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Best of Youth

2003

A sweeping, deeply human epic that immerses you in decades of family life, history, and quiet heartbreak, rewarding patience with profound emotional resonance.

Same writer: Sandro Petraglia · Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about family and redemption · nonlinear

Also
Same writer: Sandro Petraglia
Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • family
  • redemption
  • nonlinear
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
367 min
Details In your watch list
The Best of YouthHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

La Strada

1954

A quiet, heartbreaking journey through loneliness and cruelty, with moments of fragile beauty that linger long after.

Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about isolation and redemption · nonlinear

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • isolation
  • redemption
  • nonlinear
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
115 min
Details In your watch list
La StradaHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Lion

2015

A deeply moving journey of loss and reunion, blending heartbreak with hope and stunning visuals.

Melancholic, earnest · about isolation and family · nonlinear

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • isolation
  • family
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
118 min
Details In your watch list
LionHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Bicycle Thieves

1948

A quiet, aching trudge through a city that offers no mercy, watching a father's dignity erode while his son watches.

Melancholic · about family and class

Via
  • melancholic
  • family
  • class
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
89 min
Details In your watch list
Bicycle ThievesHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

System Crasher

2019

A raw, immersive plunge into a child's rage and longing, leaving you shaken and heartsore.

Melancholic, earnest · about isolation and family · nonlinear

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • isolation
  • family
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
demanding
Runtime
118 min
Details In your watch list
System CrasherHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

The Quiet Girl

2022

A hushed, tender immersion into a child's quiet world, where small kindnesses and unspoken sorrows accumulate into a devastating emotional ache.

Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about isolation and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • isolation
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
demanding
Runtime
95 min
Details In your watch list
The Quiet GirlHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Leeway

A quiet, watchful drift through city waterways, carrying a low hum of unease and tenderness.

Melancholic, earnest, slow-burn · about isolation and family

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • isolation
  • family
Pacing
slow-burn
Attention
engaged
Runtime
19 min
Details In your watch list
LeewayHidden from your suggestions.
Movie

Nights of Cabiria

1957

A bittersweet, episodic journey that balances moments of joy and cruelty, anchored by a luminous performance that leaves you aching and hopeful.

Melancholic, earnest · about isolation and class · nonlinear

Via
  • melancholic
  • earnest
  • isolation
  • class
  • nonlinear
Pacing
measured
Attention
engaged
Runtime
110 min
Details In your watch list
Nights of CabiriaHidden from your suggestions.

Where to watch in the UK

Rent or buy
  • Amazon Video
  • YouTube

Streaming data from JustWatch.All options on TMDB

Details

Genres
drama
Directed by
Gianni Amelio
Written by
Sandro Petraglia, Stefano Rulli, Gianni Amelio, Giorgia Cecere
Starring
Enrico Lo Verso, Valentina Scalici, Giuseppe Ieracitano, Marina Golovine, Florence Darel, Vitalba Andrea, Massimo De Lorenzo, Renato Carpentieri
Music
Franco Piersanti
Cinematography
Tonino Nardi, Renato Tafuri
Runtime
116 min
Country
Italy, France, Switzerland
Languages
French, Italian

TMDBIMDbLetterboxdWikipediaWikidata