The Promise
1996 · Movie · 94 min · ★ 7.2 · 89% critics
A teenage boy helps his father run shady housing and illegal labor schemes on the outskirts of a Belgian city, where scams and exploitation are everyday business. After a workplace accident, he makes a promise to protect a vulnerable family, forcing him to choose between loyalty at home and doing what he feels is right.
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Details
- Original title
- La Promesse
- Years
- 1996
- Release date
- 1996-08-07
- Language
- French
- Runtime
- 94 min
- Critic score
- 89/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.2/10 (182 votes)
About
If you like grounded, tense dramas about conscience, family pressure, and exploitation, this should land, especially if you enjoyed Rosetta or Two Days, One Night; Not for you if you want escapist, feel-good stories.
Pros: gripping moral dilemma; raw, realistic tone; strong performances | Cons: bleak atmosphere; few light moments; uncomfortable subject matter
Themes
- parent child relationship
- moral conflict
- undocumented immigrant
- construction site
- troubled teen
- exploited immigrants
Awards & recognition
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1997
- National Society of Film Critics Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1997
- Online Film Critics Society Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1998 · nominated
- Satellite Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1998 · nominated
- César Award — Best Foreign Film · 1997 · nominated
Show all 7 awards →
- Los Angeles Film Critics Association Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1997 · nominated
- National Society of Film Critics Award — Best Foreign Language Film · 1997 · nominated
Cast & crew
Jérémie Renier
as Igor
Olivier Gourmet
as Roger
- AO
Assita Ouedraogo
as Assita
Florian Delain
as Riri
- HH
Hachemi Haddad
as Nabil
Rasmané Ouédraogo
as Amidou
Jean-Michel Balthazar
as The Labour Inspector
Frédéric Bodson
as The Garage Boss
- JD
Jean-Paul Dermont
as Muller
Alain Holtgen
as The Postman
Directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne