The Kid with a Bike
2011 · Movie · PG-13 · 87 min · ★ 7.1 · 92% critics
After being left behind by a parent, a restless young boy clings to the one thing that still connects him to home: his bike. When a stranger offers weekend care, he keeps searching for belonging and guidance, but his anger and need make him vulnerable to the wrong influences.
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Watch free on Kanopy — also streaming on AMC+, Sundance Channel, Philo +2 more.
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Details
- Original title
- Le Gamin au vélo
- Years
- 2011
- Release date
- 2011-05-18
- Language
- French
- Rated
- PG-13
- Runtime
- 87 min
- Critic score
- 92/100
- TMDB rating
- 7.1/10 (457 votes)
About
You’ll likely enjoy this if you want a grounded, emotionally intense drama about abandonment, trust, and hard choices, in the vein of Two Days, One Night or Lorna's Silence; Not for you if you need light escapism or tidy feel-good resolutions.
Pros: powerful child performance; raw emotional realism; quietly gripping tension | Cons: some thinly drawn characters; occasionally repetitive beats; bleak subject matter
Themes
- robbery
- assault
- riding a bicycle
- redemption
- orphan
- bike
- stolen bicycle
- pardon
- denial
- criminal gang
- deadbeat dad
- acceptance
- +3 more
Awards & recognition
- Cannes Film Festival Grand Prix · 2011
- European Film Award — Best Screenwriter · 2011
- European Film Award — Best Actress · 2011 · nominated
- European Film Award — Best Director · 2011 · nominated
- European Film Award — Best Film · 2011 · nominated
Show all 6 awards →
- European Film Award — Best Screenwriter · 2011 · nominated
Cast & crew
Cécile de France
as Samantha
Thomas Doret
as Cyril
Jérémie Renier
as Guy
Fabrizio Rongione
as Le libraire
Olivier Gourmet
as The Bar Owner
Egon Di Mateo
as Wes
Baptiste Sornin
as Educateur 1
- SR
Samuel De Rijk
as Educateur 2
Myriem Akheddiou
as L'assistante médicale
Directed by Jean-Pierre Dardenne, Luc Dardenne