Growing Down

Bálint Dániel Sós' directorial debut premiered at the Berlin Film Festival and is a little gem of filmmaking, its strong black-and-white cinematography meant to be seen on the silver screen.

Sándor (Szabolcs Hajdu) is a widower with two sons 12-year-old Dénes (Ágoston Sáfrány) and his older brother Zsiga (Milan Zikkert). He hopes to build a new family with his girlfriend Klára (Anna Háy) and her daughter Sari (Zonga Jakab-Aponyi). The story begins optimistically, as Sari and Dénes celebrate their joint birthday together.

A horrific accident that Dénes does to Sari causes the fragile beginnings of the new family to crumble. Sandor's primary function to protect his son is followed by a web of guilt, secrecy and growing tension that threatens to unravel his relationship with Klara.

Growing Down brilliantly deals with the conflicting power relations between adults and children: the desire to protect them and to scold them at the same time. Szabolcs Hajdu shines as Sándor in a film that deals with the pitfalls of fatherhood.

A strong recommendation especially for fans of Espoo Ciné perennial favorite Thomas Vinterberg’s The Hunt (2013) and Netflix sensation Adolescence (2025).

Okko Huopainen