The best Dutch film of the year is finally on Netflix

Choosing a movie can sometimes be just as difficult as deciding on your vacation destination. We quickly look at international options, preferably as far away as possible. As a result, we almost forget that the most beautiful gems are sometimes just very close to home. ‘For the Girls’ is seen as one of the best Dutch films of the year, and you can watch it on Netflix since this weekend. Get comfortable, because it hits hard. But believe us: you want to see this.

What is For the Girls about?

The friendly couples Anouk (Thekla Reuten) and Danny (Fedja van Huêt) and Gwen (Noortje Herlaar) and Erik (Valentijn Dhaenens) have a vacation home in Austria together. Every year they spend time there, along with their daughters Elise (Frédérique van Baarsen) and Madelon (Rosa van Leeuwen), in the mountains — just like this year. But when the teenagers get involved in a serious accident, the seemingly close friendship of their parents suddenly comes under enormous pressure. Elise is in serious condition, while Madelon seems almost unscathed. The parents try to support each other, but that becomes increasingly difficult when Madelon's condition also worsens.

Then the unthinkable happens: only one of the girls can be saved. What was once a close bond turns into a ruthless struggle where despair, guilt, and manipulation take over. Everything revolves around that one, all-determining question: how far would you go for your child?

The book behind For the Girls

For this bizarre scenario, director Mike van Diem was inspired by the book ‘We do what we can’ by Lykele Muus. The writer was initially working on a film adaptation himself, but that script was rejected. With Van Diem, it was a hit: he got the space to shape the story to his own liking. But only after he had extensively consulted with Muus and gone through almost every word from the book.

For those who have already read the novel and think: I know this story — think again. A lot has been adjusted. For example, the story in the film no longer takes place in Zeeland, but in the mountains of Austria. So surprise guaranteed. It seems terrifying to hand over your ‘baby’ as a writer, but that fear turned out to be worth it. Muus himself called the film insane and the creators heroes; and we can certainly trust his critical eye.

The creator and cast of For the Girls

With Mike van Diem at the helm, you could have known that this would not be an ordinary film film. After all, he is one of the few Dutch directors who ever won an Oscar and knows better than anyone how to build a story that sticks. What also helps: a rock-solid cast.

With Thekla Reuten, Fedja van Huêt, Noortje Herlaar, and Valentijn Dhaenens, Van Diem could lean on heaps of experience — and you can see that. The despair and frustration of the parents are so palpable that you sometimes almost forget you are watching a film. It is no surprise that the first five-star reviews quickly followed, along with the awards.

A shower of awards for For the Girls

‘For the Girls’ was this year's opening film of the Netherlands Film Festival, and it didn't leave empty-handed. The film won three Golden Calves: for Best Feature Film, Best Screenplay, and Best Lead Role for Thekla Reuten. And it didn't stop there. The film also won awards outside the Netherlands, including the award for Best Director for Mike van Diem at the Warsaw Film Festival in Poland. Proof that this film should not be missed on your watchlist, right?

Why you want to see this film

‘For the Girls’ pulls you into the story from the very first scene. It is sometimes so bizarre and the parents' dilemma so hopeless that you simply have to know how this ends. The cast carries the film effortlessly and pulls you into their world. And when the credits start to roll, you are not immediately ready to step out.

This is the kind of film that you will keep thinking about — don't worry, it's not heavy, but certainly not a standard watch. Those awards and rave reviews don't come out of nowhere. And that number one position on Netflix? The film will probably not let go of it anytime soon. Nothing to do tonight? Then you know what to watch now. Trust us: you won't regret it.

Source: Dutch Filmworks