The films you need to watch in 2019

If movies from the Benelux teach us one thing, it is that you do not have to head to Los Angeles for great cinema. In this Hollywood by the North Sea, many talented actors and directors create silver screen artworks in a variety of genres. Do not just take our word for it though, go to the cinema this year to enjoy these local masterpieces yourself.

The Queen’s Corgi

The Belgian animation industry is bigger than ever. With talents like director Ben Stassen in their midst, the little nation of beer produces amazing animation features. Though Stassen’s last blockbuster, Son of Bigfoot, is only two years old, he is ready to take us on a new adventure; to Buckingham Palace this time. Rex is the beloved corgi of the British Queen. As cute as he is at first sight, he is mischievous the minute you turn your back. When he gets lost in the suburbs, far away from his royal home, the dog is up for a big adventure. Though the production is Belgian, British stars like Julie Walters, Jack Whitehall and Matt Lucas perform most of the voice work.
In cinemas February 2019

Bloody Marie

The life of formerly successful comic book writer Marie Wankelmut has reached rock bottom. Nowadays drunk and bold, she stumbles from one conflict into the next in Amsterdam’s Red Light District, where she lives. When something gruesome happens to one of her neighbours, she has to take control of her own life again. This contemporary drama is quirky and raw with a strong anti-hero in the centre. German actress Susanne Wolff plays the title role, surrounded by Dutch as well as Belgian actors.
In cinemas February 2019

The Barefoot Emperor

With The Barefoot Emperor, directors-couple Peter Brosens and Jessica Woodworth continue the story they rolled out in their previous picture, King of the Belgians (2016), which told the story of the fictional Belgian King Nicolas III who illegally fled from Istanbul to Belgium upon hearing Wallonia had declared independence. In the sequel, he wakes up from a coma in a Croatian sanatorium, just to hear that all of Europe has fallen apart. The absurdity increases when Nicolas is crowned the first emperor of ‘Nova Europa’. Flemish actor Peter Van Den Begin once again incarnates as the determined yet confused King who is driven by devotion to his nation.
In cinemas April 2019

Baantjer: Het Begin

Amsterdam’s inspector De Cock is a monument in the Netherlands. The character from the Apie Baantjer books became famous because of the series about him, Baantjer. In 2006, the show finished after 12 successful seasons. Today, De Cock makes his comeback on the big screen with a prequel. It is 1980 and the inspector and his assistant Montijn are stationed in a suburb of Amsterdam. When a seemingly ordain murder lets them discover a planned attack during Princess Beatrix’s coronation, De Cock fights against the clock to prevent it. Waldemar Torenstra and Tygo Gernandt play the dynamic duo in their most important case ever.
In cinemas April 2019

Torpedo

As the first Belgian submarine movie, Torpedo is a milestone in the country’s film history. The story is set during the Second World War and follows a team of Belgian rebels who kidnap a German submarine with Plutonium to bring it to New York. But that is not as easy as expected. With Koen De Bouw, Sven De Ridder, Joren Seldeslachts and Vic Dewachter on board, director Sven Huybrechts filled his boat with Belgium’s finest. Last year, renowned Danish director Thomas Vinterberg came to Belgium as well, to shoot his submarine film, Kursk. The AED-studio in Antwerp has one of Europe’s biggest underwater studios.
In cinemas October 2019

Bastaard

In the last decennium, Flanders has produced many chilling thrillers, like The Memory of a Killer and The Loft. This year, Bastaard will continue this legacy. After the death of his brother, the family of 17-year-old Daan is left broken. Then, two years later, by a strange turn of events, the homeless teenager Radja joins the family, and Daan feels something is off. The further he digs into the boy’s past, the more unsettling his discoveries get. The cast of Bastaard is a mix of Flanders’ greatest, like Koen De Bouw and Tine Reymer, along with young blood, such as Spencer Bogaert and Bjarne Devolder.
In cinemas in 2019

Last edited: 16 January 2020