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No parent wants to get a call from their child’s school, asking them to come in for a meeting about their child. And when three parents are called in to meet with their sons’ teacher in the Norwegian drama Armand, the situation quickly spirals out of control.
Armand attends a meeting at an elementary school, where six-year-old Armand has been accused of crossing a frightening line with his friend, Jon. Armand’s mother, Elisabeth (Renate Reinsve), is unaware of the situation—and she feels blindsided by the meeting with Jon’s parents, Sarah and Anders (Ellen Dorrit Petersen and Endre Hellestveit). And as the parents and a trio of school officials talk through what happened—and how to move forward—it becomes clear that there’s more to the situation than just the unacceptable behavior of a young boy.
Though the meeting is about the accusation of a very serious offense—one that’s even more troubling knowing that it comes from a six-year-old—there’s definitely more at play here. Gradually, more of the story comes out—not just about what happened between the two boys but also about the parents, their relationships, and their heartbreaks. It isn’t just one boy’s word against the other’s. These parents, it turns out, aren’t just casual acquaintances whose sons are friends—and that complicates everything, adding more tension and drama to an already tense and dramatic situation.
Admittedly, this film can, at times, be off-putting. Norwegian filmmakers have a gift for throwing audiences off—for inserting seemingly incongruent elements into the story. Here, serious conversations are interrupted by the school nurse’s random nosebleeds—or by Elisabeth dancing with the janitor in the halls. It’s strange and sometimes confusing—especially if you’re not used to it—but it just adds to the underlying chaos and confusion of the characters and their story.
As the school’s staff tries to figure out how to handle the meeting, word gets out, and everything gets caught up in the added complications of school gossip and public opinion—and maybe some bias, too. It’s definitely a wild ride—one that sometimes feels awkward and uneven—but it tells a complex story about grief, guilt, and parenting.
Armand definitely isn’t a film that will appeal to mainstream audiences. It’s strange and sometimes off-putting—and, unfortunately, it crumbles a bit in the end. But it’s an intriguing debut film that’s sure to keep audiences guessing.
You can join the meeting with these parents and teachers when Armand comes to select theaters beginning on February 7, 2025.
Listen to the review on Reel Discovery:
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