Sonny Boy

In the late 1920s, the Netherlands is a country caught between lingering prosperity and the dark clouds gathering over Europe. The bustling streets of The Hague pulse with a blend of tradition and modernity, while the looming threat of conflict hangs like an unseen timetable. Within this world, a quiet, intimate drama unfolds: a young man from Suriname arrives to study, his dark skin instantly marking him as an outsider in a society still wrestling with its colonial past. He finds lodging with a woman who, despite the expectations of her era, has already carved out a fiercely independent life.

Waldemar Nods is earnest and eager to belong, yet he constantly confronts subtle and overt discrimination that forces him to question where he fits. Across the hallway, Rika van der Lans is a mother of four, recently separated from a marriage that proved as oppressive as the society around her. She carries the weight of her children’s futures and the lingering scars of betrayal, but she also possesses a restless resilience that refuses to be silenced. Their age gap and cultural differences initially set them apart, but a shared longing for connection draws them together in a relationship that feels both daring and fragile.

The film’s tone is warm yet tense, painted with the soft, muted colors of a pre‑war Europe that feels both nostalgic and foreboding. It dwells on moments of quiet intimacy—a shared glance, a whispered promise—while the external world presses in with prejudice, bureaucracy, and the ever‑present whisper of war. The romance between Waldemar and Rika becomes a quiet rebellion against the rigid expectations of race, class, and motherhood.

As their bond deepens, the couple discovers that love brings its own complications, especially when Rika learns she is pregnant. The news introduces a new layer of uncertainty, forcing both to confront personal hopes and societal constraints. Their story, set against a backdrop of an evolving nation, teeters between hope and dread, inviting the audience to wonder how far two determined hearts can go when the world around them is set to change forever.

Last Updated: November 25, 2025 at 14:54