A fictional portrait of a future dictator’s unsettling childhood in post-WWI Europe

Cultures · Published 10 October 2026 Swipe more like this →

In short: In his 2015 directorial debut, Brady Corbet explores the origins of an authoritarian leader through the lens of a troubled American boy living in France. Loosely inspired by Jean-Paul Sartre, the film weaves a dark, psychological tapestry of domestic dysfunction that mirrors the rise of fascism after the Great War.

The film follows Prescott, a young boy living in the French countryside in 1919 with his American diplomat father and German-born mother. As his father navigates the complex negotiations of the Treaty of Versailles, Prescott descends into a series of increasingly violent tantrums. These outbursts, ranging from physical assaults on his mother to a disturbing sexual encounter with his tutor, serve as the foundation for his eventual transformation into a cold, authoritarian military leader.

Director Brady Corbet, who co-wrote the script with Mona Fastvold, intentionally avoids identifying Prescott as a specific historical figure like Hitler or Mussolini. Instead, the narrative functions as an amalgamation of dictatorial archetypes. The film’s atmosphere is heavily influenced by the works of directors such as Robert Bresson and Stanley Kubrick, utilizing a nerve-wracking orchestral score by Scott Walker to heighten the sense of dread. The production itself was an international effort, filmed in Budapest in early 2015.

Critical reception has been largely positive, with Rotten Tomatoes reporting a 90% approval rating from 66 critics. While some reviewers, such as Deborah Young, found the film emotionally detached, others praised its bold, enigmatic style. The film’s climax reveals an adult Prescott who bears a striking resemblance to Charles Marker, a family friend and his biological father. This final transition underscores the film's central theme: the terrifying, often mundane domestic origins of power and the dark trajectory of a life shaped by trauma and isolation.

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