Anchored by Matthias Schoenaerts' searing performance, Bullhead is a grim and gripping thriller with the cinematic sinew to match its domineering star's physicality. Read critic reviews
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Bullhead videos
Bullhead: Trailer 1
Bullhead Photos
Movie Info
A Flemish cattleman (Matthias Schoenaerts) is wary of going into business with a notorious dealer (Sam Louwyck) of illegal bovine-growth hormone.
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Rating: R (Some Strong Violence|Sexual Content|Language)
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Genre: Crime, Drama
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Original Language: Dutch
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Director: Michaël R. Roskam
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Producer: Bart Van Langendonck
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Writer: Michaël R. Roskam
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Release Date (Theaters): limited
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Release Date (Streaming):
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Box Office (Gross USA): $118.1K
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Runtime:
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Distributor: Drafthouse Films
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Production Co: Waterland Film & TV, Centre du Cinéma et de l'Audiovisuel de la Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Savage, Vlaams Audiovisueel Fonds, Eyeworks Film & TV Drama, Film Kitchen
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Sound Mix: Dolby Digital
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Critic Reviews for Bullhead
Audience Reviews for Bullhead
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Initially starts as an atypical gangster flick on an unusual setting, with a very bleak and confusing atmosphere but quickly transforms into a deep character study of a very flawed person. A very engaging ride that still takes a few back steps, namely the out of place humor and some weak secondary characters. Also, a better pulled ending could've helped things a bit.
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In "Bullhead," Jacky(Matthias Schoenarts) has not only been using steroids to build up his bulk, which in any case comes in handy when using less than gentle persuasion on recalcitrant customers to stay with the family beef business. Of course, they might have reason to stay away, considering the hormones that are injected into the lifestock. That also leads to a cop being killed, with David(Philippe Grand'Henry) and Christian(Erico Salamone), a couple of mechanics, given the tough job of deposing of the evidence. All of which has Diederik(Jeroen Perceval) on edge, which is no surprise considering his being a police informant. "Bullhead" is an intriguing and realistic, yet flawed, take on 'Beauty and the Beast.' That's not the only split here, as this is filmed in Belgium, a country that is divided(I had no idea there was an actual language line but apparently so) in more ways than one. Still, the Belgian hormone mafia sounds only a little more threatening than the Belgian waffle mafia. As Jacky wonders if we are only animals capable of little more than instinct or more complex beings, the movie does give him one answer by taking the story and his destiny really out of his very large hands which also works against it by removing its interesting lead character from center stage for so long.
walter m Super Reviewer -
A truly brilliant performance from Matthias Schoenarts anchors this impressive film, which has a startling back story that ties into the present, making for an immersive and original film.
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As a child, cattle farmer's son Jacky (Schoenarts) suffers an attack which renders his testicles irreparably damaged, leading him as an adult to develop an addiction to illegal growth hormones and testorone supplements. The perpetrator of the attack was never punished as the father of Jacky's best friend Diederik (Perceval) refused to allow his son give evidence against the son of a local gangster. As adults, Diederik and Jacky have separately become involved in the illegal hormone trade and are reunited, bringing back uncomfortable memories and setting Jacky off on a path of vengeance. Inexplicably, 'Bullhead' won much praise last year on the festival circuit. With it's deathly slow pace and rather crass use of flashbacks it's a struggle to stay engaged with Roskam's film. The only aspect of the movie I found interesting was the level of animosity between French and Flemish speaking Belgians. The plot is poorly developed, relying on far too many backroom meetings for the sake of exposition. Schoenarts, seen recently in 'Rust & Bone', has been winning accolades but, frankly, I'm stumped as to his appeal. Here, as in Audiard's film, he comes across as a one-note charisma vacuum.
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