Kind (2025) by Jan Verdijk: The Dark Side of Parental Desperation

Short Summary: A Desperate Search for Control "Kind" is a psychological thriller that follows a couple, Leon and Jaimy, who, after a devastating miscarriage, seek an alternative path to parenthood when they learn their unborn child has a growth abnormality. Their journey takes a terrifying turn as they fall under the spell of a charismatic holistic midwife, who pushes them towards increasingly extreme and dangerous rituals, blurring the lines between alternative medicine and psychological manipulation.

Link IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt31030648/

Link Review: https://cinemagazine.nl/kind-2025-recensie/

About movie: https://janverdijk.nl/

Link to watch: https://picl.nl/films/kind (Netherlands)

Detailed Summary: When Hope Becomes a Nightmare "Kind" is a Dutch psychological thriller that delves into the emotional and psychological depths of a couple grappling with loss and the desperate desire for a "healthy" child. Following a miscarriage, Jaimy and Leon are devastated. When Jaimy becomes pregnant again but the fetus is diagnosed with a rare growth disorder, they seek help from a holistic midwife named Nicole. What begins as a gentle, alternative approach quickly escalates into a series of unsettling and life-threatening rituals, testing the couple's sanity, their relationship, and their grip on reality.

Plot Summary: The Slippery Slope to Ritualistic Horror

• The Loss: Leon and Jaimy suffer a heartbreaking miscarriage, leaving them with an intense grief and a desperate longing for a child.

• The Second Chance: A new pregnancy brings hope, but it's quickly clouded by the discovery of a rare growth abnormality in their unborn baby.

• The Alternative Path: A nurse hands Jaimy a brochure for "Mothers of Nature," and they are soon introduced to Nicole, a holistic midwife who promises to ensure the baby's health through natural remedies.

• Escalating Rituals: Nicole's treatments become progressively more extreme. Leon, in his desperation, becomes a devout follower, while Jaimy grows increasingly skeptical and fearful.

• The Climax: The third act culminates in a terrifying ritual, pushing the boundaries of body horror and forcing the couple to confront the true cost of their desperate choices.

Director's Vision: The Horror of Human Desperation Jan Verdijk, known for his award-winning short films, brings a specific vision to his feature debut. His goal is not to create a shock-horror film with cheap scares, but rather a psychological horror that explores the deeply human desire for control in a world that is often uncontrollable. Verdijk draws on his own personal experience with miscarriages, giving the film an authentic and emotional weight. He uses a calm and controlled style to create an unsettling atmosphere, allowing the horror to build slowly and insidiously, often using subtle visual and auditory cues to reflect the characters' crumbling sanity.

Themes (use bullets, detail with text after bullets): The Perils of Control and Grief

• The Quest for Control: The central theme of "Kind" is the human desire to control uncontrollable events. Leon's obsession with following Nicole's rituals stems from his inability to accept the fate of his unborn child, leading him down a dangerous path.

• Grief and Desperation: The film masterfully portrays the raw and quiet grief of a couple who have lost a child. This grief is the engine that drives them toward the alternative treatments, making their descent into madness all the more tragic and understandable.

• The Erosion of the Relationship: The couple's different responses to Nicole's methods—Leon's embrace and Jaimy's skepticism—create a chasm between them. The film explores how external pressures and differing belief systems can isolate partners from one another.

• The Dangers of Alternative Medicine: The movie critiques the darker side of the holistic and spiritual wellness industry. It shows how such practices, when taken to an extreme, can become a form of psychological manipulation and cult-like control.

Key Success Factors (use bullets, detail with text after bullets): A Genre-Bending Success

• Intelligent Storytelling: The film is praised for its meticulous and patient storytelling, allowing the tension to build slowly and deliberately. The narrative takes unexpected turns that subvert typical horror tropes.

• Strong Performances: The cast, particularly Noortje Herlaar and Vincent van der Valk as the central couple, deliver powerful and nuanced performances, making their descent into desperation feel authentic and heartbreaking.

• Atmospheric Direction: Jan Verdijk’s direction, with its carefully crafted mood and use of unsettling visuals, such as the shadowy "soul" of the deceased child, creates a pervasive sense of dread without relying on jump scares.

• Subtle Horror: The film is classified as a psychological thriller with subtle horror elements, a genre that is not common in Dutch cinema. "Kind" is considered a successful example of a high-quality, homegrown genre film.

Awards & Nominations: A Promising Debut As a new film, "Kind" is just beginning its journey. Director Jan Verdijk has previously won a Golden Calf for Best Short Film for his work on "Pantser" (2021), a highly prestigious award in Dutch cinema. His earlier short, "WILD" (2019), won a Méliès d'Or for Best European Fantastic Short at the Sitges Film Festival. Given this track record, "Kind" is positioned as a strong contender for future awards and nominations, including the Golden Calves.

Critics Reception: A Unique and Unexpected Thriller

• Filmtotaal: The review on Filmtotaal calls "Kind" a "rare genre film from our own soil" and one of the "biggest surprises of the year." The review praises the film's unexpected narrative twists and its ability to build tension without relying on "body horror." The critic notes that the film successfully breaks the trend of disappointing Dutch genre films.

• Filmkrant: Filmkrant's review, titled "The horror of powerlessness," highlights how the film is at its strongest when it "balances between the everyday and the supernatural." The critic praises Verdijk for his ability to create an unheimlich feeling within a calm, controlled style. The review concludes by stating that even if the film isn't a complete success, it makes them excited to see how Verdijk will continue to develop his unique style.

• Overall Summary: Critics have largely praised "Kind" as a compelling and well-executed psychological thriller. They note its unique approach to the genre, its patient storytelling, and its powerful performances. The film is considered a significant and promising entry into Dutch genre cinema.

Reviews: From Grief to Dread

• BLIK Journal for Audiovisual Culture: The review from BLIK describes "Kind" as a "chilling exploration of parental extremes." It highlights the film's use of "stark imagery, bold sound design, and intense performances." The review notes how the plot slowly and insidiously morphs from gentle, natural treatments to something "far more extreme and, frankly, terrifying."

• MovieMeter: The plot summary on MovieMeter states that the film follows a couple who, after a diagnosis of a growth abnormality, turn to a dubious midwife. The site emphasizes how the treatments start as "harmless alternative treatments, but end in life-threatening rituals."

• Overall Summary: Reviews emphasize the film's success in creating a creeping dread and its focus on the psychological rather than the visceral. The performances of the lead actors and the director's skillful use of atmosphere are consistently highlighted as key strengths.

Why to recommend movie: For a Unique and Thoughtful Thriller

• A Different Kind of Horror: If you're tired of predictable jump-scare horror films, "Kind" offers a more nuanced and psychologically driven experience. It builds tension through atmosphere and character development.

• Powerful Story of Grief: The movie is a poignant exploration of grief and desperation, making the horrifying events all the more tragic. It's a film that will stay with you long after the credits roll.

• A Promising New Voice: Director Jan Verdijk is a talent to watch. "Kind" is a strong feature debut that showcases a unique and mature filmmaking style.

• High-Quality Genre Film: As critics have noted, good quality Dutch genre films are rare. "Kind" is a prime example of a successful and well-crafted genre film from the Netherlands.

Movie Trend: The Rise of "Elevated Horror" "Kind" fits squarely into the "elevated horror" or "prestige horror" trend, which has gained popularity in recent years with films like "Hereditary" and "Midsommar." This trend focuses on using horror not for cheap scares, but as a vehicle to explore deeper psychological and social themes. These films often prioritize atmosphere, character study, and thematic resonance over traditional horror tropes.

Social Trend: The Wellness-to-Culty Pipeline The film taps into the social trend of a growing reliance on alternative and holistic medicine, and the sometimes-unregulated nature of this industry. It reflects the real-world anxieties about misinformation and the potential for vulnerable individuals to be exploited by charismatic figures who promise unconventional solutions to complex problems, blurring the line between seeking wellness and falling into a cult-like dynamic.

Final Verdict: A Disturbing and Compelling Debut Jan Verdijk's "Kind" is a chilling and expertly crafted psychological thriller that uses the horror genre to explore the profound themes of grief, desperation, and the human need for control. With strong performances, a masterful sense of atmosphere, and a story that takes a terrifyingly believable path, "Kind" is a standout film and a promising feature debut from a director to watch. It's a must-see for anyone who appreciates thoughtful, character-driven horror.