Quartile rating: 7.5/10 · 1 rating
A young cattle farmer is approached by an unscrupulous veterinarian to make a shady deal with a notorious beef trader.
Bullhead is a harrowing Belgian debut that stands apart through its deeply specific Flemish milieu and Michael R. Roskam's unflinching portrayal of masculinity, trauma, and hormonal corruption. Matthias Schoenaerts delivers a physically and emotionally overwhelming performance, making the lead role one of the decade's most striking screen presences. The film's novelty lies in its singular fusion of rural crime drama with a visceral psychological portrait of stunted development — a genuinely one-of-a-kind conception. Cinematography is competent and appropriately bleak but not especially distinctive. The plot, while original in premise, occasionally struggles with its thriller mechanics alongside the character study. The ending is emotionally resonant but somewhat predictable in its tragic trajectory.