Rent Young Hearts (2024)
4.0 of 5 from 54 ratings
1h 39min
- General info
- Available formats
- Synopsis:
- Elias (Lou Goossens) navigates the complexities of first love when he meets confident new neighbour Alexander (Marius De Saeger). As their friendship deepens, Elias grapples with his growing feelings while fearing the reactions of those around him and pushes Alexander away. A heartfelt conversation with his grandfather about love being too precious to let skip away, inspires Elias to embrace his emotions and courageously seek to win Alexander back...
- Actors:
- Lou Goossens, Marius De Saeger, Geert Van Rampelberg, Emilie De Roo, Dirk van Dijck, Jul Goossens, Ezra Van Dongen, Olivier Englebert, Olga De Saeger, Wim Opbrouck, Florence Hebbelynck, La Diva, Saar Rogiers, Jill Malfroot, Cassie Alcendor, Samba Thiam, Sam Michiels, Marie Gevaert, Bert Dobbelaere, Stephen Harrison
- Directors:
- Anthony Schatteman
- Producers:
- Xavier Rombaut
- Writers:
- Anthony Schatteman
- Studio:
- Peccadillo Pictures
- Genres:
- Children & Family, Drama, Lesbian & Gay, Romance
- BBFC:
- Release Date:
- 17/11/2025
- Run Time:
- 99 minutes
- Languages:
- Flemish Dolby Digital 2.0, Flemish DTS 5.1, French Dolby Digital Stereo, French DTS 5.1
- Subtitles:
- English, English Hard of Hearing
- Formats:
- Pal
- Aspect Ratio:
- Widescreen 1.85:1
- Colour:
- Colour
- BLU-RAY Regions:
- B
- Bonus:
- Interviews with Anthony Schatteman, Lou Goossens, Marius De Saeger
- Short Film 'Kiss Me Softly'
- Audio Commentary
- Deleted Scenes
- Fan Art Gallery
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Reviews (1) of Young Hearts
Watchable Romantic Fantasy of Innocence of Two 13-year Old Flemish Boys - Young Hearts review by PV
OK, so bearing in mind there are only 5 or 6 million speakers of Flemish (a variant/dialect of Dutch) in the world, mostly in northern Belgium (not Brussels which is a Francophone enclave island in a sea of Flem) it is somewhat odd - actually deeply weird - that Flanders has produced two films in two years featuring 13 year old Flemish-speaking boys falling in love.
MAYBE the success of the excellent CLOSE (2022) by Lukas Dhont freed up funding for this 2024 film? The rural farm setting and concert theme matches too. Though I very much enjoyed the scenery here - it matches the Eden-like romantic innocent theme too.
If you watch the extras here, watch the 2012 short film by the director from which this story comes and I think the same actress plays the mother. The boy's a bit older, 15/16/17 yet the father is the same oompah song singer and a concert scene and some lines are identical. And there is lots and lots of cycling, as in CLOSE. Well, the roads are very flat there...
Also interesting are the interviews with the director who admits this is a Disneyfied romantic fantasy. It is - maybe why it's so popular with girls, which draw most of the fan art in the extras. Let's be frank - 13 year old boys are not sexless but sex-obsessed! Romance is far from their smutty minds...
Always a danger casting boys around that age as a voice can break during filming or between audition, casting and shooting, not to mention a growth spurt. The gamble paid off though as with CLOSE. Watch the extras to see the boys, now young men age 15, just 2 years later.
I really liked this film for the rather silly romantic fantasy it was - it could be annoyingly unrealistic actually. BUT As the director says, it is about innocence and love. not sex. Unrealistic but he says Disney films were his big influence.
Anthony Schatteman is a writer/director to watch together with Luka Dhont. if they can get funding. The Flemish film board seems better that the UK's very woke, EDI-hire, race-fixated state-funding criteria to be honest.
4 stars
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