The Son: A Haunting Portrait of Adolescent Depression and Parental Helplessness

By Amaal Bhaloo, Contributing Author

Year: 2022 

Directed by: Florian Zeller 

Starring: Hugh Jackman, Zen McGrath, Laura Dern, Vanessa Kirby, Anthony Hopkins

What happens when love isn’t enough to pull a teen back from the edge?  In The Son, Nicholas’s depression unfolds in quiet devastation. There are missed signs, misunderstood cries for help, and a family unraveling under the weight of helplessness and guilt. Through the eyes of a father trying to fix what he cannot fully understand, the film asks painful questions about adolescent mental illness, generational trauma, and what it truly means to listen. 

Scroll down for the PsychiaTRICs Score as our psychiatrist weighs in on whether The Son offers a nuanced view of teen depression or simply overwhelms with emotion.

Synopsis: 

The Son is a raw and somber portrayal of adolescent depression through the lens of family disconnection and parental guilt. It follows Nicholas, a 17-year-old boy whose emotional decline becomes the center of gravity for his fractured family. When he moves in with his father, Peter, and his new family, the cracks in their relationship deepen, along with Peter’s limited understanding of mental illness. Despite good intentions and love, the adults around Nicholas struggle to bridge the emotional and psychological chasm separating them from his suffering. 

Key Mental Health Themes: 

Adolescent Depression 

Nicholas exhibits several concerning signs of emotional distress, including social withdrawal, hopelessness, poor academic functioning, and explicit suicidal ideation. He appears emotionally numb, disconnected from others, and unable to find pleasure or purpose in daily life. While the film avoids psychiatric labels, it presents symptoms that clinicians may recognize as depressive features in adolescents. Rather than using a diagnostic lens, the film captures the quiet and isolating nature of serious adolescent depression. 

Parental Helplessness 

Peter embodies the confused, guilt-ridden parent who believes that changing the environment and offering love should be enough. His growing realization that these efforts fall short reflects the painful truth that love alone is not a treatment for severe mental illness. His well-intentioned but emotionally clumsy attempts at connection deepen the gap between him and his son. 

Intergenerational Emotional Neglect 

A chilling scene between Peter and his own father subtly reveals the emotional neglect Peter experienced as a child. This encounter highlights how emotional attunement, or the lack of it, is often passed down across generations. Peter’s inability to fully connect with Nicholas mirrors the disconnection he endured in his own upbringing. 

Missed Warning Signs and Suicide Risk 

Perhaps the most devastating aspect of the film is its portrayal of missed warning signs. Nicholas openly says he does not want to live, writes disturbing thoughts in a notebook, and isolates himself from school and family. These behaviors are met with reassurance, environmental changes, or hopeful interpretations rather than clinical urgency. Even his brief return to seeming "okay" is tragically misread. The film underscores how cries for help in adolescents can be visible but still minimized or misunderstood, even by caring and well-intentioned adults. 

PsychiaTRICs Score: The Son 

Themes (Mental Health) – 4/5 

Why? – The film addresses adolescent depression, suicide, and family disconnection, but it sometimes flattens them into emotional moments that lack psychological depth or complexity. 

Real-Life Relevance – 5/5 

Why? – Nicholas’s presentation and his family’s response mirror what psychiatrists often see in real clinical settings. 

Impact (Emotional/Artistic) – 3/5 

Why? – The film is emotionally devastating and leaves a lasting impression, though its heavy reliance on long conversations in limited settings, slower pacing, and lack of insight into Nicholas’s inner world can make it feel emotionally distant at times. 

Clinical Reflection – 4/5  

Why? – The film captures the emotional and relational dynamics of adolescent depression with unsettling accuracy, but it offers little insight into diagnosis, treatment, or systems of care, making it more valuable for emotional reflection than clinical education. 

Final Verdict – 16/20 

Despite leaning heavily on emotional intensity, The Son delivers a solid portrayal of adolescent depression and the emotional turmoil of parenting through it.