---
title: "Capernaum"
year: 2018
kind: "film"
canonical: "https://film.one/film/capernaum"
fi1m_id: "capernaum"
imdb_id: "tt8267604"
tmdb_id: 517814
wikidata_id: "Q51803319"
fi1m_score: 80
critics_score: 76
critics_reviews: 12
published: "2026-09-15"
updated: "2026-09-18T08:38:33.309389+00:00"
region: "US"
licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL."
---

# Capernaum (2018)

Directed by Nadine Labaki · 2h 06m · Drama

## Identity

Capernaum

- **Canonical:** https://film.one/film/capernaum
- **Type:** Film
- **Fi1m ID:** capernaum
- **IMDb ID:** tt8267604
- **TMDB ID:** 517814
- **Wikidata ID:** Q51803319
- **Same entity:** https://www.imdb.com/title/tt8267604/, https://www.themoviedb.org/movie/517814, https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q51803319

**Fi1m score: 80** · Critics 76 from 12 reviews

*In a sentence:* A boy and a baby suggest the adults could do with some supervision

> Nadine Labaki’s *Capernaum* is moving, angry and worth the discomfort, led by a remarkable Zain Al Rafeea. The courtroom scenes press too hard, but his care for a baby gives this drama its tenderness.

## Synopsis

In Beirut, a boy called Zain (Zain Al Rafeea) brings a case against his parents. The court proceedings frame an account of his life among children and adults dealing with poverty, neglect and the risks of living without official documents. Away from the courtroom, Zain navigates the streets and takes on the care of a baby, Yonas (Boluwatife Treasure Bankole). Along the way, he encounters kindness as well as people prepared to exploit those with few ways to protect themselves. Nadine Labaki directs this drama about children, migrants and the responsibilities adults place on the young.

## Review

*Capernaum* is a difficult film that we recommend, with one substantial reservation: it keeps telling us what its children have already shown us. Nadine Labaki builds the story around a boy taking his parents to court, then looks back at his life on Beirut’s streets. It is a pointed way to introduce neglect, and an awkward one, since a court case asks for a neat account of who is to blame. The scenes outside court are convincing enough to make that framing feel unnecessary.

Zain Al Rafeea plays Zain with anger that feels like a practical response to his circumstances. There is resilience here, but little of the reassuring pluck that can make films about poor children so comfortable to watch. We believe that this boy has had to learn how adults behave, and that he has found little reason to be impressed. Labaki lets his force of personality carry scenes that might otherwise leave him looking merely helpless. He gives us someone to follow through the city.

The passages with Yonas, played by Boluwatife Treasure Bankole, justify that trust. Watching Zain take responsibility for a baby moved us more than we expected. The size of that responsibility is clear without a speech: one child is trying to provide the care another needs. There is humour in their company, too, and Labaki makes room for it without pretending their circumstances have improved. These scenes give us time to care about the children beyond wishing that somebody would rescue them.

Christopher Aoun’s cinematography gives the street scenes enough shape for their bustle to remain readable. That clarity helps us stay with Zain rather than simply register a mass of hardship. The care in the compositions occasionally draws attention to itself, but the children keep bringing us back to what they need from each other. The streets feel like places where people have lives beyond the events we are watching.

Editors Konstantin Bock and Laure Gardette have a harder task joining this street-level story to the legal proceedings. The switches back to court repeatedly offer an explanation after the problem has become clear. Khaled Mouzanar’s music adds to that pressure; it could leave more of the emotional work to the children. None of this makes the performances less affecting. It does make a film running 126 minutes feel longer whenever it returns to telling us how to judge the adults.

Making the parents the defendants also narrows a story that has shown us a wider failure. The danger attached to living without documents cannot be settled by deciding whether two adults have behaved badly. Labaki is persuasive about the vulnerability of children and migrants, but her courtroom premise encourages a simpler verdict than their circumstances allow. Still, the moments of kindness prevent the film from treating everyone older than Zain as an enemy. They give him a world in which care remains possible, even when it is difficult to provide.

The 15 certificate is worth taking seriously; the young leads do not make this a family film. There is warmth here, but anyone seeking a reassuring account of childhood resilience should look elsewhere. Save it for an evening when there is time to talk afterwards.

*Fi1m score 80, published 15 September 2026.*

## What the critics say

Most critics respond warmly to Capernaum’s account of childhood poverty and undocumented life in Beirut, praising its compassion and urgency. The clearest agreement concerns Zain Al Rafeea: the reviews repeatedly credit his natural performance with giving the film its anger, resilience and emotional force. Praise also gathers around the chemistry between the young performers and Nadine Labaki’s direction of them. Many find humour and kindness amid the hardship, keeping the story from becoming unrelieved suffering.

The disagreement is sharper over how Labaki shapes that suffering. Reservations concern the courtroom framing, conspicuous emotional pressure and attempts to address too many social problems at once. Sight and Sound finds an angry social indictment that avoids sentimentality; Little White Lies sees contrivance and moralising that weaken the politics. Slant Magazine likewise admires the lead performance but objects to the handling of misery. The consensus is favourable, then, with a minority questioning the film’s methods rather than its concerns.

## Straight answers

**Is Capernaum worth watching?**

*Capernaum* is worth watching for anyone prepared for a hard, moving drama about children living with poverty and neglect in Beirut, and we scored it 80. Zain Al Rafeea carries it, and the scenes in which his character cares for a baby are the film's best. The courtroom framing keeps explaining what the children have already shown us.

**How long is Capernaum, and what is it rated?**

*Capernaum* runs 2h 06m. It is a drama film.

**Where can I watch Capernaum in the US?**

*Capernaum* is available to rent from Amazon Prime Video and Apple TV from $3.99. Availability is checked daily; the links above go straight to each service.

**How violent or frightening is Capernaum, and is it suitable for children?**

*Capernaum* carries a 15 certificate in the UK and is not suitable for children, despite its young leads. The film deals with neglect, poverty and adults prepared to exploit those without documents, and the review describes it as difficult and discomforting rather than reassuring. Teenagers of the right age may find it rewarding, but it needs time to talk about afterwards.

**How does Capernaum compare to Pather Panchali?**

*Capernaum* is the angrier and more pointed of the two, framing childhood hardship as a case against the adults responsible, where [*Pather Panchali*](https://film.one/film/pather-panchali) leaves more room for curiosity and ordinary pleasure. Satyajit Ray's film is the more patient and, for us, the more rewarding. Viewers who want a direct account of neglect will get more from Labaki's.

**What should I watch after Capernaum?**

After *Capernaum*, try [*Nobody Knows*](https://film.one/film/nobody-knows) (2004, Fi1m 87): Children manage without dependable adults, with quieter storytelling and equally painful consequences. Then [*Pather Panchali*](https://film.one/film/pather-panchali) (1955, Fi1m 93): Family hardship seen through children, with more room for curiosity and ordinary pleasure; and [*The White Balloon*](https://film.one/film/the-white-balloon) (1995, Fi1m 87): A child’s journey through the city makes adult indifference and generosity equally vivid.

### Reviews we read (21)

- **Empire**, Ian Freer (85/100, inferred): The film is a tough, unflinching yet empathetic picaresque journey through Beirut's streets, using courtroom scenes as bookends. It singles out the two astonishing child performances for particular praise. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/capernaum-review/)
- **Evening Standard**, Charlotte O'Sullivan (80/100, inferred): Nadine Labaki’s feature is a success story and underdog tale of underdogs on Beirut's streets, with a breathtaking middle section that is topical, hilarious, tender and brutal. It singles out the chemistry between the young leads Zain and Yonas for particular praise. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/capernaum-review-breathtaking-tale-of-underdogs-on-the-streets-of-beirut-a4073981.html)
- **Radio Times**, David Parkinson (4/5): The review highlights the film's compassionate humanity and neorealist style in exposing the plight of Lebanon's undocumented children, commending the miraculous direction of young leads and the chaotic yet gripping portrayal of their world. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-qnhc0k/capernaum/)
- **The Guardian** (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the compelling central performance by non-professional actor Zain Al Rafeea as a resilient yet angry child navigating Beirut's poverty and neglect. The film is noted for its memorable child performances and focus on the perils of undocumented life, though the court scenes feel unnecessary. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2019/feb/24/capernaum-review-nadine-labaki-oscar-nominated-zain-al-rafeea)
- **Time Out**, Anna Smith (4/5): The critic finds the film a compassionate and heartfelt journey through Lebanese slums, blending political fable with heartbreaking realism, and praises the magnetic performance of the young lead while noting its darker tone compared to similar films. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/capernaum)
- **Vulture** (80/100, inferred): The critic calls it a deeply assured and relentlessly devastating piece that makes an uncompromising case through its child protagonist and standout young performances, though it risks buckling under the weight of suffering and feels manipulative at times. [Read](https://www.vulture.com/2018/12/capernaum-review.html)
- **Financial Times**, Nigel Andrews (75/100, inferred): The critic describes the film as a captivating, helter-skelter tale of a boy suing his parents, full of energy and pathos with strong storytelling. It is compared favorably to Dickens for its neorealism with bells on, though emotional buttons are sometimes pushed too obviously. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/ad58ccc8-3512-11e9-bb0c-42459962a812)
- **Slant Magazine**, Diego Semerene (2.5/4): The critic praises the natural, documentary-like performance of the lead child actor but faults the film for obvious maneuverings, trying to tackle too many issues at once, and turning misery pornographic rather than relying on its environment's dramatic force. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/capernaum/)
- **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (3/2/2): The review criticizes the film as hectoring, contrived, and simplistic, with aggressive moralizing and sentimentality that undermines its potential as a political drama. It notes a decent central performance but compares it unfavorably to Bicycle Thieves. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/capernaum)
- **IndieWire**, David Ehrlich: Despite a standout baby performance, the social-realist epic is hobbled by scattershot choices and well-intentioned but messy execution. [Read](https://www.indiewire.com/features/general/capernaum-review-nadine-labaki-cannes-2018-1201966059/)
- **Los Angeles Times**, Robert Abele: The review describes the film as a poverty saga with heart-in-your-throat urgency and breathtaking intensity driven by nonprofessional actors and crafted melodrama. It notes the standout child performance while observing some clunky elements in the final act. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/la-et-mn-capernaum-review-20181212-story.html)
- **Screen Daily**: The critic describes it as a powerful, gritty drama and howl of protest against social injustice, with a galvanizing central performance, noting its raw dramatic power and potential for awards success despite some narrative looseness. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/capernaum-cannes-review/5129486.article)
- **Sight and Sound**, Kate Stables: The critic praises Labaki's gritty, neorealist approach to depicting child poverty in Beirut slums, highlighting the excellent performance by the juvenile lead Zain Al Rafeea and the film's avoidance of sentimentality. The film is seen as a powerful, angry indictment of social injustice without descending into poverty porn. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/capernaum-review-sharp-eyed-street-level-melodrama)
- **The Hollywood Reporter**, Leslie Felperin: The critic finds the film not subtle but stirring, praising the outstanding performances from the non-professional cast and the credible view of Lebanon's slums and shantytowns despite an unbelievable central conceit. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/capharnaum-review-1112973/)
- **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (Critic’s Pick): The critic calls the film a hectic and heartbreaking look at a boy’s life amid the chaos of Beirut, praising its absorbing energy and refusal to succumb to despair. It singles out the young lead’s charisma and moral authority as a key source of the film’s power. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/13/movies/capernaum-review.html)
- **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★☆): The critic highlights the harrowing yet humane portrayal of a Beirut street kid suing his parents and caring for a baby amid Lebanon's migrant crisis. Labaki layers the harsh story with moments of kindness that break the heart. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/tv-radio/article/capernaum-review-zbw7bqs65)
- **Variety**, Jay Weissberg: The critic hails the film as a powerful leap forward for the director, a splendid addition to great child-endangerment dramas with heart and intelligence. It singles out the astonishing direction of non-professional performers and the revelation of the young lead actor. [Read](https://variety.com/2018/film/reviews/capernaum-review-capharnaum-1202814614/)
- **The Skinny**, Joseph Walsh (★★★★★): The critic calls it a searing, politically charged drama exploring child-trafficking in Beirut's underbelly, centered on a court case and flashbacks. They single out the raw, wounded performance by young lead Zain Al Rafeea as incredible and note how the film avoids clichés in its brutal socio-realist approach. [Read](https://www.theskinny.co.uk/festivals/international-festivals/cannes/capernaum)
- **Eye for Film**, Anne-Katrin Titze (85/100, inferred): The critic finds the film powerful and urgent in depicting the hardships faced by impoverished refugee children in Lebanon. She singles out the charismatic non-professional child performers and the elegant compositions that contrast with the suffering they portray. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/capernaum-2018-film-review-by-anne-katrin-titze)
- **The Wrap**, Monica Castillo (80/100, inferred): The critic calls the film a brutally honest drama about neglected children that is sometimes difficult to watch, highlighting the young lead's emotional performance and the director's focus on the exploitation of children and migrants. [Read](https://www.thewrap.com/capernaum-film-review-lebanon-oscar-2018-nadine-labaki/)
- **Paste**, Andy Crump (5.9): The critic finds the film a relentlessly one-note depiction of misery that overstays its welcome and lacks nuance or respite. Labaki means well but the result feels like punishing poverty tourism with structural issues between its neo-realist scenes and courtroom framing. [Read](https://www.pastemagazine.com/movies/capernaum/capernaum)

## Details

- **Director:** Nadine Labaki
- **Director:** Nadine Labaki
- **Writer:** Nadine Labaki, Georges Khabbaz, Jihad Hojeily, Michelle Keserwany, Khaled Mouzanar
- **Cinematography:** Christopher Aoun
- **Editor:** Laure Gardette, Konstantin Bock
- **Music:** Khaled Mouzanar
- **Costume design:** Zeina Saab de Melero
- **Producer:** Michel Merkt, Khaled Mouzanar
- **Cast:** Zain Al Rafeea as Zain; Yordanos Shifera as Rahil; Boluwatife Treasure Bankole as Yonas; Kawsar Al Haddad as Souad; Fadi Kamel Yousef as Selim; Cedra Izzam as Sahar; Alaa Chouchnieh as Aspro; Elias Khoury as The Judge
- **Runtime:** 2h 06m
- **Release (the US):** 14 December 2018
- **Genres:** Drama
- **Budget:** $4 million
- **Box office:** $65 million
- **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=maf0AbL3uEw

## Where to watch in the US

- Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd
- Apple TV: rent $3.99, hd
- Amazon Prime Video: buy $12.99, hd
- Apple TV: buy $12.99, hd

*Checked 2026-09-15.*

Also available in: AE, AR, AT, AU, BE, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, DE, DK, ES, FI, FR, GB, HK, IE, IN, JP, KR, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, SE, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country.

## Awards

- Amanda Award for Best Foreign Feature Film 2019: Amanda Award for Best Foreign Feature Film (won)
- IFFR audience award 2019: IFFR audience award (won)
- International Submission to the Academy Awards 2019: International Submission to the Academy Awards (nominated)

## If you liked this

- *Nobody Knows* (2004), Fi1m 87: Children manage without dependable adults, with quieter storytelling and equally painful consequences. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/nobody-knows.md)
- *The Kid with a Bike* (2011): Another angry boy tests the patience and kindness of the adults around him.
- *Pather Panchali* (1955), Fi1m 93: Family hardship seen through children, with more room for curiosity and ordinary pleasure. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/pather-panchali.md)
- *The White Balloon* (1995), Fi1m 87: A child’s journey through the city makes adult indifference and generosity equally vivid. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-white-balloon.md)
- *The Florida Project* (2017), Fi1m 88: Childhood energy persists beside poverty, helped by performances that resist easy appeals for pity. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/the-florida-project.md)

---
© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/capernaum