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Poster for The Cement Garden
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Unrated

The Cement Garden

1993 · 101 min

Drama

After the death of her husband, the mother of Julie, Jack, Sue and Tom begins to suffer from a mysterious illness. Aware that she is going to have to go into hospital she opens a bank account for the children, so that they can be financially self-sufficient and will be able to avoid being taken into care by the authorities. Unfortunately she also dies and Julie and Jack (the older, teenage children) decide to hide her body in the basement so that they can have free reign of their household. Soon Tom has taken to dressing as a girl whilst Sue has become increasingly reticent, confiding only to her diary, meanwhile Jack and Julie sense an attraction developing for each other. However Julie's new beau, Derek, threatens to unearth the many dark secrets within this family as he becomes increasingly suspicious of Jack.

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Appeals to viewers drawn to unsettling coming-of-age dramas where claustrophobic family dynamics and taboo psychological territory matter more than conventional resolution.

Tone
eerie, bleak, surreal
Payoff
unease, revelation
Pacing
slow-burn
Intensity
intense
Structure
linear
Themes
family isolation, adolescence, taboo desire, secrecy, grief
Setting
contemporary, isolated coastal family home

Content dimensions

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IMDb parental guide

Where to watch

Not currently available to stream, rent, or buy in the US.