Nowhere Special
A terminally ill window cleaner undertakes a heartbreaking search for the right adoptive family to care for his young son after he is gone.
Overview
A father's love knows no bounds, even in the face of impending loss.
Ember's analysis
- Pacing
- Measured
- Intensity
- Strong
- Complexity
- Easy to follow
- Violence
- None
- melancholic
- intimate
- restrained
- quiet evening
- reflective viewing
What critics said
Critics broadly praised the film as a beautifully acted, humane, and deeply moving portrait of a single father confronting terminal illness while planning his young son's future.
What sets it apart
May contain story progression spoilers
John's final months are conveyed through window-cleaning work, childcare, and practical preparations for Michael's future.
John interviews prospective adoptive families while trying to protect three-year-old Michael from his terminal illness.
The film presents the father-son bond through John's protective knowledge and Michael's incomplete comprehension of the situation.
John's life as a window cleaner and his search for adoptive parents ground the drama in everyday working-class circumstances.
Films like Nowhere Special, and why
The Broken Circle Breakdown
shared intimate single-parent drama, terminal illness, restrained realism, and profound father-child tenderness
Still Alice
shared emotionally devastating parental love, mortality themes, and grounded humanist drama
The Kid with a Bike
shared quiet social realism, parent-child attachment, and bittersweet adoption-related emotional stakes
Aftersun
shared British Isles setting, understated grief, and compassionate focus on ordinary working-class lives
Movie Details
- Director
- Uberto Pasolini
- Release Date
- 2020-09-10
- Runtime
- 96 min
- Rating
- 7.3 / 10 (246)
Cast
- James Norton
- Daniel Lamont
- Eileen O'Higgins
- Valerie O'Connor
- Stella McCusker
- Carol Moore
- Valene Kane
- Keith McErlean
- Laura Hughes
- Éva Morris
Where to watch in United States
- Rent
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex
- Buy
- Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
Streaming options come from TMDB and change over time.
Common questions
- What is Nowhere Special about?
- A terminally ill window cleaner undertakes a heartbreaking search for the right adoptive family to care for his young son after he is gone.
- What is Nowhere Special like to watch?
- Ember's analysis rates the pacing of Nowhere Special as measured, its intensity as strong and its storytelling as easy to follow.
- Is Nowhere Special violent?
- No — Ember's analysis finds no violence in Nowhere Special.
- What did critics think of Nowhere Special?
- Critics broadly praised the film as a beautifully acted, humane, and deeply moving portrait of a single father confronting terminal illness while planning his young son's future.
- Which films are like Nowhere Special?
- Films with a similar feel include The Broken Circle Breakdown, Still Alice, The Kid with a Bike, and Aftersun.
- How long is Nowhere Special?
- Nowhere Special runs 96 minutes.
- Where can I watch Nowhere Special?
- In United States, Nowhere Special is available to rent or buy from Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, Plex.
