The Father Who Moves Mountains – Netflix Review (2/5)

THE FATHER WHO MOVES MOUNTAINS on Netflix is a thriller that will probably irritate you a lot. The main character is rather unlikeable but the scenery is gorgeous. A story about not wanting to give up. Read our full The Father Who Moves Mountains movie review here!

THE FATHER WHO MOVES MOUNTAINS is a new Netflix drama-thriller from Romania (org. title Tata muta muntii). Honestly, the title makes it sound like the title character is somewhat of a hero. In reality, he is extremely unlikable and it gets worse as the story progresses.

The scenery is absolutely breathtaking since we’re in the mountains for most scenes. And that’s a good thing because I got damn tired of looking at the main character, Mircea. And not just because of the terrible dye job on both his hair and beard. Also, it’s based on a true story (supposedly) and if that’s the case then some facts regarding that case would’ve been nice.

Continue reading our The Father who Moves Mountain movie review below.

The most unlikeable main character

Yes, I do realize that it’s probably a pet peeve, but I cannot deal with the inconsistencies in the hair color of the main character. He clearly dyes his hair (and beard), which is fine. However, one scene shows it almost jet black. Then we get a scene with patches of grey and the next moment it’s all black again.

A small thing, but it’s distracting and makes the editing look terrible which breaks the illusion of him going through hardship. After all, Mircea is a man trying to find his son, who has gone missing in the mountains where avalanches are happening frequently. Right around Christmas at that!

As a retired intelligence officer in Romania, he has a lot of “leverage” (or blackmail, is probably the more correct word) which he gladly uses for his own purpose while refusing to help others.

Look, I get that he isn’t supposed to be likable. At least, I think so.

However, the title of The Father who Moves Mountains does make him sound like a hero. Except, he hasn’t been much of a “father” to the son he now desperately looks for. And the fact that his new young wife seems to think he’s the one for her, makes me wonder: Am I not supposed to find him that unlikeable. A very strange experience because I could not stand him!

The Father who Moves Mountains ending

The ending of The Father who Moves Mountains will no doubt irk many viewers. After all, you will have been sitting through a movie with a 1 hour and 48 minutes runtime. And most of it will be slow-burn. Very slow-burn at times.

I get that this isn’t “just” a thriller but also a drama. Of course, it is. A movie about your child missing is always quite dramatic. However, the focus seems to be on the father in an almost strange way. Admittedly, I might not get what the filmmaker is trying to communicate.

Possibly because I didn’t care for this title character (who clearly has never been much of a father). Also, The Father who Moves Mountains ending might be perfect for the way this movie plays out in general. It certainly isn’t about trying to please the audience. And that is something I can respect. I just really did not enjoy the ending.

Watch The Father who Moves Mountains on Netflix

Daniel Sandu is the writer and director of The Father who Moves Mountains. I do love that a movie like this gets a wide release on Netflix, but I wish it had been quite a bit shorter. The slow-burn and title character made this movie feel even slower than it needed to.

Previously, Daniel Sandu wrote and directed the TV series Tuff Money which was released on HBO GO and has an IMDb rating of 7.4. Then again, The Father who Moves Mountains has a rating of 8.0 as of writing this review, and I have no idea why. Sure, it has gorgeous visuals and a relatable story, but as a whole, it didn’t do much for me.

For the record, the title character is portrayed by actor Adrian Titieni who does a stellar job. I mean, if he didn’t, I would feel so strongly about this character. Interestingly, Adrian Titieni doesn’t usually have jet-black hair (or beard), so it isn’t some vanity wish from the actor.

The Father who Moves Mountains is out on Netflix from September 17, 2021.

Details

Director: Daniel Sandu
Writer: Daniel Sandu
Stars: Adrian Titieni, Elena Purea, Judith State, Valeriu Andriuta