If you’ve watched any World War II film, the plot of this historical drama would be familiar. A boy grows up not fully understanding the danger he’s in, and stays shielded until he meets a wounded British soldier. Of course, he gets into a situation way over his head. However, we won’t deny this familiar story works. Anchored by then-newcomer Martijn Lakemeier’s performance, this coming-of-age drama adapts the beloved Dutch novel in an empathetic lens, with the cinematography echoing the ways the adults around him attempt to shield him, as well as the way his curiosity pushes him to bear witness to what they’re hiding. Winter in Wartime won’t be the most groundbreaking wartime drama, but it does depict its story well.

During World War II in the freezing winter of 1944-45 the western Netherlands are in the grip of a famine. Many people move east to provide for their families. Fourteen year old Michiel can't wait to join the Dutch resistance, to the dismay of his father, who, as mayor, works to prevent escalations in the village.