The Childhood of a Leader (2016)

In the shadowy aftermath of World War I, an American diplomat and his family traverse the Atlantic to take residence in a sprawling, yet decrepit Parisian mansion. The diplomat, tasked with aiding the Versailles Treaty peace discussions, unknowingly sets the stage for a chilling narrative. His young son, a seven-year-old boy of petulant nature and manipulative prowess, grapples with the stifling ennui of a strict household and an adult world that remains elusive to him. In this vast house, where silence reigns supreme, the boy's tantrums echo, gradually transforming from innocent outbursts into a sinister display of emerging tyranny. As his discontent swells amidst the peace negotiations his father is engrossed in, the boy's notions, still raw and unformed, begin to take a dangerous shape, hinting at the birth of a devious leader hidden beneath the veneer of childhood. "The Childhood of a Leader" is a haunting fable about the rise of fascism in the 20th Century. It paints a chilling portrait of a child residing in France in 1918, whose experiences under the shadow of the Treaty of Versailles mould his beliefs, giving rise to a terrifying ego. The narrative, loosely inspired by the early lives of some of the most notorious dictators of the era, is cloaked in the same dread that permeates films like "The Others" and "The Omen". It serves as an ominous testament to the genesis of evil, a stark reminder that even a dictator can hide in the unassuming guise of a child.

The Childhood of a Leader is a drama movie featuring Bérénice Bejo.

The Childhood of a Leader is currently streaming for free (ad-supported) on Kanopy and Tubi TV and it's also available on AMC Plus Apple TV Channel , AMC+, AMC+ Amazon Channel and DIRECTV.

It is also possible to buy The Childhood of a Leader on Amazon Video, Apple TV, Google Play Movies, Vudu and YouTube or rent it on Microsoft Store.