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We Don't Belong Here

We Don't Belong Here

Every family has its secrets.

201792 minRMidcredits score: 37th percentile of all films
Director
Peer Pedersen
Starring
Catherine Keener, Anton Yelchin, Kaitlyn Dever, Riley Keough

A matriarch of a dysfunctional family is pushed to her tipping point by the disappearance of her son.

Where to watch

Where can I watch We Don't Belong Here?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists We Don't Belong Here to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video, and on no subscription service.

Your rating, lists and review

Highlights

What stands out about We Don't Belong Here?

We Don't Belong Here earns 3 badges, led by Cult Classic and Preferred by US Viewers.

  • Reception
  • Craft and mood

Reception

Is We Don't Belong Here worth watching?

We Don't Belong Here's Midcredits score is the 37th percentile of all films, from 2.4K ratings across 4 sources. 47% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

37th percentile

Better received than 37% of films

34th percentile among Drama38th percentile among 2010s
Acclaim (how much people like it)27th
Approval (how many liked it)48th

54 /100

27th percentile of all films

23rd percentile among Drama29th percentile among 2010s

Rating distribution

Big peaks at both ends — people either love this or bounce off it hard.

Approval

How many liked it

47% liked it

48th percentile of all films

45th percentile among Drama47th percentile among 2010s
47% rated it 7–1053% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

73rd percentile

2.4K ratings across platforms

76th percentile among Drama76th percentile among 2010s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 17% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A slow-burn, fragmented family drama about mental illness and trauma that is heavy on atmosphere and subtle emotion.

Fans praised

  • Catherine Keener's superb performance as the mother
  • Emotionally resonant family character study
  • Strong dialogue and script writing

Detractors panned

  • Boring, flat characters and meandering plot
  • Presumptuous, fragmented storytelling with no payoff
  • Slow pacing with tedious suburban angst

What stands out

Acting80

Keener and Yelchin praised; detractors note robotic delivery

AtmosphereDivisive70

Haunting, dreamlike aura; detractors find it boring

Emotional impactDivisive65

Moves fans; detractors feel nothing

DialogueDivisive60

Soft-spoken, strong words but occasionally pointless

OriginalityDivisive60

Unconventional structure; detractors see messy metaphors

CharactersDivisive40

Deeply troubled but some find flat and boring

Plot and storyDivisive35

Fragmented, disjointed, no clear story; some like the twist

PacingDivisive30

Slow burn that frustrates many

Preferred by

US vs non-US

Preferred by US Viewers

US viewers scored it 64 points higher than non-US viewers.

Watch experience

What is We Don't Belong Here like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Mind-bender: browse every movie of this kind

Watch this when you are ready for heavy feelings, and you want a puzzle and can give it your full attention.

It is gentle, never lets up and leaves you haunted. Skip it when you want an easy night or you can only half-watch.

ToneFeelDemandwhat the answer rests onexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

Your full attention, room for heavy feelings and a taste for open questions.

What it feels like

Mind-bender.

Moods
MelancholicElegiacContemplative
Heaviest: throughout
Register
Solemn: Grave and dignified; treats its subject with weight and respect.Tender · 13% of films
The answer rests on this: Told as
Nonlinear · 6% of films: Events shown out of chronological order.
ToneThe film treats its family's pain with quiet gravity and gentleness, never undercutting their struggles with irony.
The rideThe film sustains a quiet, somber emotional pressure from start to finish, with no dramatic swings, making the heaviness constant rather than localized.
StructureThe film is told in a disjointed, nonlinear manner, with events and fragments shown out of chronological order and time seeming not to pass linearly.

How it leaves you

what you carry away

Haunted.

Haunting · 14% of filmsBittersweet
Why it leaves you this wayThe film's quiet tragedy and disjointed storytelling linger, leaving a bittersweet sense of loss and unanswered questions.
How it ends · evidence
Ambiguous ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all films
Monster — 21% of films. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of films. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 10% of films. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 4% of films. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 11% of films. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 9% of films. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 13% of films. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 7% of films. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 22% of filmsPredator — 6% of films. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 6% of films. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of films. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 2% of films. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of films. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of films. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of films. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of films. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of films. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of films. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — under 1% of films. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of films. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of films. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of films. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of films. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 4% of films. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 5% of films. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of films. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — 1% of films. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of films. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 2% of films. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — 1% of films. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of films. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — 1% of films. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 4% of films. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of films. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of films. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of films. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 1% of films. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of films. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — 2% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 2% of films. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 2% of films. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 3% of films. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 3% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 5% of films. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of films. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 2% of films. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of films. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 5% of films. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 2% of films. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Tragedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 21%: Predator 6% · Tyrant 6% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 2% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent under 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 10%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 4% · Mission 5% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage 1%
  • Voyage 4%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 2% · Survival ordeal 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent 1%
  • Comedy 11%: Romantic comedy 4% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 1%
  • Tragedy 9% (this title): Hubris 1% · Obsession 2% · Corruption arc 2% · Doomed love 2% · Crushed by fate 3% (this title)
  • Rebirth 13%: Redemption 3% · Healing 5% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 2%
  • Mystery 7%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 5% · Enigma 2%
  • No archetype 22%

Tragedy: A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin. · Crushed by fate: Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.

9% of films fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeThe disappearance of a son pushes a matriarch to her limits, and the family's internal struggles unfold in a fragmented, melancholy study of loss and dysfunction.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 27% of filmsSelf — 22% of filmsPower — 7% of filmsMorality — 16% of filmsSurvival — 15% of filmsSociety — 9% of filmsIdeas — 5% of filmsRomantic love — 15% of filmsMarriage — 2% of filmsFamily bonds — 21% of filmsParenthood — 2% of filmsFriendship — 9% of filmsLoyalty — 4% of filmsIdentity — 14% of filmsComing of age — 5% of filmsAging — under 1% of filmsSelf-worth — 7% of filmsAmbition — 7% of filmsPurpose — 9% of filmsMemory — 3% of filmsObsession — 3% of films. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 2% of filmsCorruption — 3% of filmsGreed — 3% of filmsClass — 3% of filmsOppression — 4% of filmsFreedom — 5% of filmsJustice — 13% of filmsDuty — 2% of filmsRevenge — 4% of filmsGuilt — 3% of filmsRedemption — 6% of films. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — 1% of filmsSacrifice — 4% of filmsBetrayal — 5% of filmsDeception — 9% of filmsSurvival — 17% of filmsWar — 1% of filmsViolence — 4% of filmsMortality — 2% of filmsGrief — 6% of filmsTrauma — 7% of filmsMental illness — 1% of filmsAddiction — 1% of filmsIllness and disability — under 1% of filmsCommunity — 14% of films. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 5% of filmsPrejudice — 3% of filmsDisplacement — 1% of filmsFaith — 3% of filmsTradition vs change — 2% of filmsFame — 3% of filmsLegacy — 4% of filmsFate — 1% of filmsFree will — under 1% of filmsTruth — 4% of filmsHope — 5% of filmsNature — 2% of filmsArt — 4% of filmsTechnology — 1% of filmsSelfFamilybonds
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 27% (this title): Romantic love 15% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 21% (this title) · Parenthood 2% · Friendship 9% · Loyalty 4%
  • Self 22%: Identity 14% · Coming of age 5% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 7% · Purpose 9% · Memory 3% · Obsession 3%
  • Power 7%: Power 2% · Corruption 3% · Greed 3% · Class 3% · Oppression 4% · Freedom 5%
  • Morality 16%: Justice 13% · Duty 2% · Revenge 4% · Guilt 3% · Redemption 6% · Forgiveness 1% · Sacrifice 4% · Betrayal 5% · Deception 9%
  • Survival 15%: Survival 17% · War 1% · Violence 4% · Mortality 2% · Grief 6% · Trauma 7% · Mental illness 1% (this title) · Addiction 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 9%: Community 14% · Isolation 5% · Prejudice 3% · Displacement 1% · Faith 3% · Tradition vs change 2% · Fame 3% · Legacy 4%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 4% · Hope 5% · Nature 2% · Art 4% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Family bondsMental illness · 1% of films
Observes its theme: Presents its theme neutrally, declining to judge.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Dual lead
How it treats its themeThe disappearance of a son exposes the fragile bonds and hidden traumas holding a family together.
StanceThe film observes the family's dysfunction and mental illness without overt judgment, presenting their struggles as inherent to their lives.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticRealistic
AmbientSupportive music · original score
SettingThe family home and its immediate surroundings, where the disappearance of the son casts a shadow over ordinary domestic life.
MusicThe score by Michael Yezerski underpins the film's quiet, melancholic atmosphere, complementing the soft-spoken performances.

Content guide

Is We Don't Belong Here okay for kids?

R

We Don't Belong Here is rated R: “Rated R for language” (MPAA). As of August 31, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at intense (67/100), sexual content at mild (22/100), language at intense (67/100), drug and alcohol content at mild (33/100) and frightening material at mild (33/100). None has enough votes to rank yet.

Ratings in 5 other countries
  • Germany12
  • JapanR15+
  • Netherlands12
  • RO15
  • Sweden15
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
not ranked
Violence & Gore
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Sex & Nudity
Mild
too few votes to rank (3 votes)
Profanity
Intense
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Alcohol & Drugs
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)
Frightening / Intense
Mild
too few votes to rank (1 vote)

Too few votes to rank this title overall (7 votes across 5 categories; ranking needs 10 in at least three).

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other films that have them.

What content warnings does We Don't Belong Here have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in We Don't Belong Here?

Cast

2 of the cast already had the standing of a top-10% working actor.

Catherine Keener
as Nancy Green
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Anton Yelchin
as Maxwell Green
Established: A standing when this film came out that a top-10% working actor has today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Kaitlyn Dever
as Lily Green
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Riley Keough
as Elisa Green
Rising: A short career with a standing when this film came out above the median working actor today.
Annie Starke
as Madeline Green
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Molly Shannon
as Deborah
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.
Justin Chatwin
as Tomas
Austin Abrams
as Davey
Debra Mooney
as Grandma
Maya Rudolph
as Joanne
Veteran: 15 or more years in, with as much work as the typical long-career actor.

Crew

More like this

What are movies like We Don't Belong Here?

Movies like We Don't Belong Here include Fear of Rain (2021), Clean, Shaven (1993) and The Son (2022). Of the 7 closest matches, most are films set in the suburbs, and most are stories about parents and children.

Balanced: every group counts the same, and production only breaks ties.

5 of these 7 share its subject: mental illness. Those cards say what else they share.

Explore by

What else shares a premise, people or place with We Don't Belong Here?

7.8K other films share the rarest tag below, follows: parent. Each tag opens Browse with the films that share it.