There comes a moment in everyone’s life when they suddenly realise that they are an independent person, perhaps not in terms of financially standing on their own, but rather that they are no longer entirely tethered to their parents and guardians when it comes to the decisions they make or how they choose to live their lives. This moment, which usually occurs sometime during adolescence, is both exciting and daunting, since it gives us the chance to forge our own path forward, but with the knowledge that the choices we make are usually going to be attributed to ourselves only, and that the best we can hope for from those who raised us is the emotional and psychological support to navigate these challenges. However, some people are not fortunate enough to have such a strong support system, and instead, essentially have to leap into the early stages of adulthood prematurely and without the benefit of people aiding them along the journey. This is the basis for It’s Raining in the House (French: Il pleut dans la maison), in which Paloma Sermon-Daï makes her extraordinary narrative feature debut, telling the story of Purdey and Makenzy, two teenagers who are spending their summer in their home in a remote small town somewhere in what we can presume is their native Belgium, where they have been sent to spend these fallow months. Their parents are inexplicably absent, leaving the pair to their own devices, which places them in some precarious positions as they are forced to reckon with various challenges that would be far easier to navigate with the wisdom that comes from some kind of parental figure, who is simply absent in their day-to-day routine. A simple film with an immensely satisfying understanding of the human condition, It’s Raining in the House is a poignant examination of the relationship between two siblings tasked with raising themselves over the course of a single summer, and finding themselves at an emotional and psychological crossroads at every opportunity.

Contemporary cinema is rife with coming-of-age stories, and it is showing very few signs of wavering in terms of committing to the themes that define these films. They are usually quite easy to make, and tend to have broad resonance within a large portion of the global community, and more often than not pander to our collective desire to see simpler, more evocative tales that are rooted firmly within reality. Other than an underseen short film and a documentary on the subject of addiction, Sermon-Daï has not quite established herself as a filmmaker with a clear style yet and instead has approached her craft as something that she can experiment with, developing stories that have meaning and nuance, which helps her find her specific voice. Social realism tends to be quite effective in this regard, since one simply needs to tell a personal story, or one that reflects common ideas, to be resonant, which is the case with It’s Raining in the House, a film formed very much in the image of traditional coming-of-age stories. The extent to which the director is drawing on her own life with this film remains to be seen, but its obvious from the first moments that there is something deeper lingering beneath the surface, and her efforts to tell the story of these two characters, both of which exist in that ambiguous space between late adolescence and early adulthood (the period where they are old enough to be aware of the realities of the surrounding world, but too young to be entirely well-equipped to handle it on their own), and are plunged into various scenarios where they have to work laboriously to just survive, which can be a challenge on its own. So many films tend to be either about adolescents who are sheltered from life’s realities, or forced to confront them daily – this film exists right in the middle, focusing on a pair of young people who are fortunate enough to have a home and basic amenities that aid in their survival, but yet still find themselves emotionally and psychologically malnourished, leading them down many unexpected paths as they endeavour to grow into functional adults, a much more difficult process than anyone may have anticipated at the outset.

The themes at the heart of It’s Raining in the House are quite strong, which is why we are left slightly underwhelmed by how it chooses to execute these ideas. This is undeniably a powerful film, albeit one that is often quite underdeveloped in some ways. It runs at a paltry 76 minutes, which may mean that it never overstays its welcome (a major problem with a lot of contemporary social realist dramas that linger too long and need to be edited down severely), but at the expense of not giving itself much time to grow its themes. Sermon-Daï starts the conversation on several fascinating topics, but simply cannot find the time to tie up all the loose ends, or even begin touching on the more intriguing aspects of certain themes, solely because there’s not enough space to make such diversions. It’s a tightly-made drama that moves at a rapid pace (without ever feeling rushed), but it doesn’t lend itself to much conversation considering it only brushes past some genuinely fascinating ideas. We don’t get to know the two protagonists all that well, since the already slim running time has to be shared between them, and any attempt to forge some sense of familiarity with supporting characters is futile, since they are entirely fleeting and don’t leave much of an impression on the plot at all. The film has its moments of incredible beauty, and its emotions are steadfast and consistent, but something is missing from it that we can only attribute to Sermon-Daï not having the resources to realise her vision in its entirety, or simply the fact that she may not have been entirely sure of how to craft this film. It is her debut, so these issues can be forgiven and simply attributed to her development as a filmmaker, but it becomes quite clear that there could have been much more nuance lingering throughout It’s Raining in the House, a film that should have taken the time to grow on its own terms rather than limiting itself to the bare minimum. Not a major complaint, but rather something indicative of the potential that the film had, we can only hope that the director takes it in stride and develops these aspects on her next directorial outing, which will certainly be worth our time if the same commitment is brought to that film as we find here.

We have seen a gradual shift towards filmmakers prioritising authenticity in every aspect of the filmmaking process, and social realism has been the most significant beneficiary of this trend, at least in terms of how it allows certain ideas to manifest in as bold and genuine a manner as possible. Sermon-Daï is focused on crafting something wholeheartedly realistic, and part of this comes in the people she casts in the central roles. The protagonists are played by real-life siblings Purdey Lombet and Makenzy Lombet, who are non-professional actors making their debut with this film. Their status as newcomers is present in every frame of the film, which is built around their performances and how they exist as mostly unprofessional actors, whose inexperience is an asset to the film. Amateur actors may not have the sharpest skills or the most precise methods of bringing a character to life, but with the right director at the helm, they can be very effective, since they bring about a rawness and honesty that is not always present in more conventionally trained actors. Neither is tasked with doing anything particularly daring or challenging, but rather draws on their own status as ordinary teenagers drifting through the world in how they interpret the director’s stunning screenplay. Perhaps more professional actors would have created more layers beneath these characters, but It’s Raining in the House is not the kind of film that necessarily benefits from the process of having too much complexity behind relatively ordinary characters. It remains to be seen if either will continue to act, but their raw talent and incredible honesty prove that they have inherent gifts, and their striking style of bringing these characters to life will certainly lead to some incredible opportunities for them both going forward.

It’s Raining in the House is a film with clear intentions on what it was willing to say, and many challenging elements that make it far from just a stream of moments in the life of angst-fueled teenagers trying to make it through their daily routine. Instead, it’s a beautifully poetic tribute to the relationship between siblings who may be extremely different in terms of interests, aspirations and personality, but who still realise that, despite these differences, they are the only family each other has, and that they can truly only depend on one another for support and guidance. It’s a simple film that doesn’t need to be anything more than what we ultimately received – heartfelt, meaningful and often quite funny, while never denying the lingering sadness that persists throughout. Sermon-Daï is an exceptionally talented filmmaker. She is clearly very gifted, with her unique sensibility and honest worldview being deeply appreciated, especially in crafting something so wonderfully subtle but still genuinely moving. The performances are strong, the story pays tribute to those many young people who feel adrift in life, and while it may not be particularly long and cannot avoid the usual challenges that come with these social realist coming-of-age dramas (especially those that are directorial debuts), it has enough grit and authenticity to make up for these more inconsistent elements, becoming a masterful and meaningful exploration of universal themes, woven together to create something strikingly beautiful and endlessly honest.