Capernaum
While serving a five-year sentence for a violent crime, a 12-year-old boy sues his parents for neglect.
Directed by Nadine Labaki · Drama · 126 min · 2018
Trailer
Director
Nadine Labaki
Studio
Mooz Films
Release
20 Sep 2018
Runtime
126 min
Genres
Drama
Full Plot
Capernaüm ("Chaos") tells the story of Zain (Zain al-Rafeea), a Lebanese boy who sues his parents for the "crime" of giving him life. The film follows Zain as he journeys from gutsy, streetwise child to hardened 12-year-old "adult" fleeing his negligent parents, surviving through his wits on the streets, where he meets Ethiopian migrant worker Rahil, who provides him with shelter and food, as Zain takes care of her baby son Yonas in return. Zain later gets jailed for committing a violent crime, and finally seeks justice in a courtroom.
Cast & Characters
Zain El Hajj, a 12-year-old boy living in the slums of Beirut
Zain Al Rafeea
Yordanos Shifera
Boluwatife Treasure Bankole
Rahil (also known as Tigest), an undocumented Ethiopian woman who works as a cleaner at an amusement park
Yordanos Shiferaw
Yonas, Rahil's undocumented son
Boluwatife Treasure Bankole (a girl)
Souad, Zain's mother
Kawthar Al Haddad
Selim, Zain's father
Fadi Kamel Youssef
Assad, the owner of a local market and Sahar's husband
Nour el Husseini
Aspro, Rahil's forger
Alaa Chouchnieh
Sahar, Zain's sister
Cedra Izzam
Nadine, Zain's lawyer
Nadine Labaki
Did You Know?
Made on an estimated budget of $4.0M, Capernaum has grossed $65.0M worldwide — about 16.2x its budget.
Source: TMDb API · verified 2026-08-02
Screenwriter and director Nadine Labaki described the conception of the film: At the end of the day, .
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
As of 26 May 2019, the film grossed $68,583,867 worldwide, against a production budget of $4 million.
Source: Wikipedia · verified 2026-08-03
Critical Assessment
Capernaum holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (122,730 votes), 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75/100 on Metacritic.
Not enough independent critic/audience score breakdown available.
Ratings as of August 11, 2026
Where to Watch
United States
United Kingdom
India
Streaming data from JustWatch via TMDb. Availability changes often — confirm on the provider before watching.
AI Verdict
AI-generatedBased on aggregated scores (8.4/10 on IMDb (122,730 votes), 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75/100 on Metacritic), this is a data-driven snapshot rather than an editorial take.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Capernaum's Rotten Tomatoes score?+
Capernaum holds a 89% critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes.
What is Capernaum's IMDb rating?+
Capernaum has a 8.4/10 rating on IMDb from 122,730 votes.
What is Capernaum's Metacritic score?+
Capernaum has a Metascore of 75/100 on Metacritic.
Is Capernaum good? What are critics saying?+
Capernaum holds 8.4/10 on IMDb (122,730 votes), 89% on Rotten Tomatoes, 75/100 on Metacritic.
How long is Capernaum?+
Capernaum has a runtime of 126 min.
Who directed Capernaum?+
Capernaum was directed by Nadine Labaki.
Where can I watch Capernaum?+
Capernaum is available to stream, rent, or buy on Amazon Video, Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home, FlixFling, Sky Store, BFI Player, Amazon Prime Video, Amazon Prime Video with Ads.
Fan & Critic Buzz
The movie "Capernaum" has received strong reactions, with some reviewers describing it as "provocative" and highlighting its gritty portrayal of neglect and abuse. Reviewers also praised the lead actor's performance as remarkable. Critics felt that the film deserved more recognition than other movies that have won Oscars.
Viewer Reviews (TMDb)
**_I wouldn't call it entertaining per se, but it's certainly provocative_** >_I saw kids who are so neglected, so abused that there's nothing anymore in their eyes. These children don't laugh, don't cry, and don't play. If you put a toy in front of them, they don't touch it. The…
Stephen Campbell · 8/10There’s something distinctly Dickensian about the urchin style of life lived by “Zain” (Zain Al-Rafeea) on the modern-day streets of Lebanon. He has to use his wits and guile, his charm and his youth to scrape a living after he ran away from his parents. He did this because they…
CinemaSerf · 7/10
From the trailer's comments
This movie deserved to win an Oscar award, and Zain as best Actor. Thumbs up.4 stars
@ericnicdao7208 · 3192 likesSometimes I feel we are doing injustice by not giving these kinds of movies the level of recognition which other movies (such as Avengers, Avatar, Titanic, etc.) get.
@harshitsoni8243 · 1897 likesThe lead actor was stunningly good in this! One of the best child performances I've ever seen.
@rapunzelagain · 1174 likescan we also recognize the fact that this was performed by non professional actors and that the rough cut was 12 HOURS
@rowan1601 · 619 likesThis movie should have won the Oscar
@asterianspirit1917 · 805 likesI cried like a baby when i watched zain smiled at the end .. heartbreaking
@Nonasag · 2434 likesThis baby boy deserves to be more in movies. His acting was superb, a real inborn talent that he didn’t receive any acting training before.
@ZackTuNan · 530 likesYou should be Lebanese to understand the dirty slang used in the movie. The subtitles and dubbing don't give it justice. This movie is a slap on the face of all privileged people in the world.
@sandragainsbourgs9081 · 522 likes
