Like the Leaves: A quiet, dusty look at family decline

Is it worth your time?

If you have a thing for black-and-white dramas about class, pride, and the slow creep of poverty, then yeah, Like the Leaves is going to hit the spot. If you need a movie to move at breakneck speed or have some big, explosive twist every twenty minutes, you’re probably going to be checking your watch by the first act.

It’s the kind of film that feels like a heavy wool sweater—a bit itchy at times, but honest.

The vibe

The whole thing feels like a stage play that decided to wander outside. There’s a lot of sitting around and talking about money, which sounds dull on paper, but the tension is in the way the actors look at their tea cups when the topic of 'moving to the country' comes up. It’s like they’re all holding their breath.

The son's gambling addiction is treated with this really blunt, matter-of-fact tone. No big dramatic monologues, just a guy trying to figure out how to stop ruining everything for everyone else. It reminded me a bit of the desperate, quiet edges of A Hungry Heart, where the stakes are always personal and never really heroic.

Odd notes from the screen

• There’s a scene in the kitchen where the lighting is just… weird. It makes everyone look like they’re already ghosts.
• The daughter’s English lessons are the best part of the movie. You can see her trying to maintain a shred of dignity while clearly hating that she has to do it.
• The transition to country life happens so fast you almost get whiplash. One minute they’re in a study, the next they’re standing in a field looking bewildered.
• Isa Miranda is doing so much work with just her eyes in the second half. Who needs lines when you can look that disappointed?

Honestly, the movie gets better the moment they leave the city. Everything feels a little more raw once they lose their fancy furniture.

Final thoughts

It’s not perfect. Sometimes the pacing feels like a train stuck on a slow incline. But there’s a genuine sadness here that doesn't feel manufactured. It’s not trying to teach you a lesson or pull your heartstrings with a swelling score.

It just lets you watch this family crumble, piece by piece, like… well, like the leaves, I guess. 🍂

If you're in the mood for something a bit more frantic, maybe look at Stripped for a Million instead, but if you want to sit with a story that breathes, stay here.