‘Raaiselkind’ (Riddle Child) Netflix Movie Review - What Does it Mean to be a Good Mother?

Doubting upon the intentions of a mother serving her child to death sentence summarizes Riddle Child perfectly. There’s a murder, and the main suspect is the mother of the child. The film shows the mother having a conversation with the Colonel and telling her side of the story. She didn’t even shed a tear after the death of her son Alexander which raises suspicion. 

Diaan Lawrenson has played the role of a mother whose child is suffering from autism. She has excellently portrayed every emotion and scene. There is never a moment when she’s out of her character or has failed to display that motherly bond. Being a mother, Ingrid (played by Diaan Lawrenson) was always defensive and protective of her child. When no one understood Alexander, she was the one who was with and for him. How she handled and processed her son’s illness is remarkable. 

The father Dawid (played by Neels Clasen) was unable to understand his child's needs. He saw him as a demon and a financially sucking kid. Not being able to withstand all of this, he gave up too soon when he should have been present to divide the responsibilities with his wife equally. 

Alexander’s sisters also didn’t understand the state of their brother. He cried on numerous nights when he was an infant and growing up, his condition was finally given a name. Alexander is autistic, and he didn’t like doing the things that he did. The child wasn’t understood, and rather he was disowned by his family members. His sisters had no attachment to him, his father initially was there but half-heartedly. It was just Ingrid and the house help who were always there for this little child.

The nine-year boy was found dead in the bathtub with the marks of strangulation on his neck. As per the mother, she left him to bathe, but as she was so tired to give him a bath she snoozed. After she woke up, he was dead, and all the suspicions of murder were on Ingrid. Riddle Child or Raaiselkind struggles with finding an answer to who killed this boy. In the end, the answers are delivered, and the creators played it well in the last scene of the movie.

Riddle Child mainly focuses on how the family gets affected when they have a kid with a developmental disability with differences in the brain. It has always been said that a different child needs special care and attention, but no one ever discusses how their family suffers emotionally, physically, and financially. The film brings something unique for the audience, and they should not miss out on this film. This 93-minute-long movie maintains its suspense throughout and doesn’t disappoint the audience. 

Final Score – [7.5/10]
Reviewed by - Riya Singh
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Publisher at Midgard Times