Movie Thoughts: Hond & ik (2026)

• Released: January 15th, 2026
• Directed by: Reinier Smit
• Running time: 1h 29min
• Rating 3/5

Synopsis

Paul inherits a dog from a deceased relative, something he really doesn't want. But as time passes he grows attached to the dog, whom he names Hond (Dog). Then he meets the lovely Laura and falls in love with her. Paul and Laura are now trying to build a life together, but Laura's teenage daughter Lois has other plans.

My Thoughts

As far as Dutch movies go, this one isn't terrible. Pretty serviceable. If you're into romance and character drama, this is probably the movie for you.

However, I do feel slightly deceived by the marketing of this movie. One: It is listed as a comedy on the website of the cinema where I saw it. Aside from one or two minor scenes, this movie is not trying to make you laugh. It is much more of a genuine drama/romance movie. Second, the dog doesn't play as big a role as the title would have you think. This movie isn't about the guy and his dog, it's more so about the Paul and all the various characters he comes across. Hond is one of these characters, but he's not the main focus of the movie. Honestly Laura and Lois take much more center stage. And that's fine if that's what you like in a movie, but as a dog-lover I was a tad disappointed to see that Paul's relationship with Hond isn't as central to the movie as the title would imply.

But like I said, the movie overall is pretty decent. It can be pretty dramatic and the character relationships aren't too poorly written. However, I did have a hard time buying the romance between Paul and Laura, at least at first. They're just way too awkward and don't feel like they're that into each other early on, at least to me. I was honestly far more interested in the relationships between Paul and Hond and Paul and Lois than Laura.

I also don't like the exchange between Paul and Laura where Laura is like "we're all a little autistic". That's not how autism works, and the fact that this statement goes unchallenged throughout the movie is disappointing.

Overall not a bad film, but I couldn't fully get into it.