Looking up Nathan Ambrosioni and “Les Enfants vont bien”? Get the quick context, the films to watch, and why his 2023 turn changed the conversation.
French cinema keeps asking a tender question: are the kids alright? Nathan Ambrosioni answers with stories that say yes – and not naively. After cutting his teeth as a teenage filmmaker, he broke through with “Les Drapeaux de papier” in 2018, then reached a wider public in 2023 with “Toni, en famille”, carried by Camille Cottin.
Many searches pair “Nathan Ambrosioni réalisateur” with “Les Enfants vont bien”. The phrase is not a fresh title in his filmography. It sums up a through line in his work: families that take the hit and still move, kids who learn fast yet keep their spark. If you came for the who, when, where to start – you are in the right place.
Nathan Ambrosioni and the feeling that kids hold steady
There is a clear appetite for stories that do not drown in cynicism. Ambrosioni fills that space with intimate, active filmmaking that listens to teenagers and parents without pitting them against each other. Born in 1999, he arrived early with genre exercises, then pivoted toward grounded drama without losing momentum.
That pivot is key. His films look at work, money, pride, love – and how those pressures land on young shoulders. The promise inside “les enfants vont bien” is not a slogan, more a test: when the adult world shakes, do the bonds still hold. In his hands, they do, and the camera stays close enough to show the cost.
From “Les Drapeaux de papier” (2018) to “Toni, en famille” (2023)
“Les Drapeaux de papier” follows a young woman whose brother leaves prison, a duo played by Noémie Merlant and Guillaume Gouix. The year 2018 matters because it marks Ambrosioni’s turn from youthful experiments to a sharpened, human-scale narrative that critics noticed for its empathy and restraint.
Then came “Toni, en famille” in 2023. Camille Cottin portrays a mother raising five kids who are almost grown, each at a different crossroads. No melodrama overload, just the everyday hustle and the small renegotiations that come when children prepare to fly. Scenes unfold like late-night kitchen talks, the ones where a joke covers a worry and everyone knows it.
The shift between 2018 and 2023 is not about scale, it is about confidence. Timing, humor, and music feel more precise. The ensemble breathes. Dialogue lands with that half-improvised flavor people recognise from their own homes. And yes, the children here go through storms – yet they look forward.
Common misreads, and how to approach that “kids are alright” energy
One trap: reading Ambrosioni as soft. He is not. Watch how economic pressure, a parent’s fatigue, or a sibling’s mistake quietly change the room. The camera does not lecture. It registers consequences. That is why the optimism sticks – because it files the dents as faithfully as the smiles.
Another misread: expecting a social thesis. His films prefer the concrete – shifts at work, paperwork, bus rides, a phone that will not stop buzzing. In “Toni, en famille”, the five children do not share a single storyline. Each one negotiates identity on their own clock, and that seperate rhythm creates the whole family portrait.
If you want a practical way in, track the little pivots in each scene. Who listens first. Who speaks last. Who changes their mind. This is where the title feeling – that kids will be fine – earns its weight, not from speeches but from micro-choices that feel lived-in.
Where to start watching Nathan Ambrosioni
New to his films and want a quick path that shows the evolution without losing context? Try this order.
- “Hostile” (2014) – teen-made calling card in genre mode, a glimpse of raw energy.
- “Therapy” (2016) – another early genre step, learning-by-doing on tension and pace.
- “Les Drapeaux de papier” (2018) – drama baseline with Noémie Merlant and Guillaume Gouix.
- “Toni, en famille” (2023) – Camille Cottin leads a warm, sharp ensemble about a mother and five kids.
Most viewers start with the 2018-2023 pair for the cleanest snapshot of his voice. Then circle back to the early work to see how the craft tightened. Look for official releases on French streaming and VOD platforms, or repertory screenings that often group recent French family dramas.
The link to that search phrase becomes clear once you watch: “Les Enfants vont bien” is not a label stuck on cheerful scenes. It is the outcome of attention – to fatigue, to pride, to the tiny compromises that keep a household upright. Ambrosioni films those details, and that is why the sentiment holds.