The life of a young man named Mikal over the course of 3 years from 11 to 14. It's his life as he lives with his parents in the hotels that house homeless and people with limited income.
This is one of the best films of DOC NYC and probably 2025. This is a film that puts us in the rooms and hallways with Mikal and his parents. We get a sense of the dull grind, of the problems not having enough money and of dealing with parents who have substance abuse problems. It's a story that moves us to tears.
Director Monica Strømdahl's work is magnificent. She met Mikal and his family when she was staying in the same hotel while in school. A friendship formed and she began to film Mikal's life. The hope was that it could help Mikal find a better life.
FLOPHOUSE works because there is no pulling punches. We see eveything that happens over the course of three years. The fights are there, as is the loneliness and the emotional breakdowns. We see the problems. We even see the boredom. Stormdahl wants us to understand the lives of the people on screen and we do.
Honestly this is a near perfect documentary. However it should be noted that approximately five years have passed between the ending of the film and now. I mention this because when I was reading on the film after seeing it I saw that a number of things had happened after the end of the film. For a while after I found that out I was upset because I wanted to see what happened next. However upon reflection and a second viewing I realized that where this film ends is the only place it could. It is not bad, but perfect. Anything they filmed that happens next needs to be in another film-- and we need that other film.
This film is one you need to hunt down and see. You need to meet Mikal and his family and you need to understand their lives.
Highly recommended.
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