Abel 1986

Abel is a 31-year-old man who still lives with his parents, and his life is defined by a profound agoraphobia that has kept him indoors for more than a decade. He spends his days spying on the neighbors, pitting his father and mother against each other, and attempting to cut flies in two with an enormous pair of scissors—an odd ritual that mirrors a deeper need to control his surroundings.

His father, Victor, is frustrated by Abel’s condition, while his mother, Duif, spoils him, creating a tense family dynamic. The family seeks help from a psychiatrist who concludes that the core problem lies in the unhealthy, co-dependent relationship between Abel and his parents. A mesmerist is brought in as well, but Abel’s stubborn nature frustrates him, highlighting the limits of outsiders trying to repair this delicate balance. Meanwhile, Victor tries to push Abel into a social life by arranging a match within his theater circle, a plan that ends in failure as well.

To challenge his isolation, the family secretly buys a TV set against Victor’s wishes. When Victor discovers the deception, he erupts in anger and sends Abel out into the streets, severing another thread of the already fragile family bond.

On the street, Abel meets Zus, who works at a peepshow called “De Naakte Meisjes” (The Naked Girls). She offers him kindness and begins a relationship with him, giving him a glimpse of companionship beyond his parents. The twist arrives when Abel learns Zus is involved with a married man, who turns out to be his own father, [Victor].

Back home, Duif locates Abel and informs her husband of his whereabouts. Victor’s rage deepens into a psychotic episode, and tensions escalate into a dramatic confrontation at Zus’ place. The drunk father becomes aggressive toward Zus, and Abel reveals the affair that ties together his parents’ betrayals. Duif, fearing a total collapse of the family, contemplates suicide, but ultimately, finding little support from either her husband or son, she chooses to remove herself from the triangle and leaves Abel in the care of the prostitute, while taking her husband home.

In the end, the chaos among the family yields a bitter, deadpan humor as Abel and Zus share a quiet, defiant laugh, and the iconic image returns: he cuts a fly in two with his enormous scissors.