Godforsaken (2019) Plot Summary & Timeline

Set in the 1990s within a small town in the southern Netherlands, the story follows Stan Meijer, a teenage boy struggling with a profound sense of isolation. Feeling deeply unhappy in his own home and emotionally distant from both his mother and his stepfather, Stan finds himself drifting toward the fringes of society. This vulnerability leads him to form a close bond with Mike Verheije, a local criminal who offers the sense of belonging Stan craves. Mike is secretly involved in a romantic relationship with a girl named Anna, though her parents strongly disapprove of Mike’s reputation. In an act of loyalty, Stan assists the couple in maintaining their secret meetings.

Through his association with Mike, Stan is introduced to Mike’s younger brother, Yuri, and their friend Sef, who struggles with drug addiction. Under their influence, Stan’s life spirals into a world of petty crime and the illegal trafficking of specialized equipment used for growing cannabis. During this tumultuous period, Stan makes a significant personal discovery: he finds his biological father, Bert Mulder. Hoping for a new start and a stable father figure, Stan asks to live with Bert; however, tragedy strikes before they can truly build a relationship, as Bert is killed in a sudden road accident.

The trajectory of Stan’s life takes a darker turn after Mike is released from prison. Sef informs Mike that a cannabis grower named Johan Schreurs keeps a massive amount of cash hidden in his residence. Driven by greed, Mike and Stan attempt to rob Schreurs, but the encounter turns violent. The robbery goes horribly wrong, resulting in the death of Schreurs.

This killing forces Mike and Stan into the orbit of Osman Sukur, a powerful and dangerous local crime lord who had previously employed Schreurs. After a tense interrogation regarding the murder, Osman realizes the utility of the boys and begins utilizing the group for increasingly violent assignments, including the cold-blooded killing of a man named Hassan. As time passes, Mike, Stan, Yuri, and Sef become deeply entrenched in Osman’s criminal empire.

Meanwhile, the personal lives of the characters begin to crumble. Anna moves in with Mike and becomes pregnant, but the joy of the pregnancy is overshadowed by Mike’s growing obsession with violence and his deepening ties to the underworld. The tension peaks when Anna speaks about the death of Schreurs, leading to a police interrogation. This creates a rift of distrust, as Osman begins to question the loyalty of the group. Tragically, Anna suffers a miscarriage and returns to her parents’ home. Although Mike eventually convinces her to return to him, his relationship with Osman reaches a breaking point when Osman accuses Stan of cooperating with the police. Mike confronts the crime lord, subsequently making himself a target of Osman’s organization. In the midst of this chaos, Stan and Anna discuss the possibility of leaving their current life behind, and Stan secretly begins hoarding money to fund their escape.

The climax begins when Mike returns to Sef, who claims that another large sum of money is hidden in the home of an elderly couple. Mike, Stan, and Sef execute the robbery, but the promised wealth is not immediately found. In a moment of malice, Sef reveals Stan’s secret: that he has been saving money to run away with Anna. This revelation is viewed as a betrayal by Mike, leading to a violent confrontation. Mike turns on Stan, and the group eventually turns on Anna, causing the fragile bonds of their friendship to shatter completely.

The cycle of violence concludes with the group broken apart, leaving Stan as the lone survivor of the wreckage. Reflecting on the trauma of his youth, Stan reaches a cynical conclusion about human connection. He realizes that the people he loves inevitably disappear from his life, and he decides that the only way to protect himself from future pain is to keep everyone at a distance, ensuring that no one can ever hurt him again.