Once Were Humans (2021): cast, story & where to watch

Released in 2021, Once Were Humans is a drama film directed by Goran Vojnović, running about 89 minutes.

What it’s about. Leo is an Italian who lives in Slovenia. Vučko is a Bosnian who arrived to Slovenia as a child refugee. Leo continues to stay in Slovenia because of his ex-wife Tanja and his son Luka, hoping that they can become a family again. When the bank refuses to grant a loan Leo and Vučko would need to renovate their restaurant, they have no choice but to accept an offer from Gianni, a swindler. They are tasked with stealing Gianni’s truck so that he can collect the insurance money. However, instead of stealing Gianni’s truck, Leo and Vučko mistakenly steal a truck full of refugees. Vučko the refugee and Leo the migrant themselves thus inadvertently become responsible for destinies of people similarly unfortunate as they had once been. In order to solve their financial problems, they decide to sell the refugees. At first it seems that they are not indifferent towards these people, but with each passing day there is less and less humanity left in Leo and Vučko.

Who’s in it. Once Were Humans stars Francesco Borchi as Leo, Moamer Kasumović as Vučko, Maruša Majer as Tanja and Jaka Jakopič as Luka, among others.

Where to watch. Streaming options change often. See the full, country-by-country breakdown on our where to watch Once Were Humans page.

If you liked it. Fans of Once Were Humans tend to enjoy The Shawshank Redemption, The Godfather, Schindler's List and The Godfather Part II.