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After her son Kevin commits a horrific act, troubled mother Eva reflects on her complicated relationship with her disturbed son as he grew from a toddler into a teenager.
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Grave, contemporary, earnest and bleak.
- gravecomic
- contemporarynostalgic
- earnestironic
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“Is We Need to Talk About Kevin emotionally manipulative?”
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Reviews on TMDB
Written by TMDB members; each links to the original. Not part of Tastebuds's numbers.
- CinemaSerfon TMDB · May 20247/10
"Eva" (Tilda Swinton) and "Frank" (John C. Reilly) do make for quite an unlikely couple but that they become, marrying and having a son. He's the eponymous child with whom she simply cannot bond. She only has to look at him and he bursts into tears, or fills his nappy. She must persevere, though, hoping as he ages that things might improve. Fat chance! Indeed, when the couple have a daughter, this seems to make matters between her and him (now Jasper Newell) even worse. He's not a very pleasant character, it has to be said, and as he ages further (into Ezra Miller) he knows exactly which buttons to press ensuring both her compliance to his wishes most of the time, and that has the most miserable time whilst he plays up to his father and pretends friendship with his sister. Now dad maybe didn't think it through when he gave the youngster a toy bow and arrow set, especially as that becomes a more serious hobby for a "Kevin" who has malevolent tattooed on his forehead. You just know things are going to end badly, but maybe not quite as horrifically as they do in the conclusion. I like Miller, and I think here he adds a strong degree of calculation to his portrayal of the flawed "Kevin
Read the whole review on TMDB - Nathanon TMDB · May 20235/10
I enjoyed this, although I felt that it had potential to be really special. The direction was overall solid, with great audio and visuals beats that are present throughout the entire film. It creates subtle and eerie tension that continues to grow until the sinister climax of the film. Tilda Swinton was great and was really the only performance that stood out. John C. Reilly was such a weird choice, I do not really see him as a dramatic actor, and it kind of showed here. Ezra Miller was fine, though I thought they were a bit exaggerated. The pacing was pretty slow, I felt there was too much build up to the finale and not all of it was warranted. Two hours felt too long in my opinion. Overall, this is still a solid film with tremendous direction that is single handedly saved by Tilda Swinton. Score: 52% Verdict: Average
Read the whole review on TMDB - Renoon TMDB · Dec 20166/10
**How do you define a parenting failure!** The film was based on the book of the same name, directed by a Scottish director. A psychological thriller, one of those what some people feel uncomfortable watching it. The film holds a suspense from the past event, it is not going to be revealed until the final quarter. Till then makes us to keep guessing it. Followed by the pieces of flashback, the story of a mother who struggled to raise his first born, a boy named Kevin was told. It takes us to show how happy she was before. Once she got pregnant, everything changed in her life forever. She failed to understand her son. Ever since he was a baby, he had given her a lot of trouble. When he reaches his teenage, it becomes even more complication to her to handle him and events around him. But a big blow is what shocks the entire neighbourhood and her life turns a hell. Shot within a month. Tilda Swinton's one of the best, maybe the best of all the bests. She should have been nominated for the Oscars. I think that's one of the greatest snub ever. The supporting cast was amazing too, including John C. Reilly in a small part and particularly those Kevins from different ages. The overall tone
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Cast
- Tilda SwintonEva Khatchadourian
- John C. ReillyFranklin
- Ezra MillerKevin, Teenager
- Siobhan Fallon HoganWanda
- Alex ManetteColin
- Jasper NewellKevin, 6-8 Years
- Ashley GerasimovichCelia
- Rocky DuerKevin, Toddler
- Kenneth FranklinSoweto
- Leslie LylesSmash Lady
Crew
- Lynne RamsayDirector
- Lynne RamsayScreenplay
- Rory Stewart KinnearScreenplay
- Lionel ShriverNovel
- Seamus McGarveyDirector of Photography
- Jonny GreenwoodOriginal Music Composer
- Joe BiniEditor
- Jennifer FoxProducer
- Luc RoegProducer
- Robert SalernoProducer
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Pairings
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Sharp Objects 201877% alikeTelevision · Both grave, contemporary, earnest.
A Little Life 200877% alikeBook · Both contemporary, grave, earnest.
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