Review: We Need to Talk About Kevin

Dir. Lynne Ramsay (2011)

Every parent to be has fears regarding the prospect of becoming responsible for a young life. Can I really handle this responsibility? What if maternal or paternal instincts never kick in? What if my child hates me? Is the adult a child becomes dictated by the care their parents provide or is their final form dictated by their personality?

So many questions, so many what-ifs.

We Need to Talk About Kevin may be a different kind of film to different viewers. Some may see it as a gripping drama, others a creepy slow burn character study, and yet others may find it to be straight up horror. This film is every parent’s darkest nightmare, beautifully manifest on film. It’s not popcorn entertainment, but it IS a masterful work.

The narrative hops between two timelines, giving enough information for the audience to remain invested but never fully holding them by the hand. Sometimes character moments are furthered through symbolic imagery and haunting sound rather than standard film exposition techniques. This gives the film an ethereal quality that is only enhanced by absolutely incredible performances by both Tilda Swinton and Ezra Miller. While the other actors in the film turn in fine performances, these two stand out so much that their characters transcend the actors themselves and live, breathe, and experience life on their own terms, fully divorced from the recognizable faces. 

It’s not an easy story to watch, flowing like fresh flower petals down a stomach-acid stream, but it IS an important and moving one. The cinematography, lighting, and editing are gorgeous and meticulous. Great pains are taken with each and every shot of the film, the resulting images and flow are nearly flawless. The soundtrack is comprised of pre-existing music, from classical Chinese movements to old-school bluegrass, and is often used to work as juxtaposition to the action on screen. This tension pervades nearly every minute of screen time, while I personally found the music choices to be inventive and interesting, I could see how some may find it distracting or off-putting in places. 

The cacophony of sound, symbolism and vivid color, while inspiring in a queasy way, can add up to an occasionally heavy handed sum. There’s no real on screen violence, but the results of alluded violence are clearly shown. As it is a film about parenthood and relationships, there is a fair bit of nudity and many uncomfortable situations. If the subject matter isn’t enough to turn some audience members off, the films occasionally graphic nature might just do the trick. On a personal note, I felt the film could have actually taken the horror elements a bit further but I’m sure there are many that disagree.

Should you see, We Need to Talk About Kevin? If a slow burn, character driven, drama horror film about parenthood and personal identity, fueled by striking visuals and gorgeous imagery sounds interesting, You Need to Talk About Kevin. If nudity, a prolonged sense of unease and discomfort, or a heavy reliance on style to tell a story are big turnoffs for you, it might be best if You Do Not Talk About Kevin.

-Josh Evans