There’s Something Wrong with that Kid!

Review: We Need to Talk About Kevin

So I actually got to see the compelling and unnerving film We Need to Talk About Kevin about a month ago, but I wanted to save posting the review until it received a wide release. And it finally has! So here we go! 

The movie follows Tilda Swinton (The Chronicles of Narnia) as the troubled mother Eva contending with the malevolence of her even more troubled son, Kevin (Jasper Newell/Ezra Miller). We watch with dread as Kevin’s sinister nature becomes more apparent with every scene.

“It's a nightmare, and director Lynne Ramsay emphasizes that by giving the story a surreal, dreamlike spin” (Eric D. Snider). The color red floods this movie and while I generally am not a fan of such artsy flairs, this time such affect is appropriate and not overdone. The film also switches back and forth between Eva’s tormented past with Kevin and the present as she mysteriously lives alone in a house which has been recently vandalized with blood-red paint. This was a smart, effective decision as it draws us in more effectively than a solely linear storyline would have, because we even more desperately want to fill in the missing pieces.

Tilda Swinton is phenomenal as a mother who wants to live the mom stereotype, but is overwhelmed by the unexpected hostility her son develops. She doesn’t know how to respond, and as his malice subtlety grows to the apparent ignorance of all others, Eva helplessly withdraws inward, clearly blaming herself for the menace only she seems to perceive.

The actors brought on to play this adolescent fiend, Jasper Newell as child-Kevin and Ezra Miller as teenage-Kevin, are both quietly haunting, exuding an aura of looming peril as they torment the mother who is slowly but surely surrendering hope for the morality of her son. Miller in particular gives a brutal performance which reminds us that the horror of this story is a reality that families and communities have been sadly subjected to in recent years.

The title of the film is certainly appropriate; the film forces a consideration of parenting that goes beyond a superficial nature-vs.-nurture discussion. Was the chaos caused by Kevin his mother’s fault? Could Eva have prevented his madness? Should anyone have anticipated the ferociousness of Kevin’s evil?

John C. Reilly (Carnage) is also in this movie, but not memorable in any real way. Not that he does a poor job, but the role could have been played by most anyone.

Ultimately, We Need to Talk About Kevin is a intriguing, compelling film which explores the unsettling development of a modern-day monster. Tilda Swinton gives what many are calling a tour-de-force performance, and Ezra Miller does equally as well.

The Final Word: Go buy a ticket.