We Need to Talk About Kevin
What it’s about:
A suspenseful and gripping psychological thriller, Lynne Ramsay’s We
Need to Talk About Kevin explores the factious relationship between a
mother and her son. Tilda Swinton, in a bracing, tour-de-force
performance, plays the mother, Eva, as she contends for 15 years with
the increasing malevolence of her first-born child, Kevin (Ezra Miller).
Based on the best-selling novel of the same name, We Need to Talk About
Kevin explores nature vs. nurture on a whole new level as Eva’s own
culpability is
measured against Kevin’s
innate evilness. Ramsay’s masterful storytelling simultaneously combines
a provocative moral ambiguity with a satisfying and compelling
narrative, which builds to a chilling, unforgettable climax.
What the critics thought:
“Kevin is an extraordinary work from Ramsay, a filmmaker with an uncommon gift for getting at the inner psychology of her characters through striking visuals.” – Ian Buckwalter, The Atlantic
“The film’s bluntness doesn’t diminish the power of the nature-versus-nurture questions Eva’s asking herself. Or of Swinton’s harrowing portrait of parental guilt.” – Bob Mondello, NPR
“Ms Ramsay, with ruthless ingenuity, creates a deeper dread and a more acute feeling of anticipation by allowing us to think we know what is coming and then shocking us with the extent of our ignorance.” – A.O. Scott, New York Times
“Ezra Miller’s sneering, absurdly precocious evil-child performance makes him just another bad-seed horror villain.” – Liam Lacey, Globe and Mail
