NYWIFT Blog

The summer blockbusters are here to thrill and delight us with special effects; however, the psychological thriller is an overlooked genre that can deliver twists as jarring as any action movie. One such thriller We Need To Talk About Kevin (2011), a film based on the best selling book by Lionel Shriver, can easily be placed on the same horror list as Rosemary’s Baby (1968) and The Omen (1976), but with a plot ripped out of today’s real world headlines.

Directed by the gifted Lynne Ramsay (Ratcatcher, Morvern Callar),  We Need To Talk About Kevin is a visually stunning and chilling portrait of Eva (Tilda Swinton), the mother of Kevin (Ezra Miller, perfectly cast to resemble Ms. Swinton) who commits a Columbine-type massacre. The film stays true to the book in how it reveals their mother-son relationship from birth through to his imprisonment after his crime. It is a harrowing look at society’s vision of motherhood and a mother’s culpability for the sins of her child. Ramsay’s use of visual metaphors, color, and direction of her cast make this a must see film. 

We Need To Talk About Kevin can be found on Amazon Instant and Apple iTunes.

– M.A ST JOHN (@theReelScoop)