Rating: 4/5
Mommy was happy before widdle Kevin came along, did you know dat?
A Bad Seed-like thriller where Eva (Tilda Swinton) knows from day one that there’s something wrong with her son, Kevin. Worse still, she tries to get help for him, but medical doctors say he’s fine, and her husband, Franklin (John C. Riley), does not believe her
But the film is not interested in giving easy answers. Eva is not a great mother and resents the stubborn aggression Kevin shows her that he doesn’t to Franklin. It is impossible to know if Kevin would have turned out differently otherwise
The movie starts in the present day, where we see the fallout of an unknown crime that Kevin committed, her house splattered with red paint. Eva’s life is in shambles, and she can barely walk the streets without stares or harassment. Through her flashback and memories, we see Eva and Kevin’s tortured relationship, zero in on what happened, and maybe learn why
Ramsey is a patient filmmaker, and her ability to keep the tension tight and prolonged makes the story hit that much harder
Ezra Miller is pretty bad in this. It’s telling when the kid that plays the younger Kevin pulls off a more nuanced performance. All Miller brought was a furrowed brow
Still, a small problem in an otherwise excellent movie
Stray Thoughts
- I have made an unusual amount of jokey references to this for having not seen it
- Going to the sound of jackhammers to drown out baby Kevin’s screams — mood
- Watching John C. Reiley and Tilda Swinton kiss is weird
- As a nail-biter, his hangnails are too clean
- The pediatrician’s clown paintings are majestic
- I firmly believe this is about Ezra Miller’s actual childhood
- I know we’re supposed to dislike some of Tilda Swinton’s choices, but I hate kids too much that I would have made similar choices — hence, not having kids
- The target in the eye reflection shot is great