Answering the question: What movie should I watch?

For tragic, violent events, American news outlets typically focus on the event itself, before delving into the character of the perpetrator. The aftermath is rarely shown or discussed in terms of who feels the effects. Similarly, the lead up gets the cursory glance before focusing on what caused it—outside the people in question—and how to prevent it in the future.

We Need to Talk About Kevin, based on a 2003 novel, simultaneously discusses the beforehand through the struggles of motherhood and the aftermath with how the family and town are changed. Tilda Swinton stars as Eva, a skittish woman with a tenuous hold on her sanity in the present day after her son, Kevin, terrorized her and his school two years prior. Continue reading →