What we flagged
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Our take
A boy grows up surrounded by violent and predatory adults in The Devil All the Time. The story is slow and bleak, with shootings, sexual abuse, suicide and harsh language, and its religious characters sometimes use faith to excuse cruelty. There is little relief from the mood. We would keep this for 17 and up.
Uplifting themes
The film shows how violence and hate get passed down through families and churches. Any lesson about that cycle is bleak and needs a parent beside an older teen to unpack it A few people are loyal and kind, but most of the adults are cruel, predatory, or fanatical. The lead's love for his sister is the main bright spot Gives a bleak, adult look at rural poverty, faith, and violence in the post-war American South, with little room for comfort
Story (may spoil tone)
In Knockemstiff, Ohio and its neighboring backwoods, sinister characters converge around young Arvin Russell as he fights the evil forces that threaten him and his family.
What we flagged
Details
Violence Shootings, beatings, and a stabbing run through the film, led by violen…
Shootings, beatings, and a stabbing run through the film, led by violent men and a murderous couple. A boy is beaten at school, and an animal is killed in a ritual, with the gunshot heard off screen
Language Strong swearing is constant, led by dozens of f-words and plenty of the…
Strong swearing is constant, led by dozens of f-words and plenty of the s-word, plus b-word and b-word. One ethnic slur is used, and crude family taunts hit a boy at school
Sex / nudity Sexual content is dark and exploitative: sex acts are implied in cars,…
Sexual content is dark and exploitative: sex acts are implied in cars, photographs show bare breasts and male genitals, and one split-second flash shows an erect penis. The tone is uncomfortable and cold
Drugs / alcohol Characters drink and smoke throughout, and several turn up drunk at bar…
Characters drink and smoke throughout, and several turn up drunk at bars, church, and family fights. Alcohol is bound up with loneliness and bad decisions, never played as fun
Frightening Dread hangs over the whole film, with murders, an intense revival sermo…
Dread hangs over the whole film, with murders, an intense revival sermon with live spiders, and men who prey on others. The mood is grim and unrelenting
Self-harm / suicide Suicide comes up in more than one storyline, tied to grief and despair.…
Suicide comes up in more than one storyline, tied to grief and despair. Characters live with the aftermath, and the film treats it seriously and without detail
Sexual violence A young woman is groomed and abused by a man with authority, and a pair…
A young woman is groomed and abused by a man with authority, and a pair of killers coerce and attack women. The assaults are mostly implied or shown through aftermath, but the harm is clear
Child peril / abuse Children are bullied, beaten, and left in danger, and a young boy watch…
Children are bullied, beaten, and left in danger, and a young boy watches terrible things happen to his family. Teen characters are also targeted by predatory adults
Bullying / discrimination A boy is taunted and beaten at school, with cruel remarks about his fam…
A boy is taunted and beaten at school, with cruel remarks about his family. Religious hypocrisy and contempt for outsiders are everywhere in the story
Gore / death / weapons Gunshot wounds, a neck stabbing, and bloody bodies are shown, including…
Gunshot wounds, a neck stabbing, and bloody bodies are shown, including a bloodied crucified figure seen from a distance. Guns turn up in almost every thread of the story
Dangerous behaviour Weapons are passed around casually, including to a teen, and a church s…
Weapons are passed around casually, including to a teen, and a church service involves handling live spiders. Hard to copy, but worth noting
Mental health Several characters are broken by war memories, faith that tips into fan…
Several characters are broken by war memories, faith that tips into fanaticism, or grief. Their despair and unstable behaviour shape the story and are never lightened
Grief / bereavement Death comes again and again, including a mother's illness, the loss of…
Death comes again and again, including a mother's illness, the loss of parents, and funerals, leaving a young boy and his family deeply scarred. The sadness is relentless
Flashing lights We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
We have not confirmed whether this version contains flashing lights.
Family watch notes
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Talk after watching
- Faith is used to hurt people in this story. How can you tell the difference between belief that helps and belief that harms?
- Arvin tries to protect the people he loves in a brutal world. What did the film suggest about where his anger came from?
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The Devil All the Time
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