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Memory

(2007, Rated R, Horror, Starring Dennis Hopper, Billy Zane, Ann-Margret)

  • Is it age appropriate?

    About our ratings

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    Not age appropriate for kids under 16, age appropriate for kids over 99; suggested age 16.

  • Is it any good?

    1.0

  • Common Sense says

    Convoluted fright flick less scary than confusing.

Why We Rated This iffy for Ages 16–18

What to watch out for

  • Messages:

    Serial killer/child kidnapper remains at large for decades; so-called good-guy doctors break into homes, exchange files illegally, and lie to their loved ones.

  • Violence:

    Scary scenes show young girls being kidnapped (one screams as her father is knocked out and can't help her); two girls perish in an elementary school fire (the killer traps them there; viewers hear screaming and see flames); a girl uses her bracelet to cut the killer, drawing blood; repeated chase scenes are hectic and dark; body suffused with red ochre powder looks grotesque; killer makes porcelain masks of girls before killing them; final chase and fight in basement/catacombs is rendered with hectic camerawork and editing; killer screams a lot.

  • Sex:

    Killer dresses up kidnapped little girls in white dresses (no sexual activity implied, but significant gender definition by way of "preserving innocence"); Deep tells Taylor he "needs to get laid" Stephanie appears in her bra during a strip poker game, then slips it off to kiss Taylor; they next appear naked in bed (under covers) talking about their pasts.

  • Language:

    Several uses of "f--k," plus other language -- "s--t," "hell," "damn."

  • Consumerism:

    A Burberry trenchcoat plays a key role in the main character's nightmares.

  • Drinking, drugs, & smoking:

    A hallucinogenic drug is at the center of the mystery; killer stabs victims with a needle filled with a knockout drug; wine, liquor, and beer drinking; one cigar smoked.
 

What Parents Need to Know

About Memory

Parents need to know that this confusing horror movie depends on dark shadows, spastic camerawork, and not-spooky-enough music to make up for lack of sense and tension. The main character's nightmares/memories occur erratically and confuse -- rather than clarify -- matters. Sexual activity is brief, starting with drinks and strip poker and ending with a couple in bed under the covers. The serial killer doesn't appear to commit sexual acts on the kidnapped girls, but he does frighten them and make plaster casts of their faces before killing them off screen. A couple of kidnappings are visible and creepy, with girls screaming in fear. There is some social drinking, and the effects of hallucinatory drug (delirium, anxiety) are shown. Language includes several uses of "f--k."

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Families Can Talk About

  • Families can talk about different types of horror movies. What category does this one fall into? Which movies is it similar to (and different from)? Why are so many movies made about serial killers? Families can also talk about the connections between memory and identity. What does Taylor mean when he says that "Our lives are nothing more than our memories"? The director says the plot is based on science: Does it seem possible that people might transmit memories through DNA to our children?
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