Godsend

  • Review Date: September 22, 2005
  • PG-13
  • Genre: Thriller
  • 2004
 Review

Common Sense Media says

A bad thriller that is too intense for tweens.
greenON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
yellowPAUSE: Know your child; some content
may not be right for some kids.
redOFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
not for kidsNOT FOR KIDS: Not appropriate for kids any age.

Find out more

Quality
 
Sometimes media can be age appropriate but a real waste of time. Our star rating assesses the media's overall quality.

Find out more

Parents say

Not yet rated

Kids say

Not yet rated

What parents need to know

Parents need to know that this movie is a horror-style thriller with many scary surprises and grisly images. Characters are in peril and some are killed. Characters drink alcohol and use some strong language.

  • Not applicable.
  • Horror-style thriller with scary surprises and grisly images.
  • Non-graphic sexual references and situations.

What's the story?

Paul (Greg Kinnear) and Jessie (Rebecca Romijn-Stamos) are the loving parents of Adam (Cameron Bright). He is killed just after his 8th birthday and a former professor of Jessie's named Richard (Robert DeNiro) makes them a stunning offer. If they give him access to some of Adam's cells within 72 hours, he will use them to create an exact replica of Adam. If they agree, they will have to leave their jobs and home and cut off all ties with friends and family, because no one must know. At first, it seems like a dream come true. Paul and Jessie have a beautiful new home and they have their son back. But when Adam turns 8, he begins seeing things and his behavior is increasingly aggressive, even disturbed. They take him to see "Uncle Richard," who says that "things could change once he crossed the age when he died." They knew exactly what to expect up for the first 7 years, but "we don't have a map past age 8."


Is it any good?

 

Once Adam turns eight, GODSEND falls apart, turning into a mishmash of jumpy surprises and creepy portents, with a dash of exposition drivel, some scenery-chewing, and a lot of stuff that even in the horror movie-watching-suspension-of-belief mode makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

The movie updates two of the most compelling and enduring themes in horror. First is the idea of the beloved child who becomes threatening or evil. In a sense, all children turn into monsters at some point. Those darling angels who love us more than anything and want us to know everything about them eventually turn into hostile teenagers who want us to know nothing about them. The second theme goes all the way back to the earliest recorded stories: men trying to play God with, tragic results. As with hundreds of myths and fairy tales, this is a story whose moral is "be careful what you wish for."


Sign Up Message
Sign up for our weekly newsletter
Each week we send a customized newsletter to our parent and teen subscribers. Parents can customize their settings to receive recommendations and parent tips based on their kids’ ages. Teens receive a version just for them with the latest reviews and top picks for movies, video games, apps, music, books, and more.
Please enter an email address.
Please check your email address for possible typos.
Sorry, you must be 13 or older to subscribe to our weekly newsletter.
Sign me up!

What families can talk about

Families can talk about other stories inspired by the wish to bring back a loved one who has died, including The Vampire Lestat, The Monkey's Paw, and Frankenstein.


This review was written by Nell Minow

There aren't any reviews yet. Be the first to review this title below.


This review was written by Nell Minow
Studio:Lionsgate
Cast:Greg Kinnear, Rebecca Romijn, Robert De Niro
Genre:Thriller
Run time:102 minutes
Theatrical release date:April 30, 2004
DVD release date:August 17, 2004
MPAA rating:PG-13
MPAA explanation:violence including frightening images, a scene of sexuality and some thematic material

This review was written by Nell Minow
 

Review It

Share your review with others

Hang on! You need to be a member to post your review.
A safe community is important to us. Please observe our guidelines.
About our rating system
ON: Content is age-appropriate for kids this age.
PAUSE: Know your child; some content may not be right for some kids.
OFF: Not age-appropriate for kids this age.
Learning ratings
BEST: Really engaging, great learning approach.
GOOD: Pretty engaging, good learning approach.
FAIR: Somewhat engaging, OK learning approach.
NOT FOR LEARNING: Not recommended for learning.

Great alternatives handpicked by our editors

 

vote now

Will you see Godsend?


Already seen it? What do you think?

 

Been There? Tell us about it