Parents' Guide to

1922

By Renee Longstreet, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Gruesome murder tale with horrific visuals; violence, gore.

Movie NR 2017 102 minutes
1922 Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 15+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Bobby G.
Bobby G. Parent of 9-year-old
September 20, 2019
age 13+

A bit bloody

This movie really isn’t too bad, save for one scene: a woman is attacked while sleeping, and her throat is slit while she struggles. That may sound horrific, but the camera is very shaky and you can’t see the event all that well as it’s night. This movie is disturbing but not amazing.
gia123
gia123 Adult
April 21, 2019
age 14+

Gory and Disturbing.

I thought that this movie was very gory. Also a little disappointing I did not think that it needed to be that gory.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

It's 1922 on an isolated farm in Nebraska when Wilfred James (Thomas Jane) determines that he must murder his wife, Arlette (Molly Parker). Arlette has inherited 100 acres of adjoining land from her father and insists on selling it and moving to the big city (Omaha), whether Wilfred wants to join her or not. She's not to be reasoned with. What's more, she promises her husband that Henry (Dylan Schmid), their 14-year-old son, belongs with her. Threatened with losing all he holds dear (the farm and his son), Wilfred manipulates young Henry into being his accomplice. After the deed is done, and Arlette's voluntary absence has been explained away satisfactorily to the locals, the relationship between Wilfred and Henry, complicated by the boy's devotion to a neighbor girl, begins to come apart -- as does Henry's sanity. A series of ghastly misadventures sends both father and son on the road to retribution.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (12):

Terrifyingly demented, with standout performances, this slow-moving but devastating tale of murder and insanity from a Stephen King novella is solid fare for fans of the horror genre. Thomas Jane creates a vivid portrait of a man bound by the limits of the world into which he was born and the constraints of his judgment. The length to which he will go to meet his "needs" is infinite. And he's paid back like a rat in a trap. Supporting players, including the fine Brian d'Arcy James and Neal McDonough, as well as Parker and Schmid, are first-rate. Director Zak Hilditch, working from his own adaptation of King's book, doesn't mind the unhurried pace -- all the better to make his audience squirm and recoil. The "ewww" factor is relentless as the story takes shape. 1922 is definitely not for the squeamish.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the grisly scenes in 1922. Do the gory scenes make you laugh? Disgust you? Make you turn your head away? Why do you think people, including many teens, respond to horror movies like this one? What ages do you think can handle this type of violence? Why?

  • In what ways do the creators of the story and movie effectively show the psychological consequences of murderous behavior? How did both Wilfred's and Henry's lives become forever changed after their evil act? How much of what Wilfred "saw" do you think was real, and how much was in his head?

  • How did the farm setting contribute to the overall atmosphere of the movie? Think about how the director, Zak Hilditch, moved the camera among the wheat fields and the wide shots of the farm. How did both the photography and music help convey the horror Hilditch was after?

Movie Details

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