Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Frustrating take on time-loop formula has sex and gore.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
6:45
What's the Story?
In 6:45, Jules (Augie Duke) and her boyfriend, Bobby (Michael Reed), decide to take a vacation together after surviving a huge fight. They take a ferry to Bog Grove, an island tourist destination that, they discover, is curiously empty. They check into the Cozy Nook, where the proprietor, Gene (Armen Garo), hints that this particular weekend is an anniversary of an event that no one wants to remember. Even though their alarm unexpectedly goes off at 6:45 the next morning, the couple still spends a delightful day exploring the shops and having lunch. But then, out of nowhere, a hooded figure stabs Jules and breaks Bobby's neck. Then Bobby wakes up again at 6:45, and it's the same day, though Jules has no memory of what happened. Can Bobby find the secret of the repeating day and stop Jules and himself from being murdered?
Is It Any Good?
This slasher-thriller begins promisingly, following the familiar "time loop" movie rules, but it eventually devolves, finally feeling like little more than an unsatisfying gimmick. 6:45 has the interesting idea of focusing on a couple, rather than just a single person, but the filmmakers don't seem to have put much thought into just how Bobby -- the one who's stuck in the time loop -- would try to communicate with his partner, Jules. He just seems to mope around and get mad, pretending to go through the motions of the day. (Perhaps a better idea would have been for the couple to be stuck together, as in the much cleverer, more touching Palm Springs.)
As the movie goes on, Bobby becomes less and less likable, and he never seems to use the time loop for anything positive. One day, spent entirely indoors, might have had some charm, but it's punctuated by angst and then a silly character mistake. Perhaps most frustrating is the fact that Bobby can never seem to escape the masked slasher. The killer just walks up to the couple and does his stuff, and Bobby stands there, slack-jawed, while the killings happen again and again. When the final act comes, 6:45 tries for a "twist," but the nature of the twist negates the entire idea of a time loop, and it feels like we've been swindled.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about 6:45's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
How is sex depicted in the story? Does it seem based on trust, love, and respect? Is it gratuitous? What does that mean?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? What's the appeal of movies about slashers?
How does the movie follow -- or break -- the rules of the "time loop" genre? What's the appeal of time-loop stories?
How well does the couple in the movie communicate with one another? Would clearer or more honest communication have helped them?
Movie Details
- In theaters : August 6, 2021
- On DVD or streaming : March 22, 2022
- Cast : Augie Duke , Michael Reed , Armen Garo
- Director : Craig Singer
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s) , Middle Eastern/North African Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : Storyboard Media , Well Go USA
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 93 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong violence and gore, sexual content, nudity, and language throughout
- Last updated : July 2, 2022
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