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Parents' Guide to

Alone Together

By Jeffrey M. Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Attractive but frustrating romantic drama has language, sex.

Movie R 2022 98 minutes
Alone Together Movie: Poster

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

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What's the Story?

ALONE TOGETHER begins in the early days of the COVID-19 lockdown in March 2020, with food critic June (Katie Holmes) determined to get to her rented Airbnb in upstate New York. On the way, she learns that her boyfriend, John (Derek Luke), won't be joining her; he's decided to stay behind with his terrified parents. When June arrives, she finds that the place has been double-booked: Charlie (Jim Sturgess) is already staying there. It's late, so he agrees to let her spend the night. With lockdown in full effect -- and June certain that her relationship with John is on the rocks -- June and Charlie fall into an easy romance, eating together, taking bike trips, and enjoying the countryside. But when John turns up, June must face reality again.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: Not yet rated
Kids say: Not yet rated

Holmes' romantic drama has a gentle, elegant touch, but it's eventually undone by odd storytelling choices that make the characters feel disconnected. Perhaps inspired by the work of Woody Allen -- especially in the opening New York-set montage -- and Eric Rohmer, Alone Together, which Holmes wrote and directed, deliberately focuses more on character and conversation than plot. It creates an atmosphere of relaxing surrender, with outdoorsy fresh air and unhurried evenings. Unfortunately, all that open air lets viewers easily spot the holes in the screenwriting.

More than once, when speaking to one another, characters withhold a vital piece of information when there's no reason for doing so. It gives the impression of people interacting from within private compartments being manipulated to tell a story rather than interacting naturally. Then there are niggling annoyances like Holmes' endless costume changes (three in one day, for no particular reason), all apparently packed in one small travel bag; the fact that the huge rental house apparently has only one bathroom and one bedroom; the preponderance of product placement; and the fact that the characters stay on in the Airbnb well after their rental time has expired, and no one seems to notice or care. All in all, Alone Together leaves you with the feeling of being checked out.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Alone Together's depiction of sex. What values are imparted? What do the characters learn about themselves and others?

  • How are drinking and smoking depicted? Are they glamorized? Are there consequences? Why is that important?

  • What reactions did you have to the scenes involving the COVID-19 pandemic? Is it hard to re-experience it? Why, or why not?

  • How important is communication in this story? What happens when people don't communicate? What happens when they do?

  • How did you feel about the various brands and products used in the movie? Did it feel like advertising, or just atmosphere? What's the difference?

Movie Details

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