Common Sense Media Review
By Sandie Angulo Chen
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Twisty "memory" thriller is too uneven to be memorable.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
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Where to Watch
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Anna
What's the Story?
In the near future, society has come to accept a technological and psychological innovation that allows certain trained individuals to enter others' dreams to see whether they're telling the truth about events or situations. Called "remote viewing," the ability is carried out by memory investigators employed by Mindscape, a company run by Sebastian (Brian Cox), a leading psychiatrist. Sebastian asks his grieving employee, John (Mark Strong), whose wife committed suicide, to help on a "simple case": Sixteen-year-old ANNA (Taissa Farmiga) is the daughter of wealthy parents who don't know whether to commit her or keep her at home. They want John to figure out exactly what her role was in the mysterious poisoning of her boarding school classmates. As John starts to remotely view Anna's memories, he doubts their authenticity, but he can't seem to figure out whether she's telling the truth or manipulating him.
Is It Any Good?
As a psychological thriller, Anna's (it was originally titled Mindscape) premise is compelling. A genius teenager with haunting eyes could be a psychopath or could be the victim of both a cleverer classmate's plan and her rich parents' neglect. Add in an emotionally damaged investigator trying to avoid commingling his own drama with his client's, and you've got the makings of an interesting story. But the filmmakers keep throwing in too many distractions, sub plots, and possible theories and scenarios that get so little follow-through that it's obvious they're red herrings.
Mark Strong, like Tom Hiddleston, is a wonderful English actor who's deserving of more lead roles instead of just playing wicked baddies. And it's a pleasure to see that Farmiga can match her sister Vera's soulful eyes and evocative acting style. But overall, this suspense-filled thriller is just intriguing and well acted enough to make you wait for the big reveal but messy enough to make you wish that you'd sat through a better twisty thriller.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Anna's violence. How did it affect you? Was it disturbing? Did the fact that it takes place in a memory give it more or less impact?
Do you agree that memories can be false or almost wishful thinking? Why do you think people alter their memories?
Was it necessary to show the nudity in the scene that includes it? If the nude photos hadn't been shown, do you think the movie would be appropriate for slightly younger teens? Why or why not?
What are some other movies that play with memories or dreams? How does this one compare?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 6, 2014
- On DVD or streaming : August 5, 2014
- Cast : Mark Strong , Taissa Farmiga , Brian Cox
- Director : Jorge Dorado
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Vertical Entertainment
- Genre : Thriller
- Topics : School ( High School )
- Run time : 99 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : nude sexual images
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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