Parents' Guide to Barron's Cove

This thriller might be a tough watch if you're easily affected by violence involving children. Indeed, the entire plot of Barron's Cove hinges on violence toward kids, including torturing a child to get to the bottom of a mysterious, equally violent death. But if that warning doesn't dissuade you from watching the film, you'll find that it has compelling performances, particularly in the scenes between Hedlund and Covey. Covey in particular handles a lot of mature situations and physicality with the professionalism of an actor twice his age, making his performance haunting on that level alone. He holds his own with adult screen partners like Hedlund, Linklater, and Lang, showing promising potential.

Hedlund plays more to his known strengths as yet another rough-and-tumble type, but he also shows that he can use empathy, vulnerability and pain to keep viewers on his side. It's important to note that even though Severance's Tramell Tillman is advertised as being part of the cast, he's barely in the film, and his character is mostly there to give Caleb the information and tools he needs to finish the plot. Bottom line? Barron's Cove will keep you enthralled, as long as you're prepared to see young characters in pain.