Blood and Chocolate

Movie review by Cynthia Fuchs, Common Sense Media
Blood and Chocolate Poster Image

Common Sense says

age 15+

Young, beautiful werewolves battle in Bucharest.

PG-13 2007 98 minutes
Rate movie

Parents say

age 15+

Based on 8 reviews

Kids say

age 11+

Based on 11 reviews

Common Sense is a nonprofit organization. Your purchase helps us remain independent and ad-free.
Rate movie

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

A Lot or a Little?

The parents' guide to what's in this movie.

What Parents Need to Know

Parents need to know that while this werewolf movie doesn't include any truly horrific onscreen violence, it does show the results of violent attacks -- namely, bloody injuries and dead bodies. As a child, the central werewolf witnesses her parents' shooting deaths (the child's perspective might be troubling to younger viewers). Most of the rest of the violence is less emotionally invested. Lots of images of wolves hunting and attacking humans; fights include leaps, punches, and kicks, as well as stabbings and falls. Some chase scenes through streets feature tense cuts and dark shadows. On the sex side, there's some cleavage on display, a girl dances provocatively at a nightclub, there's talk of "mating," and a romantic couple kisses (sex is implied). Once they're dead or wounded, wolves revert back to human form, nude (the crucial parts are covered). Fairly mild language; the characters drink liquor and discuss drugs and drug dealing.

Community Reviews

wonder dove
wonder dove Adult
November 3, 2012
age 14+

Not bad.

This movie isn't bad at all, but it is not great. I like Agnes Bruckner, her role was good and she is a terrific actress. Very likable in this! However, the story isn't very interesting, it seems a little dumb sometimes. I do enjoy the wolves though which makes the film watchable. It's very similar to any vampire movie but wolf themed instead of vampires. Not much action, I think I've only been able to watch it about three times out of the 5 years I've owned it, but I know others who really enjoy it. There is a bit of gore, lots of violence between wolves and people and some brief sexual content and innuendo (dancing, lyrics and clothing), a few kisses. Safe for mature 14 year olds and up.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
2 people found this helpful.
CaoimheMorana
CaoimheMorana Adult
September 14, 2010
age 14+

Not for the impressionable

While I have no major concerns with this movie, I ouldn't let just any child watch it. It is a bit dark and not for impressionable children. The movie is very loosely based off the book of the same name by Annette Curtis Klause. The book is much better overall.
2 people found this helpful.
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In BLOOD AND CHOCOLATE, werewolves have a hard time. Lurking in shadows, unable to "be themselves," the werewolves feel resentful and surly. Though they must hunt (it's their instinct), they try to hunt those humans deserving of a bad end. Enter 19-year-old Vivian (Agnes Bruckner), a werewolf who still suffers from her traumatic childhood in America. Now living in Bucharest and working as a chocolatier, Vivian loves to run free through the forest as a wolf, but doesn't much like ripping victims limb-from-limb. Her attitude doesn't sit well with her fellows, who want her to do as she's told. She's supposed to "mate" with pack leader Gabriel (Olivier Martinez), but she's not fond of him and falls in love with a human, Aiden (Hugh Dancy), a novelist who's in Bucharest to research the loup garoux. He's smitten when he meets a girl he believes to be human, but he's also well-versed on werewolf lore. Vivian is also rumored to be the subject of a prophecy, making her extra-valuable to Gabriel: She might be \"the one\" to lead her fanged community into a new sort of existence, deemed the \"age of hope.\"

Is It Any Good?

The story is told from the werewolves' point of view, which makes for an interesting film. The wolves' perspective makes humans look scary, especially when they come bearing large guns. The film never quite articulates what the "hope" is, so it's unclear whether wolves and humans will actually find a way to get along.

It's not easy to read Vivian's face -- she's always sensual and slightly pouty, as well as by turns angry, aggressive, aggrieved, and accusatory. In this, she embodies the movie's unresolved tensions. Still, she makes a solid case for girl werewolves' rights, seeing the world in a more "holistic" way than her masculine counterparts. That alone makes her heroic.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the tension between Vivian's family expectations and traditions and her desire to be "free" of them. How does she come to trust her own instincts? How does Vivian's position represent that of other women in the pack? How does her childhood trauma affect her decisions? How does Vivian's struggle relate to the kinds of issues that real teens deal with? What could the movie be a metaphor for?

Movie Details

Our Editors Recommend

  • Underworld Poster Image

    Underworld

    Pulpy, punk-ish story with some intense violence.

    age 17+
  • Teen Wolf (1985) Poster Image

    Teen Wolf (1985)

    Cheesy '80s comedy still works thanks to Fox-y star.

    age 13+
  • Twilight Poster Image

    Twilight

    Teen fans will love faithful -- if uneven -- adaptation.

    age 13+

Common Sense Media's unbiased ratings are created by expert reviewers and aren't influenced by the product's creators or by any of our funders, affiliates, or partners.

See how we rate