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Parents' Guide to

Braid

By Danny Brogan, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 15+

Creepy psychological horror has graphic violence and drugs.

Movie R 2018 82 minutes
Braid Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

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What's the Story?

In BRAID, friends Petula (Imogen Waterhouse) and Tilda (Sarah Hay) are in desperate need of money after losing the drugs they intended to sell. They come up with a plan to steal the contents of a safe belonging to their former childhood friend, Daphne (Madeline Brewer), whose mental state means she lives in a fantasy world. In order for Petula and Tilda to succeed, they must participate in the same game the three played as children. Only this time, the game is no longer so innocent.

Is It Any Good?

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

Ironically, for a movie with a central plot that revolves around not breaking the rules of a game, this horror flick is chaotic, twisting and turning from the random to the ridiculous. Braid's dizzy approach is dreamlike -- indeed, you're never quite sure what's real and what's not -- and there's a definite creepiness that puts you on edge. But, as is often the way when someone describes their own dream, it's actually not that interesting.

It's beautifully shot -- noteworthy in that it's director Mitzi Peirone's first feature film -- with the psychedelic hallucinogenic scenes being particularly mesmerizing. But the movie doesn't weave together, with one scene jumping to another. And while the violence is graphic, it never shocks, again because you're never sure what's real -- a character's wounds magically heal, for example. The three leads -- Waterhouse, Hay, and Orange is the New Black's Brewer -- capture the mood, and, while certainly not likeable, have enough spunk to stop you despising them, despite their actions. But ultimately we're left with a movie that, while atmospheric, isn't nearly as edgy as it thinks it is.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the violence in Braid. Did it seem realistic? Was it necessary to the story? Can you think of examples when violence in a movie hasn't felt necessary?

  • Discuss the drug use in the movie. Is it glamorized? Why does that matter?

  • How did you feel about the portrayal of Daphne's mental illness? Did you think it excused some of her behavior? Why might people feel the portrayal is problematic?

  • Did you have sympathy with any of the characters? If not, why not?

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