Common Sense Media Review
By Danny Brogan
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Very violent, gory British horror film isn't for everyone.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Censor
What's the Story?
Set in 1985, CENSOR finds Enid (Niamh Algar), a film censor of "video nasties," struggling to come to terms with the disappearance of her younger sister. When one of the movies she watches strikes a familiar chord, Enid becomes convinced that its star is in fact her missing sister and sets about trying to reconnect with her.
Is It Any Good?
A movie about "video nasties" is inevitably going to feature its fair share of blood and gore. And boy does Censor deliver on that front. This British horror movie from first-time feature director Prano Bailey-Bond is not for the squeamish. But if you have the stomach for it, then you'll be rewarded with a gripping tale about trauma, obsession, and even a fun -- albeit bloody -- revisit to the low-budget, exploitation horror movies that played out on VHS tapes in the 1980s. Indeed much of movie pays tribute to the "video nasty" genre. There's plenty of over-the-top violence, not just in the films that Enid must watch as part of her job as a film censor, but also in her own life too. Some of the scenes are incredibly gory. But while those films of the '80s often lacked a storyline, here Bailey-Bond has carefully crafted a narrative that when the blood and guts do fly, it never feels gratuitous.
Bailey-Bond is helped enormously by a superb performance from Algar (The Shadow of Violence) as Enid, who is in pretty much every scene. There's a scene where the camera focuses on Enid's face as she watches a movie and though we don't bear witness to the footage, her eyes perfectly capture the horror of what she's seeing, so we don't need to. Censor won't be for everyone and it's certainly not the kind of film for a family night in. But for those who grew up during the "video nasty" era of the 1980s, there's much to be found with this gory revisit to a bygone age.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence in Censor. Did the blood and gore seem over the top? Did the violent scenes help tell the story in an effective way? Was it shocking or thrilling? Why? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Did you find the movie scary? What's the appeal of scary movies?
How was mental illness portrayed in the movie? Was it handled sensitively? Why is that important?
Were you surprised to see people smoking in the workplace? How have our attitudes toward smoking changed over the years?
Talk about the strong language in the movie. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
Movie Details
- In theaters : June 11, 2021
- On DVD or streaming : June 18, 2021
- Cast : Niamh Algar , Michael Smiley , Nicholas Burns
- Director : Prano Bailey-Bond
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Magnet Releasing
- Genre : Horror
- Run time : 84 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : July 13, 2022
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