Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Quirky, violent horror-comedy based on Twitter thread.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Dear David
What's the Story?
In DEAR DAVID, cartoonist Adam Ellis (Augustus Prew), who works for BuzzFeed, finds himself in a rut. He has trouble speaking openly with his partner, Kyle (René Escobar Jr.), and his editor, Bryce (Justin Long), has been breathing down his neck about his low numbers. Adam is also obsessed with reading and responding to the negative people who comment on his work. When Kyle leaves for a trip, Adam hunkers down and tries to come up with something edgier in his work. Meanwhile, an internet troll called "Dear David" starts following him. Not long after, Adam begins seeing things in his apartment, like a chair rocking itself and a ghost boy with part of his head missing. He then begins experiencing terrifying encounters in which he appears in strange places, witnessing sinister events. With the help of his best work friend, Evelyn (Andrea Bang), Adam must find out what's really going on.
Is It Any Good?
A peculiar mixture of comedy, "true story," and horror, this movie from director John McPhail wobbles to and fro but somehow never topples and is all the more likable as a result. McPhail's Anna and the Apocalypse did the same thing, moving into unexpected spaces and going dark when viewers expected humor (and vice-versa). Dear David continues with that appealingly off-kilter storytelling. Prew is very funny as Adam, who somehow can't help but get himself into trouble. And he's surrounded by other funny types, including Long as the BuzzFeed editor who talks about taking Adam's story into "all four quadrants."
So when McPhail kicks in with the horror stuff, including some truly unsettling hallucinations/visions, you may not be quite ready for how dark it's going to get. At one point, when Adam wakes up hanging out of his apartment window in the rain, we realize that, no matter how funny and likable he is, he's actually in peril here. McPhail weaves themes of social media and technology -- including spot-on parodies of "listicles" -- into the story, illustrating their insidious hold over us; social media is more of a "monster" than David is. McPhail doesn't give much consideration to the "true story" aspect of Dear David -- it feels like fiction -- but his juggling act with the rest of the material is both impressive and entertaining.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Dear David's violence. How did it make you feel? Was it exciting? Shocking? What did the movie show or not show to achieve this effect? Why is that important?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared?
How would you describe the movie's message about social media?
If the movie is based on a true story, what events do you think really happened, and which were made up? Did the movie inspire you to do more research?
Movie Details
- In theaters : October 13, 2023
- On DVD or streaming : October 13, 2023
- Cast : Augustus Prew , Andrea Bang , Justin Long
- Director : John McPhail
- Inclusion Information : Queer Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Asian Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 94 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : violent content, language and a sexual reference
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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
Suggest an Update
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