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Parents' Guide to

Do Not Reply

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Grim thriller about abducting and brainwashing teens.

Movie R 2020 100 minutes
Do Not Reply Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 16+

Based on 3 parent reviews

Thrillm3
Thrillm3 Adult
July 4, 2021
age 11+

All too real

This is for girls a great way to show them what does happen when we are groomed via chat rooms and meet up with strangers. Granted this is not how most girls end up which is trafficked but this is fucked up reality
1 person found this helpful.
Leah P.
Leah P. Adult
March 28, 2023
age 18+

Drugs, sex, assault, gore

A lot of gory violence, scene depicting sexual assault on a teenager, other sexual themes, very dark.

This title has:

Too much violence
See all 3 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In DO NOT REPLY, shy, lonely teen Chelsea (Amanda Arcuri) lives in the shadow of her popular cheerleader sister. Even her best friend, Mia (Ivon Millan), has been swept away by a new boyfriend. Chelsea takes refuge in attentive messages sent by an anonymous online admirer, and, after a few weeks, she agrees to meet him in person for a Halloween party. After accepting a drink from him, Chelsea wakes up in a dirty basement. Her captor, Brad (Jackson Rathbone), tells her that now her name is "Sadie." She must bleach her hair blonde and wear her cheerleader uniform, along with two other captive women (Kerri Medders and Elise Luthman), and do everything the volatile, abusive Brad tells her to do. But Chelsea is determined to escape. She meets another woman who's hidden away with a deadly stab wound (inflicted by Brad) and learns the secrets that she'll need to set her plan in motion.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3 ):
Kids say (1 ):

Intended as a cautionary tale with a message, this grim, unpleasant thriller is too close to raw exploitation to take seriously; all that remains is a picture of cruel abuse and victimized women. While Chelsea is portrayed as heroic, never giving up hope of escape, it's difficult to reconcile that side of her with the earlier take on her character. And the other women are completely indoctrinated, proclaiming their "love" for Brad and competing for his attentions. It's all very distressing.

Technically, the movie -- helmed by the father-son team of Walter and Daniel Woltosz, both making their feature directing debut -- looks good, with a strong sense of claustrophobia, prison-like rooms, and the use of footprint-catching shag rugs. But the pair can't quite find a rhythm that allows for any kind of release from the despair. Brad is played, as you'd expect, as a psychopath with coiled, quiet moments and explosions of temper (with, of course, a shirt buttoned all the way up to the collar), and he's abhorrent. It's difficult to get away from the "thriller-y" aspects of Do Not Reply to get at the truth of its supposed message.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Do Not Reply's violence. Does it feel more intense and shocking when it's directed at women? How does it feel when it is directed at the male kidnapper? What's the difference?

  • How does the movie portray the safety of online communities and relationships? Do you think it's trying to send a specific message?

  • How is sex depicted? What values are shown?

  • How is teen drinking depicted? Is it glamorized? Are there consequences for drinking? Why does that matter?

  • What's the difference between a "cautionary tale" and an "exploitation movie"? Which do you think this one is? Why?

Movie Details

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