Parents' Guide to Hector

Movie NR 2017 87 minutes
Hector movie poster: Peter Mullan in an orange coat and a bushy white beard and black woolly hat

Common Sense Media Review

Tom Cassidy By Tom Cassidy , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 14+

Trauma, kindness, swearing in British homelessness drama.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 14+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Hector: Two older White men smiling together
  • Hector: An older bearded White man in an orange coat and black woolly hat
  • Hector: Three people experiencing homelessness all in Orange jackets stand by a road looking for a lift

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What's the Story?

In HECTOR, a Scottish man (Peter Mullan) experiencing homelessness and ill health tries to find his sister and brother on his way to his annual Christmas stay at a London shelter.

Is It Any Good?

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

Family members resolving difficult emotions can be a slow path to forgiveness. In Hector, this path is hopeful but realistically complicated. By the time the closing credits start to roll, Hector—played with warmth and tenderness by Mullan—and his reunited siblings are only beginning the process of reconciliation, a journey that promises to be long and possibly difficult. But this realism is sadly lacking in the rest of this almost fairy tale-like portrayal of the lives of people experiencing homelessness. During writer and director Jake Gavin's film, Hector is attacked by two young men, but otherwise his life is one of continual kindness from strangers. It means the film leaves you with a sense of optimism that perhaps sugarcoats the very real struggles that those experiencing homelessness face on the street.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about how Hector depicted homelessness. Did it feel realistic? What do you think might be different for people experiencing homelessness in real life?

  • Discuss how Hector found himself on the streets. Did his backstory make you feel more compassion toward people who might be living a similar experience?

  • Talk about some of the language used. Did it seem necessary, or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie? Is a certain level of language expected in a film like this?

  • How was drinking and smoking depicted? Were there consequences? Does that matter?

Movie Details

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Hector movie poster: Peter Mullan in an orange coat and a bushy white beard and black woolly hat

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