Common Sense Media Review
By Jennifer Green
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Suicide, death, language in emotionally intense drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
I'm Beginning to See the Light
What's the Story?
Ezra Cooper (Jack Huston) is a jazz legend with a checkered past who is struggling to earn a living from his art in I'M BEGINNING TO SEE THE LIGHT. After a reunion concert at a small club, where a handful of dedicated fans turn out but the pay is minimal, Ezra heads home with his wife (Jamie Chung) and sleepy young daughter (Athena Pia). An accident on their drive home results in tragedy and sends Ezra into a deep depression. He stumbles into a job watching over a lighthouse, where he helps save desperate souls intent on killing themselves, and where he also just might make a new life for himself with friend Sam (Brandon T. Jackson) and local schoolteacher Hannah (Abbie Cornish).
Is It Any Good?
Strong acting keeps this somewhat meandering melodrama afloat. Huston and Cornish have good chemistry, and Huston is convincing in the main role of a man climbing out of a deep depression after the loss of his family. The film seems to have had trouble lifting off the page, where its ensemble of quirky characters, lighthouse setting, and jazzy background probably read well. You witness Ezra's story of tragedy morphing into hopefulness, soak in the moody location, and hear the dramatic drums and cymbals in the background, yet the overall effect still falls a little flat.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about why the lighthouse draws people intent on killing themselves, and how it helps Ezra overcome his own personal struggles, in I'm Beginning to See the Light.
What meanings do you give to "light" in the film's title?
How does Ezra's background in jazz inform his character and this story? Would the feeling of the film have changed if he were, say, a rock musician instead? How so?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : May 1, 2025
- Cast : Jack Huston , Abbie Cornish , Brandon T. Jackson
- Director : Konstantin Khudyakov
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Gravitas Ventures
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Friendship , Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Run time : 102 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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