Kimi

Kimi
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A Lot or a Little?
The parents' guide to what's in this movie.
What Parents Need to Know
Parents need to know that Kimi is a mystery thriller -- directed by Steven Soderbergh -- set in a contemporary tech world with themes around sexual assault and mental illness. When Angela Childs (Zoe Kravitz) uncovers a serious crime while working for a mega tech firm, she is determined to bring the culprits to justice, even though it puts her own life in danger. Audio recordings of a sexual assault are heard repeatedly and blurred footage shows a woman being punched and having her throat slit. There are further instances of violence involving kidnapping, a character being drugged, stabbings, and people being shot dead with nail guns -- including from close range. Angela is living with agoraphobia and other unspecified mental illnesses, which have been heightened by the COVID pandemic. She does strike up a sexual relationship with her neighbor, Terry (Byron Bowers), who tries to help her overcome her issues. The two of them are shown having sex and Angela is seen topless as she gets out of bed. Variants of "f--k" are routinely used, along with "s--t," "a--hole," "d--k," and "bitch." The tech company that Angela works for produces a product similar to the voice-controlled smart speakers available in the real world. Other real-life brands are referenced or visible throughout the film.
Community Reviews
For older kids
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A strong character driven film
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What's the Story?
In KIMI, while working for a Seattle tech firm, Angela Childs (Zoe Kravitz) believes she has uncovered a serious crime. But when she brings it to the attention of her employers she finds herself in danger too.
Is It Any Good?
This crime thriller set in the Seattle tech world has all the stylistic hallmarks you'd expect from acclaimed director Steven Soderbergh. Kimi looks great with cool warehouse apartments, a contemporary plot line about the technology we bring into our own homes, and a murder mystery. And yet the film fails to gel, feeling every much a sum of two parts. The first half builds on an interesting premise. Kravitz's Angela, a voice stream interpreter -- think the person who ensures Alexa understand's your every command -- suffers with agoraphobia, with her anxieties being heightened by COVID. While doing all she can to avoid leaving her apartment, she uncovers what she believes to be a sexual assault.
Comparisons to Rear Window are clear to see and Angela is both interesting and unusual enough to maintain our attention. However, when it kicks into its second half and becomes a game of cat and mouse -- a bunch of heavies are sent to retrieve key evidence from Angela -- the film's poor script and substandard supporting actors fail to keep up. As for Angela, the characteristics that initially made her an interesting character become sidelined. By the final shot, her mental health issues, which were such an integral part of her character, have seemingly disappeared completely without any real explanation. Throw in a character who by all accounts is a stalker then becoming the hero and any of the film's initial slickness ends up in one icky mess. Kimi looks and sounds like a big budget release -- great cinematography, awesome soundtrack -- but feels very much like a straight to TV movie.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Kimi portrayed Angela's agoraphobia? How did it impact her and those around her? Why is it important that mental illness is portrayed sensitively in films?
Discuss the movie's violence. 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?
Talk about the strong language used. Did it seem necessary or excessive? What did it contribute to the movie?
Technology played a key role in the story. What were the positives and negatives in how it was used? How did it reflect how we use technology in our own lives?
How did the movie portray sex? Was it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming: April 12, 2022
- Cast: Zoe Kravitz, Byron Bowers, Jaime Camil
- Director: Steven Soderbergh
- Studios: Warner Bros., HBO Max
- Genre: Thriller
- Run time: 89 minutes
- MPAA rating: R
- MPAA explanation: violence, language and brief sexuality/nudity
- Last updated: October 8, 2022
Our Editors Recommend
For kids who love thrillers
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