Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Genre-bending coming-of-age story has strong language, sex.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Make Up
What's the Story?
In MAKE UP, 18-year-old Ruth (Molly Windsor) arrives at a holiday park in southern England to spend the summer with her boyfriend, Tom (Joseph Quinn). But, it turns out day-to-day life is less exciting than anticipated and the time she's able to spend with Tom is monotonous and tense. Increasingly Ruth is drawn to fellow employee Jade (Stefanie Martini), whose vibrant spirit and lust for life leads her to experiment with wigs and make up, and explore her identity. As the two spend more time together, Ruth realizes her feelings run deeper than friendship and she struggles to understand and accept her same-sex attraction.
Is It Any Good?
Make Up is a fantastic debut feature from director Claire Oakley that manages to straddle multiple genres. What at first presents as an eerie thriller gradually becomes a drama about self-discovery and freedom that is handled with an intimate and wildly creative touch by Oakley. Filmed mostly in muted tones, with frequent moments of stillness and quiet, the feeling of isolation and claustrophobia mixed with ominous visions and noises create a heightened state of tension just waiting to be cut.
Windsor makes for a captivating lead, who keeps her cards close to her chest as she navigates the confusing terrain of questioning her sexuality. Subdued pinks and oranges evolve into deep reds in dreamlike flashes that prove a stark contrast to the dreary surrounding environment. This creates an intriguing visual style that will pull more patient viewers into a movie that is somehow both bold and delicate in equal measure -- and a promising debut from a fresh new British filmmaker.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Make Up portrays sex. Is it affectionate? Respectful? Parents, talk to your teens about your own values regarding sex and relationships.
Discuss the relationship between Ruth and Jade. How does the movie handle the subject of sexuality? Does it do it well? Why, or why not?
How is teen drinking and smoking portrayed in the movie? Is substance use glamorized? Are there realistic consequences? Why does that matter?
Discuss the strong language used. Does it seem necessary or excessive? What does it contribute to the movie?
Movie Details
- On DVD or streaming : November 13, 2020
- Cast : Molly Windsor , Joseph Quinn , Stefanie Martini
- Director : Claire Oakley
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Mutiny Pictures
- Genre : Drama
- Character Strengths : Curiosity
- Run time : 86 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : August 13, 2021
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