Parents' Guide to Meander

Movie NR 2021 90 minutes
Meander movie poster: A young White blond woman is trapped in a small, dark space illuminated by the bracelet on her wrist.

Common Sense Media Review

Kat Halstead By Kat Halstead , based on child development research. How do we rate?

age 16+

Claustrophobic French horror has violence, gore, language.

Parents Need to Know

Why Age 16+?

Any Positive Content?

  • Meander Trailer
  • Meander: A young White blond woman holds up an illuminated bracelet in a dark tunnel, bathed in blue light.
  • Meander: A young White blond woman holds up an illuminated bracelet, crouched in a small, bright white space.
  • Meander: A young White blond woman leans back against a wall, with blue light shining through small slats in the darkness.

Parent and Kid Reviews

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What's the Story?

In MEANDER, Lisa (Gaia Weiss) wakes up to find herself locked in a box, and has to navigate a series of dark tunnels full of horrific deadly traps in an attempt to survive.

Is It Any Good?

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

For all its twists and turns, flashes of backstory, and sci-fi elements, it's hard to forget we're still watching an attractive woman in a skin-tight outfit try to survive various violent/gory traps. Thankfully said traps in Meander are well executed -- owing much to Weiss's impressive acting in a fairly limited role -- and the atmosphere is disorientating and claustrophobic. Though the gore feels unnecessary in places, again, it's handled with skill -- to the point where you can almost smell a decomposing corpse as it squelches in Lisa's hands. Sci-fi/afterlife elements attempt to elevate the material, but end up confusing matters and taking away from the central premise -- and perhaps that's where a new angle would have been beneficial. Still, the runtime is tight and between the visceral sound design and the inventive settings this makes for an intense and immersive, if formulaic, addition to the genre.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the level of gore in Meander. How did it add to the experience? Do you think it was necessary? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?

  • The film centers a female lead who is strong and smart but also placed in the position of victim. Horror films have a history of victimizing women. How did this film compare to others with a similar premise? Did Lisa's strong, positive attributes make a difference here?

  • Lisa shows courage and perseverance throughout the film. Why are these important character traits? Can you think of a time when you've shown these traits in your own life?

Movie Details

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Meander movie poster: A young White blond woman is trapped in a small, dark space illuminated by the bracelet on her wrist.

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