Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Violent, poorly made cat-and-mouse serial killer thriller.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Mindcage
What's the Story?
In MINDCAGE, detective Jake Doyle (Martin Lawrence) and rookie police psychologist Mary Kelly (Melissa Roxburgh) are assigned to stop a serial killer who creates art out of victims' bodies. The duo must solicit the help of an incarcerated serial killer known as The Artist (John Malkovich), who has insight into the crimes but whose assistance comes at a price to the detectives' own psyche.
Is It Any Good?
This Silence of the Lambs knockoff probably read better on paper, but its twists are marred by cringey production values. Mary Kelly is intended to be a modern-day Clarice Starling, working with a jaded and guarded detective who resents being partnered with a young woman. To get information from a crafty felon mere weeks before his execution, she meets his demands, exposing herself to the mind games he wants to play. It's a familiar premise, but it ultimately takes a very different and far less entertaining turn.
And Mindcage just isn't very well made. The sound is frequently echoey and distant. When Jake and Mary are in the car, it's so obviously in front of a green screen that Toonces the Cat might as well be behind the wheel. And the directorial choice for how to execute the big reveal is so laugh-out-loud ridiculous that you can't help but feel for the cast members. Mindcage is a head slap.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the violence and sexual imagery in Mindcage. Is it problematic to mix the two?
How does this film compare to other crime thrillers you've seen? Were you able to solve the mystery? If you wrote the "rules" of writing a thriller, what would they be?
Mary Kelly shuts down sexist comments as soon as they're made. How can we respectfully help others realize they're speaking or acting with implicit bias?
Movie Details
- In theaters : December 16, 2022
- On DVD or streaming : December 16, 2022
- Cast : John Malkovich , Martin Lawrence , Melissa Roxburgh
- Director : Mauro Borrelli
- Inclusion Information : Black Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Lionsgate
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 96 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : some violent content and sexual material.
- Last updated : December 29, 2022
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