My Son

Parents need to know that My Son is a British thriller about the abduction of a seven-year-old boy and his parents' desperate attempt to find him. There are moments of violence, including a torture scene, references to child sexual abuse, and frequent strong language. James McAvoy and Claire Foy play Edmond and Joan, the divorced parents of the missing child. McAvoy is in nearly every scene and was tasked with improvising his lines having not been given a script. There are few, if any, positive messages or role models. As Edmond gets increasingly desperate, he resorts to more extreme measures. This includes torturing someone by using a blowtorch on their bare foot. He also puts another man in hospital -- leaving them with broken ribs and a dislocated hip -- and uses improvised weapons to knock people unconscious. In one pivotal scene, gun shots are fired resulting in one man's death and another with a bloody wound in the shoulder. Kids are shown abducted and having gas forced on them in order to keep them unconscious. Reference to a miscarriage. Swearing is frequent and includes variants of "f--k," as well as "s--t" and "pr--k." Two characters share a glass of whiskey together before one downs another glass. Joan also takes sleeping pills, although this happens off-screen.