Parents' Guide to

Nocturnal Animals

By S. Jhoanna Robledo, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Stylish, stylized, remote drama is violent, intense.

Movie R 2016 116 minutes
Nocturnal Animals Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

What you will—and won't—find in this movie.

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age 17+

Based on 8 parent reviews

Tom K.
Tom K. Adult
March 23, 2017
age 16+

much more sexual violence than indicated by the reviewer

unfortunately common sense media drops the ball on this one. Along with the violence described above, there's the simulated gang rape of an underage girl, you see her and her mother together, naked, dead and posed by the rapists, and a policeman graphically describes how they were murdered. much more disturbing than the review makes it sound and, at least we thought, not with any redeeming virtues.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
2 people found this helpful.
Annirae
Annirae Adult
December 12, 2021
age 17+

There is a r*pe seen

There’s a r*pe seen, do not watch if that triggers you.
1 person found this helpful.
See all 8 parent reviews

What's the Story?

In NOCTURNAL ANIMALS, Susan (Amy Adams) is a fairly successful museum curator married to a banker (Armie Hammer) who may or may not be on the cusp of losing his fortune but is most definitely having an affair. Then a package arrives at their house, accompanied by a note from Susan's long-estranged ex-husband, Edward (Jake Gyllenhaall). He's a novelist, and he's just sent her his about-to-be-published book, which is dedicated to her. Susan reads it, and she's soon pulled into the world Edward has created -- a place where a husband, Tony (Gyllenhaall) and a cop with a cancerous death sentence (Michael Shannon) try to avenge the ghastliest crime committed against him and his wife and daughter.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (8):
Kids say (6):

Though it's visually stunning, there's something clinical about the way this drama dissects the relationships it depicts, no matter the heat, anxiety, fear, and passion at their heart. Even its gut-wrenching performances, specifically Gyllenhaal's, can't wrench Nocturnal Animals back to its beating-heart center, rendering it more aloof than it needs to be -- or should be.

That's a pity, because the film is revelatory in some ways, a study in how heartbreak can be as savage as physical assault. The story-within-a-story structure works, for the most part, though it also halts the momentum at times. Still, Nocturnal Animals -- which was inspired by Austin Wright's book Tony and Susan -- is worth watching. And not just for Adams, who's impressive here (as is Laura Linney in a small-but-pivotal role as Susan's mother), but also to witness writer-director Tom Ford's confidence. If only the film more closely embraced the emotions at its core.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about Nocturnal Animals' violence. There's a lot of it, but it's shown in a very stylized way. How does that affect the impact of the crimes?

  • How does the movie's look and feel relate to its subject matter?

  • Why does Susan seem so adrift? What about her world makes her feel lost?

  • Who do you think the movie is intended to appeal to? How can you tell?

Movie Details

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