Parents' Guide to

Out of the Blue

By Monique Jones, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 16+

Unoriginal erotic thriller has sex, violence, language.

Movie R 2022 104 minutes
Out of the Blue Movie Poster

A Lot or a Little?

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

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age 15+

Based on 1 parent review

Mitch M.
Mitch M. Parent
January 20, 2023
age 15+

A bland Production

There is nothing new or unique about the plot of this film. An ex con meets a married woman at a beach. The two are attracted to one another, an a intimate affair begins to unfold. Apparently, she is the victim of domestic abuse from her husband. Their affair and sexual encounters intensify to the point of obsessions. Soon suspicions rise and plans to murder the husband develope. The movie never depicts graphic nudity. However, the sex scenes are physically explicit and realistic. The screenplay is bland, awkward at times, using plenty of profanity. The actors performances were, except for the sex scenes, lifeless or dull. Overall, Out of The Blue is just a filmed rehash of an old predictable plot with familiar characters.
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What's the Story?

OUT OF THE BLUE tells the story of Connor (Ray Nicholson), a man who's trying to put his life back together. He meets Marilyn (Diane Kruger), whom he instantly falls in love with. Together they decide to create a scheme to get her out of her awful marriage to an abusive husband.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say: (1 ):
Kids say: Not yet rated

Writer-director Neil LaBute tries (but fails) to cash in on classic film storylines and aesthetics with this erotic thriller. Out of the Blue feels more like a storytelling exercise than a finished feature. Several things make the film feel immature, including its clear but clunky homages to classic films. There's a literal call-out to TCM, plus scenes from vintage movies, as well as interstitial captions that mark the passage of time within the story. Other examples of awkward homage include a character dressing in a way that's reminiscent of Diane Keaton in Annie Hall, vintage or retro-style clothing on most of the cast, and an overreliance on the storylines of older films, such as The Postman Always Rings Twice (which is name-checked in the film) and Double Indemnity.

What's more, Out of the Blue lags and is a little boring. Maybe that's because it feels so familiar. But maybe it's also because the characters are pretty clichéd: the femme fatale, the unwitting guy who's entranced by love and/or lust, and, of course, the husband who's a menace but isn't fleshed out beyond that. And then there's the fact that Connor just isn't believable as someone who would kill, period -- much less for love. With a character death that could make some viewers frustrated by the way that people of color are portrayed and a twist ending that makes no sense, Out of the Blue unintentionally reminds you that you could be watching the other, more engaging films it's trying to emulate instead.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about the characters' actions. How do the characters make decisions? Do they use logic or emotion? Why does Connor want to help Marilyn?

  • What role does violence play in the film's plot?

  • Do you consider any of the characters role models? Why, or why not?

Movie Details

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