Parents' Guide to Ray Donovan: The Movie

When the TV show was canceled without warning after its season seven finale, fans took to social media to express their outrage. This unrest was evidently heard, as Ray Donovan: The Movie was commissioned in order to provide a conclusion to a journey that began nine years previously in 2013. Perhaps understandably, this film is very much for the fans. If you haven't seen the show, it's unlikely you'll find very much from this movie, other than some trademark violence and colorful language. Too much has occurred in the previous seven seasons for the brief montage at the start of the film to be anything more than a reminder as a opposed to an explainer.

But whether the fans will feel satisfied is debatable. While it's enjoyable to see these familiar faces back on-screen, whereas the show was slick, here the narrative feels uneven. This is perhaps no surprise given that showrunner David Hollander had always planned on an eighth season wrapping up the show. However, so much of the show's enjoyment came from the, albeit, complicated relationships within the Donovan family. Here they spend most of the time separate from each other and it's to the film's detriment. Flashbacks to Ray and Mickey's early life provide some enjoyable backstories and answers. There's also a sweet scene involving a young Ray and (his not yet wife) Abby. However, when fans look back on Ray Donovan, it will be the show remembered fondly, not the movie.