Common Sense Media Review
By Tracy Moore
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Complex film about family trauma has heavy themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
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Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
Amy (Krysten Ritter) is left to raise her two siblings, Nat (Logan Huffman) and Lucy (Madeleine Martin), after their parents left one day for vacation and never returned. With one sibling struggling with a brain injury and the other acting out to cope, Amy is heartened to meet Sam (Brian Geraghty), a drifter who seems interested in putting down roots. But with so much loss and grief among them and damaged trust, will they be able to create a new idea of family?
Is It Any Good?
REFUGE is a moving testament to the ability to heal from terrible grief and loss. It's beautifully shot, and there's a rough-hewn beauty to watching these characters pick up the pieces and try to trust again and form some semblance of family. Amid the promiscuity, casual drug use, and dysfunction are some deeper, valuable insights about the human condition: Broken people can help heal each other; families have a way of providing stability in spite of their dysfunction and erratic rhythms; and good can come from terrible circumstances. But because it explores these themes through self-destructive behavior, this is strictly a movie for very mature teens or adults who can focus on the beauty that lies beneath.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the drug use in this film. How do characters use drugs in this film, and what purpose do they serve? How do you think drug use changes each character's life?
What message does the film send about family and the good that can come from bad situations? In what way might these characters be better as they are than together with their parents?
In a way, every person in this film is dealing with a different injury. What do you think the film says about how we process loss differently?
Movie Details
- In theaters : January 12, 2012
- On DVD or streaming : March 28, 2014
- Cast : Krysten Ritter , Brian Geraghty
- Director : Jessica Goldberg
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Strand Releasing
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Family Stories ( Siblings )
- Run time : 84 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : October 1, 2025
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