Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Interesting sci-fi ideas wasted in routine storytelling.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 14+?
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Self/less
What's the Story?
Damian Hale (Ben Kingsley) is wealthy, powerful, ruthless, and respected, though not without his regrets. He's also dying of cancer. Damian is approached by the mysterious Phoenix Biogenic institute, which is headed by a man called Albright (Matthew Goode), who offers Damian the chance to start over. For a price, he can leave behind his old life by "shedding" his old body and entering a new body (Ryan Reynolds). At first Damian has a good time, but he soon struggles with strange flashbacks. When an image of a water tower appears, he investigates. He meets Madeline (Natalie Martinez) and her daughter, who hold the key to his identity. And he begins to realize that Albright's fleshy scheme has a few sinister wrinkles.
Is It Any Good?
Former music video/commercial director Tarsem Singh (The Cell, Immortals) is generally known for making movies that are visually impressive and narratively pathetic, and this movie is no exception. The story of SELF/LESS has been borrowed in large part, without credit, from John Frankenheimer's Seconds (1966), a movie that took time to explore various themes of beauty and identity in a thoughtful way.
Self/less, on the other hand, doesn't do anything you could call thoughtful, and its sci-fi storyline seems almost arbitrary when compared to the rudimentary thriller climax. It all comes down to chases, escapes, and trying to catch the bad guy; it doesn't even appear to be trying. Singh's previous films featured impossibly huge sculptures and colorful dreamscapes, but the high point of this one is a gray, plastic labyrinth used for nothing more than the hero to hide in while closing in on his enemies. It could have been interesting, but Self/less is an empty vessel.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Self/less' violence. Is it meant to be thrilling or disturbing? How much is shown? Does action have to be gory to be upsetting? What's the impact of media violence on kids?
What does the movie have to say about male body image? Why do you think the main character uses his new body for anonymous sex so frequently?
What lessons do characters learn? Does the body-swapping experience help Damian become a better person? How?
Would you choose to buy a new body, if money was no object? Why or why not?
Movie Details
- In theaters : July 10, 2015
- On DVD or streaming : November 10, 2015
- Cast : Ryan Reynolds , Ben Kingsley , Natalie Martinez
- Director : Tarsem Singh
- Inclusion Information : Indian/South Asian Movie Director(s) , Indian/South Asian Movie Actor(s) , Female Movie Actor(s) , Latino Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Focus Features
- Genre : Science Fiction
- Run time : 116 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : sequences of violence, some sexuality, and language
- Last updated : January 8, 2021
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