Common Sense Media Review
By Tara McNamara
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Implied rape, abuse in mature opera-production drama.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 15+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
Videos and Photos
Seven Veils
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In SEVEN VEILS, Jeanine (Amanda Seyfried) agrees to her mentor's last wish: to direct a remounting of his most notable production of Salome, Richard Strauss' controversial 1905 opera based on Oscar Wilde's 1893 play. Jeanine has a complicated history with the opera, with her own late father having used her as a muse—and in her role as director, she slowly uncovers dark family secrets. While she's dealing with her own turmoil surrounding her father's recent death (and separation from her husband), the opera takes Jeanine through the difficulties of her past to help her heal in the present.
Is It Any Good?
For fans of opera, director Atom Egoyan's modern-day Salome set inside an actual production of Salome will likely be an absolute triumph. But for opera neophytes, Seven Veils is elusive. And for families with teens, it's mature, complex, and not particularly accessible.
For that first group—those who are familiar with Salome—it's a feat on so many levels. First, Egoyan directs the movie and the real Canadian Opera Company's stage production simultaneously, using Ambur Braid, Michael Kupfer-Radecky, Michael Schade, Karita Mattila, and other opera performers to play their stage roles as well as themselves as characters. And then he goes even further, taking the meta from dramatic to traumatic. As the title indicates, the entire film is its own Dance of the Seven Veils. Viewers are trying to see and understand what's happened to Jeanine and interpret how her father, whom she reviles, and her former mentor-turned-lover, Charles, whom she adored, impacted her—and how it's all tied together. It's sheer and transparent, yet hidden. Egoyan lets us imagine that we're seeing more than he's actually showing us, our brains trying to close the gap. It's brilliant. And confusing. And upsetting. And full of operatic singing. It's hard to imagine teens sparking to this concept or appreciating sitting through it, but a few likely will.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about how Jeanine makes changes in Salome to reflect and reclaim events in her life. What is "artistic license," and what is Seven Veils telling us about how the bias or experiences of a writer, director, or performer affect interpretation?
How does the Bible describe the incident with Salome (aka Herodias' daughter), Herod, and John the Baptist? What other versions of this story have you seen in entertainment, and how does the production of Salome in Seven Veils compare?
How does Jeanine demonstrate "grace under pressure"? Compare her portrayal to other depictions of directors in entertainment. What is self-control, and why is it an important life skill?
Director Atom Egoyan alternates between directing opera and feature films. What are two of your passions, and what might it look like if you merged them into one?
How do Clea's "behind the scenes" videos help to educate viewers about the components of a stage production? How does understanding what went in to creating the John the Baptist head cast help reduce the horror of the opera's grotesque final scene?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 7, 2025
- On DVD or streaming : April 8, 2025
- Cast : Amanda Seyfried , Rebecca Liddiard , Ambur Braid
- Director : Atom Egoyan
- Inclusion Information : Middle Eastern/North African Movie Director(s) , Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : XYZ Films
- Genre : Drama
- Topics : Arts ( Music and Sing-Along )
- Character Strengths : Communication , Self-control
- Run time : 109 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 18, 2025
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