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Parents' Guide to

Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season

By Brian Costello, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 10+

Slow-paced dog movie teaches lessons on empathy.

Movie PG 2001 96 minutes
Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

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age 10+

Based on 1 parent review

Chloe A.
Chloe A. Parent of 3 and 5-year-old
September 13, 2023
age 10+

great message

I think Shiloh 2: Shiloh season is a great movie for a family night in because it is educational for children that people might be the way they are for the time being but there is always hope for that person to change into a better one. I think children can learn and benefit for when they have grown up to have hope for people that they can change and it's not too late to change. It is a great message to send out to children and families and they can use this movie as a perfect example to have that hope yes there is too much drinking in there but it's educating the kids of what the reality and for what the real world is like and they can benefit from this to help the ones who needs to be helped.
See all 1 parent review

What's the Story?

When Marty (Zachary Browne) takes beagle Shiloh away from his abusive owner Judd (Scott Wilson) in SHILOH 2: SHILOH SEASON, Judd starts scheming for a way to get the dog back. Judd gets drunk, accuses Marty of trespassing on his land and vandalizing his truck, shoots off his hunting rifle into the air, and sets his attack dogs free to put some fear into Marty's family. But when Judd drinks too much and drives his truck off of a bridge, flipping the truck and sending him into the hospital, Marty begins to see the injury as an opportunity to help Judd become a better person. After learning about empathy in school, and from his father about how Judd was physically abused as a child, Marty tries to help make Judd a better person. Marty and his family decide to reform Judd's mean heart through daily acts of kindness.

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (1 ):
Kids say (1 ):

What makes this movie stand out from so many other movies with "bad guys" is its attempt to try and understand the "bad guy" and why he behaves the way he does. Most movies are content to have a bad character and leave it at that, but Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season attempts to show that some people who grew up under abusive circumstances and became mean as a result can be reformed through steady acts of kindness.

This doesn't entirely make up for the mostly flat acting and slow pace of the movie, but with a bit of luck, such actions and discussion should get families thinking about the behaviors of those around them, and why people might act the way they do. This is a mostly wholesome movie, in spite of the drinking and driving and a scary scene involving three angry dogs chasing after a little girl. And, for dog lovers, there are plenty of scenes of Shiloh the adorable little beagle bonding with Marty and the entire Peterson family.

Talk to Your Kids About ...

  • Families can talk about dog movies like Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season. Is Shiloh like most dog "stars" you have seen in other films? How is he different?

  • How are positive values like empathy, kindness, and honesty both shown and discussed in Shiloh 2: Shiloh Season? Why are these important character strengths?

  • How is the culture of a rural town shown in the movie? Are there any stereotypes?

Movie Details

Did we miss something on diversity?

Research shows a connection between kids' healthy self-esteem and positive portrayals in media. That's why we've added a new "Diverse Representations" section to our reviews that will be rolling out on an ongoing basis. You can help us help kids by suggesting a diversity update.

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