Common Sense Media Review
By Kat Halstead
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Unoriginal erotic thriller has sex, language, mature themes.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 17+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Sliver
Parent and Kid Reviews
What's the Story?
In SLIVER, book editor Carly Norris (Sharon Stone) moves into an exclusive New York apartment building only to discover she looks suspiciously like the previous tenant, who fell to her death from the balcony. As she's pursued by two men who live there -- author Jack Landsford (Tom Berenger) and tech wizard Zeke Hawkins (William Baldwin) -- other unexplained deaths begin to make her question who she can really trust and whether she herself is in danger.
Is It Any Good?
It's no great shock that this 1993 erotic thriller received a total of seven nominations at the Razzies. The cast may have been high-profile, but Sliver is no great work of art. In fact, it often feels like plot points are purely there to build up to the next sex scene -- which come thick and fast. Baldwin is suitably creepy, and Berenger equally shady, but Stone is given little to work with beyond attempting to rekindle the sexual magnetism she exuded in her previous film, Basic Instinct -- which, by comparison, was nominated for two Oscars. It feels very much like a team trying to capitalize on that moment of star power and discovering too late that it's not just sex that sells.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about the presence of sex in Sliver. There is male and female nudity and numerous sexual acts portrayed and mentioned. Did you think it was necessary in telling the story?
Talk about the violence in the film. Was it shocking? Thrilling? What consequences were there? Does exposure to violent media desensitize kids to violence?
Discuss the strong language used in the movie. What did it contribute to the movie? Is a certain kind of language expected in a movie like this?
How were drinking, smoking, and drugs portrayed? Were there consequences? Did it glamorize them?
Movie Details
- In theaters : May 21, 1993
- On DVD or streaming : March 28, 2006
- Cast : Sharon Stone , William Baldwin , Tom Berenger
- Director : Phillip Noyce
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studio : Paramount Pictures
- Genre : Thriller
- Run time : 107 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- MPAA explanation : strong sexuality, and for language and violence
- Last updated : December 18, 2023
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