Common Sense Media Review
By Jeffrey M. Anderson
,
based on child development research. How do we rate?
Horror/thriller has lots of blood/gore and a child in pain.
Parents Need to Know
Why Age 16+?
Any Positive Content?
Where to Watch
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Son
What's the Story?
In SON, a disheveled pregnant woman named Laura (Andi Matichak) appears to be on the run. When her baby's arrival is imminent, she screams "I don't want you!" Years later, Laura seems to be the happy single mom of 8-year-old David (Luke David Blumm). One night, Laura discovers a group of strange people in David's room who disappear as quickly as they came. She calls the police, and a detective, Paul (Emile Hirsch), shows up. Even though he can't find anything, Paul is sympathetic to Laura's concerns. David suddenly falls very ill, with bruises appearing on his body. Laura leaves him with her neighbor Susan (Erin Bradley Dangar) for just a second -- when she comes back, David has torn Susan open and is drinking her blood. Laura decides to protect her child at all costs and goes on the run. But Paul is determined to find her -- and David.
Is It Any Good?
Generally well-made and well-acted, this horror/thriller still doesn't really work thanks to a repetitive, fairly predictable storyline and many upsetting scenes of a child screaming in pain. To be sure, Son is evenly paced, sufficiently gory, and intermittently thrilling. Matichak is authentic as Laura, diving deep into motherly love and the instinct to protect her child under any circumstances, while Hirsch shows a compassionate side that's appealing. But the movie kicks off with the momentum of a promised chase that it never really keeps up, despite the occasional lurking figure.
Then it becomes more or less a vampire story, or something vaguely along the lines of Little Shop of Horrors, in which the main character must find the least admirable humans to obtain fresh blood from to sustain its creation. And since each segment happens more or less the same way, with poor David shrieking "it hurts! It hurts so bad!" each time, it gets a little hard to take. Add all this to the fact that the opening sequence hangs over the entire story, anticipating another shoe dropping. When it finally does, it feels like too little, too late. Son was a decent try, but its minuses tend to overpower its plusses.
Talk to Your Kids About ...
Families can talk about Son's violence. How strong is it? How did it make you feel? Does all the gore feel necessary to telling the story?
How did the scenes with David screaming in pain make you feel? Did the fact that it's pretend make it OK?
Is the movie scary? What's the appeal of horror movies? Why do people sometimes like to be scared on purpose?
How do movies about monsters help us learn more about ourselves?
Movie Details
- In theaters : March 5, 2021
- On DVD or streaming : March 5, 2021
- Cast : Emile Hirsch , Andi Matichak , Luke David Blumm
- Director : Ivan Kavanagh
- Inclusion Information : Female Movie Actor(s)
- Studios : RLJE Films , Shudder
- Genre : Horror
- Topics : Fantasy
- Run time : 98 minutes
- MPAA rating :
- Last updated : September 29, 2025
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