Parents' Guide to

Stoker

By Jeffrey Anderson, Common Sense Media Reviewer

age 17+

Stylish but gruesomely violent thriller riffs on Hitchcock.

Movie R 2013 98 minutes
Stoker Poster Image

A Lot or a Little?

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

Community Reviews

age 16+

Based on 3 parent reviews

age 17+

Great film full of stylish twists and turns

Intriguing film, convoluted journey, beautifully shot and interesting twists. Definitely a Chan Wook Park film. The build is slow but there is a payoff and it comes through from different angles. All the actors are on point and are enjoyable to watch.
age 16+

Dark psychological thriller too intense and complex for younger viewers. 17+

Stoker is literally one of the best films of 2013, mainly because they made the cinematography, setting, and plot quite simplified and subtle yet with a mesmerizing, incoherent, and slightly Gothic tone, which makes this film very intriguing and fascinating to watch yet compelled by the brilliant acting, scenery, and the overall dark tone which makes it more thought provoking. I'm not including any details of the story (potential spoilers), but Stoker is generally about an introverted and shy teenage girl who tries to adjust to life after her beloved fathers sudden death, until her mother introduces her to her mysterious and shady uncle Charlie. Stoker is not for everyone, because the mature themes and subject matter it deals with can be disturbing and unsettling for most viewers, especially a graphic murder sequence, bullying at school escalating to a confrontation, attempted rape, and a scene of masturbation combined with nudity.

This title has:

Too much violence
Too much sex
Too much drinking/drugs/smoking

Is It Any Good?

Our review:
Parents say (3):
Kids say (4):

Korean director Park Chan-wook tends to have a stylish obsession with violence; Stoker has little in common with his prior works, though, which may disappoint die-hard fans. But moviegoers coming in fresh will discover a fascinating thriller that's expertly constructed to elicit darker emotions, rather than simple spine tingles.

Stoker borrows a few ideas from Hitchcock's Shadow of a Doubt (1943), but it quickly diverges from that movie into frightening new territory. Park's patient storytelling and odd imagery (a tiny spider, large round boulders, fancy shoes, a dried blood trail, etc.) contribute to a unique vision that's altogether different from the Master of Suspense. It's admirable how effortlessly Park adapts to English, fearlessly exploring his creepy, squirmy themes without compromise. He's a most welcome new addition to Hollywood.

Movie Details

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